St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-10-25


What strikes the stranger in Rochester
most fOrClbly from the very moment Of his
arrival there is the large number of bicycles
in the streets. His second surprise comes
when he notes the varied sorts Of people
who use the machines. Finally he is as
tonished to SEE women OF diversified ages
and conditions upon wheels-not half q
dozen or a score Of women, but literally
hundreds Of them. Occasionally one will
meet in block more men and women on
bicycles than on foot.
Even in the most crowded business streets
Of that busy city three or four bicycles will
pass any given point inside Of any quarter
hour of the day and not occasion the least
comment. A visitor in Rochester, who re-
Gently stood in Main street, nearly oppo-
site the city hall-as crowded spot as any
in the city--counted eleven bicycles inside
Of twenty five minutes. And this was be
tween and 3 o'clock in the afternoon,
when traffic was at its height.
The Rochester bicyclist exhibits degree
Of confidence and nerve in the middle Of a
street full of cabs, carts, trucks and horse
carts that would paralyze New York wheel
men. He glides along in the middle Of the
street, turns out Of the way Of an approach
ing horse car, ducks under the nose Of
cab horse and gets in the wake of a car
riage till he sees an opening, when he
skins around to one side, takes long
chance with truck which comes rafting
down a side street. and so, lodging and
turning, squirting and Stacking up, break
| ing over an open or hiding behind cart,
| he wig4les up or down the street and out
| Of sight. beating the pedestrians on the
! sidewalk and getting much the better OF
| passengers in the street cars.
BUSINESS MEN RIDE.
The men on most of the bicycles wear no
| knickerbockers, flannel shirts or bicycle
| cans and sport no badges or colors. Their
sober business suits, their sedate air, their
| preoccupied faces, all show them to be
| business men on business bent. 1t is fact
that hundreds Of the most prominent bust
ness men of Rochester-millo owners, brok-
| ers, bankers, lawyers and wholesale deal
! ers in many lines Of trade-go to business
in the morning regularly upon bicycles,
and use their wheels constantly during the
dav. 4 walk through any business street
in business hours shows dozens Of wheels
upon the sidewalks resting against the
outside walls of offices.
Oftentimes three or four bicycles will be
seen outside single door, and it is not IN
common to count dozen or more wheels
awaiting their riders in single block
Their owners are either the proprietors OF
the establishments or business men who
have called there to do business with the
house They think no more OF leaving
their wheels outside than they would OF
hitching their horses to posts IN the street.
Clerks also use bicycles extensively, ana IL
is said that nearly all the reporters own
machines and use them in doing their
daily assignments
In the residence quarters OF town, also,
it is common to see bicycles standing out
side the doors of houses Girls use them
, freely, and when they run in to have chat
with a friend they leave the steel steeds
outside. A reputable bicycle dealer IL
, Rochester told the reporter few days age
that there were at least 1900 bicycles IL
daily use in that city, and that large pro
portion of them belonged to business men
He also said that therewere good 4oo lady
! riders in town.
It is by no means an unusual sight TO SCI
= afew ladies riding cycles in an eastern to"i
or suburb, but it makes an eastern maj
j., rub his eyes to walk in any well paved resi-
dence street in Rochester on any pieasan
afternoon. Most of the girls are young
, say from 10 to 16 years old, but there ar
. also many whose ages entltle them TO
{ called young ladies, and occasionally WON
r en- approaching middle age. sometime
= half a dozen or more Will glide rapldI
= along the smooth pavement IN meFr
2 group. "
Some are evidently out on errands, froI
| ;lra fhav steer Stral Rl
and rapid course, but most Of the girls ar
riding for pleasure. Now and then go
d come across pretty group in the midi
Of a roadway, several bright faced girls
airy hicyclinc costumes standing and chat
ting eaylv while they lean. upon thel
! wheels, The girls seldom If ever ventur
0 mon the business streets. They stick
tho residence avenues, where ROADS are nm
: and smooth and traffic is light. But the
do not lack in skill, nevertheless, as Is ire
; nuentIv noted when girl is seen to glld
nimbIy out of the way Of an approachln
vehicle, or circle in front OF trott1n
} 100 - ,,os+er horses nv 'ha WOW ar
| D to be thoroughly Used 70 bicycles, AZ
l seem TO fear them no more than they yea
, ordinary vehicles.
r But the most peculiar feature CT tn
e bicycle riding there to man from al
!. eastern city is to see bicycles upon the side
i walks. Even country places of some slz
!. in our neighborhood, as Orange, for IL
n stance, have laws compelling hicyclists t
keep to the roadway. In Rochester Their
o ia more bicycle fidiug upon Dhe sidewalk
, than in the roadways. Pedestrians seen
P to think nothingpf having big whee
$ come gliding noiselessly up behind them
r and whisk past so close that the wind l
o makes fans their faces. There is no ord
nance regulating the speed of bicycles upol
d the sidewalks, but apparently by common
t understanding the riders move lelsurely
r When they want to speed thsg turn int
u thesroad.
Police officials say that very few acc1
d dents result from the universal olcycl
q riding. Nearly all riders use wheels OF tn
t safety pattern, and all are skllltul IN thel
! MANAGEMENT There are almost no oro'
r nances regulating their use, and every stree
t in the entire city is open to them IN snha
nort1o0s of five of the most crowded street
o bicydEsts are prohibited from using Ia
9 sidewalks. Otherwise they have things IL
). their own way.-New York Sun.
o Very Uncertain Business.
1t Tbare ,1oes not seem to be any safety 10
70 onr one nowadays. Within d week "