The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24

Mrs. Cora Urquhart Potter. the TRACE
dienne of the Sunny South, is as fascinat-
ing in conversation as she is true to nature
| in tragedy. A Louisiana giri with the hot
French blood coursng through her veins.
! she married when a child and found too
late that the hymeleal al. was shrouded
| In black instead Of being bGgied in orange
| blossoms. She determined 10 fight her own
way in the world and first displayed her
dramatic talent when she made her bow
! to the -Four Hundred in that charming
recitation in which she was ever inimitable.
| "'Ostler joe" She adopted the stage and
| after battling with adverse fate in her own
country went abroad to receive proud
! recognition. And having won laurelS in
| foreign lands she again comes to her own
| country with the fond ambition, supported
] cy developed powers, Of being the TRACE
dienne of America. The Sunny South has
| claimed her for its own. It has had no
| tragic queen since Charlotte Cushman, and
now proudly prCclaims her the fit success
sor Of that great woman.
Mrs. Potter was in the city during the
past week and was found Thursday after
noon al her private p3rsOrs in the Bates.
She had just returned from a quiet ride on
her wheel through the residence portion
Of the city and was slipping a cup of tea.
For an hour previous there had been
swiftly
residence streets of the city q heavy
pneumatic-tired wheel upon which was
gracefully seated a we,l-foTmed young
woman Of classic features and great brown
eyes. Her wealth Of glossy hair, which
had in it a suggestion of golden brown,
was hanging laZi.y about her brow and
ears. while below her dark blue habit two
shapely feet appeared ana disappeared
with the movement of the pedals. The
graceful. rider was admired by many but
not a person knew that the lady cycler was
! Mrs James Brown Potter.
Mrs. Potter vas still attire1 in her
cicyc.e habit. which, needless 70 say. did
not include divided skirts
Yes, I've just returned from my daily
coz stitutional," she said, with a happy
laugh. MY ten always follows my re-
Il; n from a ride. Shall I not order you
me if finish my pot of tea But 1 can
talk right along; / always Zee. like talk
ing after coming In from a ride. l tel
you these bicycles are great boon to
women
You do not agree with Mrs. Kendall
then. as to the use OF bicycles by women"
Il most certainly do not and 1 am
surprised at the attitude Mrs. Kendall
has taken as to wheels. / have written
out my views upon the subject of bicycle
riding for women and shall give them to
you. This was prepared by me after
reading Mrs. KendalPs objections.
have taken them up one a time and, 1
think, answered them all.
Mrs. Potter on Bicycles.
ct is only recently that I learned to
ride wheel. l am in no way expert
though 1 can already extract an amount
II comfort and health from a short ex-
cursion that has satisfied me that a real
need among women of all claSses-house-
keepers no less than wage-wOrkers-is
IN faf Of h.-fr, In, [fe-
manner and In no other Ii was during
my recent stay in Kansas City that
took my lessons in riding. Only three
were necessary, and since that time it
IS with never-failing delght-that l nave
viewed the towns which L had visited
from the vantage point Of a wheel. The
satisfaction Of being ones own mistress,
Independent of coachmen and grOoms
able at any moment to alight, sufficiently
near the ground to feel the eXhiiaratiOn
that must come to healthy natures from
contact with Mother Earth and yet 50
uplifted i'm the air thai little burst Of
speed gives the most delightful sensation
of flying. has added to it the certainty
that Jaded health and appetites are receiv-
ing the best possible stimulus impaired
by moderate exercise. fresh air, and bril-
liant sunshine. l have been better in
every way since began TO ride wheel
and the amount of additional work IL has
made me capable Of in my chosen profess
Irle00S-an0
self most of all.
80 much for my personal experience
which is so limited that l only cite it be-
cause it is a personal experience and be-
cause am convinced that an ounce of
actual practice IS worth a pound of un-
verified theory. 1t is 50 easy 10 declaim
against something one knows nothing
about
Who knows the taste of pudding who pud-
ding never ate?'
Few things 60 further to persuade me-
Of the entire reaSOnableness Of women
riding bicycles than the arguments
brought against it, True, they cover
wide range. running from the novel ap-
pearance one must Of necessity make in
novel situation, through physiology and
anatomy, to the bible itself as If revealed
religion was involved. History and
science are alike brought IN regardless of
the authorities in each. and the subject
IS made to include of course, the hygienic
dress which women have already learned
adds 50 much to their comfort either on
or off the wheel
First, then, is a woman ridiculous on
bicycle? For one, l answer No Per-
haps my best proof lies in the fact that
women everywhere are taking ii up. To
assume that any considerable number of
my sex will voluntarily make themselves
subject to ridicule al the hands and pens
of the public is to fly in the face of their
rifices made by them everywhere to the
dictates of fashion in order to escape the
dreaded verdict, out of style show 20
what lengths they have always been ready
to go. The Parlsiennes, who have ruled
the world through their nice sense of the
fitness Of things i'm dress, have taken up
the bicycle eagerly and made the costume
it requires as appropriate as the gown
Of a Worth is in a drawing-room. The
motion itself is graceful, the twinkling
feet. steady arms, and slightly swaying
body, making a perfect picture. few
minutes callsthenics after each ride will
do away with the effect OF holding the
hands before one and prevent any stoop-
ing of the shoulders There is no reason
whatever in bending the body forward
in ordinary riding, and the seat and ham
dies can always be adjusted so that per-
feet erectness is maintained. In this it
compares more than favorably with horse
back riding when a side saddle is used,
the distortion of the spine in that tortur-
ing attitude being inevitable and una
voldable.
Women Riding Astride.
THAT brings me to the curious plea
that it Is unnatural for a woman to ride
astride, though it is perfectly apparent
that the bicycle seat in no way differs
from the ordinary chair or stool except
that 1t is of smaller area and made to
conform 10 the contours Of the body more
nearly. 1 have travelled throughout the
East and nowhere have / ever seen a
native woman riding anyway but astrlde.
In India, Ceylon, Java, China and Japan
when a woman goes on horseback she
sits Ike a man. Arabs, Turks and Per-
slams always do, and in Palestine / saw