The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-27

Gasped Lady ROBIN in distress.
IL was a woman. IA dress
STATE JOURNAL Poet
There are 100 women in Topeka whose
treadmill of pleasure il a bicycle and
about twenty five who own bicycles If
the enthusiasm or these women is as
contagious as it is among the men, the
town Will soon be full of feminine
'wheslers" Of these women there are
only two or three who do not look askance
al anything milling trousers for
bicycle suit, however full these trousers
be. Indeed. at the mere mention Of
bloomers these modest women look dis
gusted. OF course, it il not to be told
that about three-fourths of the women
who ride wore their husbands or brothers
trousers while they were learning, and
one woman who learned to ride alone IN
one evening only accomplished 1t after
tearing two skirts, by DOMINIC her bath
ing suit, but it Is well known fact that
one OF the women who so rOundly de-
nounces the bloomers that have been
seen on the street, made herself a regu-
lation suit with Turkish trousers early in
the summer and her friends guyed her
SO numerically that she packed it away
IN the deepest trunk she could find.
Miss Davis, who rides wheel TO and
from her work, says that boomers are
an unnecessary evil for the woman bicy-
clist and only desirable because the skirt
protectors and other small contrivances
can be removed from the wheel tn ereby
making il lighter. IF 4 were out rid
ing simply for pleasure" said Miss
Davis to the JOURNAL reporter Il should
frequent the country roads and wear
bloOmers perhaps But l have ridden
many miles in my suit and it has never
bothered me IN the least" Miss
Davis suit is of blue serge and the
skirt is about three inches from the
ground 1t measures three yards and a
half around the bottom and is lined
throughout with percaline without a vel
wet facing, which is apt to catch in the
wheel. Under this she does not wear a
skirt. but silk Turkish trousers. and her
waist Is of fancy silk with a short jacket
over It. 1t has the appearance of a natty
street dress and IN the eyes of most
women the objection to bloOmers is
the attention aud comment they attract
on the street
Miss Bessie Buhre is opposed to re-
form dress for the bicycle. and in re-
Spouse to the JOURNALS inquiry az to
the advantage Of reform dress Miss
Buhre said: Il lind that scant serge
skirt weighted with fattened lead is very
comfortable, and with it 1 wear black
alpaca underskirL Next year
expect TO have boomer suit,
the trousers OF which will be
very full and reach to the shoe tops.
shall wear cloth CATERS and a Jacket that
are very comfortable. but the pleasure in
wearing them is offset by the curiosity
people display when one appears on the
street"
Mrs. W. c. F. Reichenbach says that
heavy serge skirt is more to her taste
than any kind Of boomers.
Mrs W. T. Swift. Miss Kate J. Whit
ing, Mrs Wiggin, Mrs George Seward.
Mrs. Arthur Murphy and many other wo.
men who ride a great deal DO not look
favora0ly upon the reform dress.
The Misses lIarmont are the most en-
thuslastIc advocates of the blOomer COS
tune in the city. Miss Marmont SAYS
that any skirt IS bound 20 fly in the wind
and make it hard to propel the wheel.
and that the chances Of accident are
overcome in blOomers. Her costume has
i've yards of serge in the Turkish trous-
ers and has the appearance Of a divided
skirt off the wheel
Mrs. I'll. III. Arthur has a bloomer suit
Of green serge that she wore all summer
and she believes that women should not
attempt bicycling unless they are willing
TO wear such q costume.
Mrs. Kern has worn bloomer costume
of dark blue on the street for several
months, with jaunty cap and leggings
and there are many other women who
only look with disfavor upon the costume
in daylight
There are more women in town who
rent wheels than men and the bicycle
dealers predict that next year will see
more women riding than men.
There are a whole lot of stories told
about bicycle enthusiasts. but A vonno
lady who visited IN Kansas City recently
taxes our credulity by saying that ssbich-
loris" caused the divorce Of a young
husband and wife down there The
twain were inveterate riders; he fell i'll
from II, and she was infatuated with
her wheel that she left him bag and
baggage when the physician said he
must cycle no morel Alas, what tragic
events may follow in the wake Of a
pneumatic tire Not only are bones
broken, but lives are wrecked, as though
the machine was juggernsut and now
that it figures in the divorce court. who
knows what may not happen3
IN SOCIETY CIRCLES
Items Of Interest About Topeka People and
Visitors in Town
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