The herald., 1894-10-31
W0MAN'S WORLD.
lA9Y'o c;SrcLE cC5FuM1 AND TIE
f-" cT2lA0 or CIVILIZATION.

ST''-AO OF CIVILIZATION
Woman and Iducetion-csc sIay Try For
tho Ainer;cs's cr--Athicte and oarswo.
mnn-scctch Lsssies Win Dcgrccs--ho
Petticoat Is Doomed.
! III Chicago young woman riGged
herself out in her bicycle dress and
went out to ride on her wheel in one OF
the city parks She was wearing bloom
ers or something of that sort, and a man
who apparently had been brought up in
the baokwoods and had never seen any
thing like it before thought the show
was funny and laughed at it,
The young woman was not an imita
tion reformer. She was one Of the dead
in earnest kind and not likely to be
laughed at with impunity. She had the
scoffer arrested, and he was fined 5000
"a pretty large amount to pay for such
an extremely limited amount of fun as
he must have got in return for it. Such
an episodeii is likely to have its effect in
the spread sof civilization in the west,
and among the acconpanimonts of real
civilization is kind Of bicycle costume
for ladies that will enable them to ride
the wheel without danger from accident
from entangling skirts and without the
least immodesty A 5000 fine will help
along that civilization even in Chicago,
although it seems to have got along
pretty well. elsewhere without the use
OF any such rigorous methods
1t is obvious enough that a distinct
costume in which the skirt will be prac-
tically done away with will be sooner
or later in universal use by women who
ride bicycles. There has never been any
difference Of opinion as TO the desirable
ity Of it. The skirt is not merely incon-
venient but it has been the cause Of
many accidents, and it is by no means
a modest garment-at all events the
modesty Of its behavior cannot always
be depended .,upon-when worn in BIZ
cycle riding. There il hardly any one
of the various distinct bicycle costumes
that is not in all respects more modest
in use than the loose skirt. and as every
body can understand all are much safer,
for there is nothing to become entap-
gled in the machine and by disabling it
in some particular throw the rider.
Only the ignorant will laugh at these
costumes They may appear funny to
those vino do not keep up with what is
going on in the world. To such any
change from long established custom
seems funny. People not long ago
thought it funny to see lady ride BIZ
cycle at all, but now the sight is so
common as to attract little more atten-
tion than if the lady were merely
walking along the pavement. 1t will
rot be long before the bicycle costume
which does without the skirt will be
such common, every hour sight OH our
streets-even in the backwoods cities Of
the west-that they will attract no un
usual attention. In fact it is not i'm
probable that the lady who wears the
conventional skirt when sho rides will
attract more attention than the ono who
doesn't, but who instead wears some
thing more appropriate and sensible.
In some places considerable progress
has been made in this kind Of reform,
and having once gained a start it will
advance rapidly Bicycle riding IS
becoming more and moro popular with
women rs with men, and there is no
reason why women should be hampered
in the exercise by being compelled to
wear q dress that is neither suitable
nor safe for the purpose. There is no
law to prevent a change to something
appropriate. and no woman iit to be
pioneer in any dress reform movement
is going to be laughed down. And mon
are not going to do very much laughing
of that kind if they arc to be asked to
pay 5000 for it each time.
1t is encouraging to see that justice
can be dealt out in this way in Chicago.
1t establishes both the moral and legal
right Of the dress reformers to push
J forward with their work. They need
have no further fear of being laughed
& at t-Philadelphia Press.
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