Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-21
A Queer Three-wheeled Affair.

'My fathers first attempt at making
machine for people to ride on was tricycle."
said Mr. Dalzell. "At what date he first
took this machine on the tstreet, I
cannot tell, but it was some time prior to
the wooden horse From the accounts of
the tricycle. given me by those who saw it L
should judge that it must have very nearly
resembled the child's tricycle. in use now,
except that, instead of being propelled by
the feet with treadles it was driven by
crank attached to a sprocket wheel, which
was placed in front over the single wheel Con-
Meeting this sprockeS wheel with a similar
cOntrivance fastened to the rear axle was
chain very much like those in use now on
safety bicycles. This tricycle. had disap-
peared long before L was born, and it was
said that parts of it were used in making
the wooden horse, which appeared
later. 1 do not think this is so
however, for not long ago an Office stool in
use in the store gave way and when the
leather was taken from the top there was
the sprokit wheel as perfect as the day on
which it was made. The. only thing lack
ing was the crank handle"
1t Was Considered Crazy Scheme.
"The simultaneous balancing and pro-
pelling of a bicycle without the feet of the
rider touching the ground are now so gen.
orally known that few think anything at
all about them. This was not so in the days
when my father brought out his invention.
1t is q fact that when he intimated his in
tention of making second velocipede that
should have only two wheels in place of
three, aud one wheel running before
the other, and, moreover, that the veloci-
pede would both be propelled and balanced
without the riders feet touching the ground,
not one person could he find to believe such
an incredible feat as possible till the thing
was actually accomplished by him While
engaged in making the vehicle his friends
made all sorts of fun of him, but he good
naturedly told them to wait and see. As
natural consequence, therefore. the wooden
horse in 1874 excited marvellous interest
wherever it made its appearance, and peo-
pie travelled long distances to get sigh of
it. To satisfy the large curiosity of others
descriptions of it had to be sent. Measure
ments and diagrams were as frankly given
as they were anxiously sought, and the
fame of the wooden horse become widely
spread.
An Ancient Description of the Horse.
81 have my possession an old description
of the machine which will answer at the
present time. 1t reads as follows:
est is constructed chiefly of wood and is
strong and substantial. The steering wheel
is in front and is smaller than the other
The saddle, too, is so low that the rider
starts himself with both feet on the ground
The stirrups of iron, Lang from the fore
part or Group of the saddle and are moved
backward and forward alternately. They
are connected by means of iron rods with
the cranked axle of the driving wheel. The
reins are bent back so that they may be
conveniently grasped by the rider. Another
oh ,e = IL
the upper part of the driving wheel is clad
with wood from the saddle to rather beyond
the highest part of the wheel. The rider
is enabled by this contrivance to mount
freight behind him, either living or the re-
verse. Frequently one, two, or even three
lads perch behind the rider at one time,
their. arms clasped firmly round each others
waists, and all work as energetically as their
strength viii permit, the speed then at
tanned being remarkable, and is secured by
the lads assisting the rider by resting their
feet upon and assisting him in working the
connecting rods.
Some Thought the De'n Was in 1t.
"Although never saw my father ride his
wooden horse 1 have heard many stories
about it from my mother and others who
were alive at that time. One of them struck
me as being rather funny. 1t appears that
my father was in the, habit of
riding very rapidly over the coun-
try roads. On one occasion there was
high stone wall between the road
and field wherein number of men were
working, and along this road my father was
rapidly riding when he heard people crying,
There's the dell ! There's the dell !' and
away ran the men and women as if the very
dell was after them.
'My father wore fur cap, and this was
all that was visible to the people above the
stone wall. They saw it sliding by, neither
rising nor falling had its wearer been riding
or walking, and as they heard no noise they