San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-21
ON THE LOITER.

see man tearing down the street
on a bicycle, his body all folded
over and tied into a knot, that
attitude which we call a "bicycle
hump" you can set it down as a
fact that the position, or habit if
you choose to so designate it, is one
decided upon or acquired after
much hard riding. | might say
that, with scarcely an exception,
a person about to be Initiated in
to the mysteries of bicycle riding
has a dread for the cycle stOop of
a majority of the riders, just as he
has an aversion to the abbreviated
cycle costume, yet in less than
a years time, if he proves
a hard rider, the same
individual has embraced, in
some more or less modified
form, buth the bicycle hump and
the abbreviated cycle uniform.
The reason for this is that there is
something in favor Of the cycle
hump the initiated and novice
knows nothing Of. The advantage
can best be illustrated by attempt
ing to lift fifty or seventy-five
pounds while standing beautifully
erect and then by lifting the same
weight while bending forward or
acquiring the bicycle hump. The
additional force which one can en-
ploy by humping on bicycle is
perhaps fully as great as that
gained in lifting, and is there
fore universally used on the track
and on the road. In fast riding
the decrease in surface presented
for wind resistance, by the bicycle
hump over the graceful upright
position, forms very important
matter. While, however, every
man should suit or fix his hump
upon the track and on the road so
as to serve him best, he should for
appearances sake, at least, so mo-
dify the stoop that he will bear
some resemblance to man and
look less like picked chicken,
when riding on the squares and in
the streets. There is about as
much sense and justification for
cyclist to ride over the boulevards
and through shaded parks all tied
up in a knot because the BIZ
cycle hump comes in handy
in race or pulling up a
steep hill, as there would be in
every man walking in the streets
of the town in an orang'Outang
pose, because the STOPPING attitude
enables him to more ably lift a
heavy load.
A COMMERCE STREET BLOCKADE.
1t is queer what notions some
people entertain in regard to the
use of the streets of the city, and
the narrower and more frequented
the streets, the queerer the notions.
Commerce street is one OF those
thoroughfares that is scarcely wide
enough for a funeral procession and
a fat policeman to pass over at the
sa ne time, yet some people will in
sist on making a most ridiculous
use OF it. A loquacious insur.
ance agent will often drive
up to the side Of a buggy
standing near the sidewalk, drop
the lines between his knees, pull
out note book full Of statistics
and violently talk tender. minded
friend into taking out a life policy,
totally oblivious to the fact that
seventeen people in front OF and
behind him are craning their necks
to ascertain the cause Of the block
ade. Not only is the gentleman
oblivious to the neck craning opera
ton and the inward. unspoken
maledictions heaped upon his head,
but he appears to be perfectly deaf
to all appeals for him to move on,
or to such sarcastic slams like,
"Say, mister, If you own
this place, why don't you
put fence around it?" A po-
liceman, who is an adept in break
ing up street blockades, finally APP
pears upon the scene and gives the
much coveted relief by leading of
the patient animal attached to the
loquacious agents equipage. The
gentleman, however, is out for
business, and a little farther up
the street repeats the performance.
The drivers of the other vehicles,
now irritated and in utter despair,
attempt to some how work ana
worm their way around the OBJ
struction, and everybody drives in
to every little vacant place on the
street, determined to follow up
every little advantage, with the re-
suit of completely blockading the
street. At last the insurance man
must take note of the appeals