The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-04-15
ourrR nlKrs oE eYosNn DAYS

QOEEh BlNE'S VI pI0ONn pNt .
sumn Extraordinary v sthods Have bees
Used in Making heels Go Round
The bicycle passed through many
curious stages before It reeched lis
present stage of perfection. The ma
chino is one that peculiarly cxcites the
inventive geniua of man, and the de-
signs that have been made in years
past, with the view Of getting the
greatest amount of speed with the
least expenditure of energy are won
derful to behold. One of the earliest
forms of Velocipede was that invented
in the eighteenth century by one John
Vevers, master of boarding school at
Reigate, Surrey, England. Mr.. Vevers
had large number of wealthy young
men in his school, and he conceived
the bright notion of providing for them
b travelling chaise without horses. The
rider was to be seated in the carriage,
where he could manage the steering
apparatus, while servant, hanging on
by step behind, propelled the ma
chime. This "bicycle" did not meet
with much favor, the chief objection
being that it did not run fast enough.
10 such objections Mr.. Vcvers replied
that the fault was not with his ma
chine, but with the propelling power
Of the servant If, he argued, the serv-
ant were as strong as two ordinary
men, the machine could be made to go
twice as fast, which shows that Mr..
Vevers was as clever at repartee as at
mechanical invention.
oo1, Inc 1xyoa tr1uan ted
Y Frenchman about 1880. He went
10 great deal of expense to have the
bicycle constructed, but after it was
finished found that he could not ride it.
The reason is plain. The machine was
driven by pressing the feet upon pro-
jections on the rim of the forward
wheel There was no steering gear or
brake. 1t would require modern eX-
pert to ride such machine. Some years
before this a Scotchmau had devised
what he dubbed self-moving car
riage. The adjective is misleading, for
the carriage was designed to be moved
by man sitting behind. The machine
never got any further than paper ard
it is doubtful whether it would havu
moved at all had it been built. 1t was
calculated to carry seven persons and
was to be propelled by means OF
treadleS
1t remained for an American to de-
wise the most remarkable cycle on re-
cord. The name and address of the in
ventor have been lost, but there is little
doubt that he was Yankee. The con-
trivance consisted of sort of miniature
| A., - ,,,h;aI, hNS
This was connected by means of pole
with large wheel in front, SO arranged
that it could contain two dogs The
machine was guided by means of 9
steering rod, with handle conven
iently near the rider. The inventor
reckoned that the dogs, in their natura
desire to escape, would run forward
thus revolving the wheel, somewhat
after the manner of prisoner on 6
treadmill. Even supposing that dog!
could be procured which would perform
this service, there remained the ques
ton of weight, which was the straw
that broke the inventors back HI
found that, with the clumsy materials
then in use, the carriage complete
would weigh about 200 paunds. 70 thi
was to be added the weight of $50
pound lady, for the machine was de
signed especially for woman's use. Con
siderable discussion arose as to hov
heavy the dogs would have to be in or
der to drive this weight, and boo
, written on the subject said that tw
iO-pound dogs would not suffice. Th
!, inventor, therefore, deciding that ami
: mails of greater weight could not be nc
commodated, abandoned the task Th
first rear-driving safety was built by
; Scotch blacksmith of the name of Gavi
Dalziel in 1916. The footpower was az
s piled to levers attached to cranls on tn
rear wheel.-N. Y. World.