The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-22
CYCLING GOSSIP.


Zimmerman is % years of age and
weighs l6S pounds in training.
AT the Pittsburg Athletic club park,
Saturday afternoon, Arthur l.. Bank
er, of the p. A. c, rcde a half-mile hy-
ing start in one minute flat.
Iim has an offer of $500 from a
maker to ride his machine next year.
AS this offer is for the machine alone
the income from tire makers would
bring Zim's earnings in this line close
on to $4,000 for next year.
A very large number of the cycling
accidents this season can be traced to
the absence Of brake. Once q brake
less machine gets headway the rider is
pOwerless to hold it. Don't risk your
neck, therefore, for the sake Of a few
ounces more weight.
A western wheelman made wager
that he could ride an eighteen pound
wheel down Pixies Peak without a
brake. He has climbed the golden
stairs, and if he gets his just deserts,
says the Rochester Post-EXpress, he
will be compelled to wear a FOOLS cap
instead ola crown in the regions of the
blest.
A postal vote is to be taken from the
various unions affiliated to the Interna-
tional Cyclists association as to
whether the worlds championship
should not be oren to amateurs and
professionals. We hope the question
will be answered aflirmatively. Then
the race would be a real worlds cham
pionship; but the "world's champion
ship" without Zimmerman may be
likened to Hamlet" without the
Prince Of Denmark.
The Massachusetts tax assessors are
having difficulty in their efforts to as
sess the tax on bicycles provided for
by recent law of that state. They
generally report that they have been
able to get hold Of hardly half the
wheels in use, and in some places
could not have made even that show
ing had it not been for the wheelmen's
directories published before the tax
law was passed Many Of the wheels
are owned by minors, whose property
to the value ofSl 900 can be exempted.
The Massachusetts, assessors had u
similarly bothersome task n few years
ago in the taxation Of hens, of which
the legislature subsequently relieved
them.
The "bicycle stamp" which was
brought into existence in San Francis
co by the railroad strike is likely to bo
much priced by stamp collectors. For
more than a fortnight San Francisco
was practically cut of from all railroad
communication, and the bicycle mail
service was gotten up between that city
and Fresno, distance of about 2l0
miles, by A. G. Baptos, n cycle dealer
of-the lastnamed place. 1t continued
about four days when the blockade
was raised. Stamps aud stamped en-
velopes were hastily designed and sew
eral hundred printed, the stamps being
sold at % cents apiece and the envel-
opes at 80 cents. or tn $50 letters car.
ried, Sl5 were stamped and 40 were
sent in stamped envelopes.
SEVERAL GooD "DONTs"
Don't 90 for very long rides at first.
Take them in small doses, like cod
liver oil.
Don't have your machine squeaking
like lot Of pigs under gate. Oil is
cheap today.
Don't scorch unless you are in a
hurry, or have Il bad attack of the
"blues" to work of. Under no cir
cumstances do 50 in the streets ormuch
frequented roads.
Don't double yourself up as if you
were suffering from mad cramp. On
the other hand don't sill as if you had
swallowed an extra long poker. Let
your mien be a happy mean.
Don't try to learn balancing on your
hall or back parlor, A lonely bit of
road with soft bitches handy is much
better and you are not likely to dam
age anything except yourself.
Don't think it is the hardest thing in
the world to keep up, and that you
will never manageit. You will laugh
once you have learned, when you think
what a fuss you made about such
simple matter
Don't think you are born record
breaker because you can go a bit fast.
You may have speed powers, but it is
just as likely you have not. Anyway,
you will soon find out if you compete
on the path or road.
DON'T ride in trousers if you can help
it; you look twice as nice in knicker-
bockers. If your calves are a little
scraggy can't you get some straw? All
the girls in the neighborhood will
break their hearts-about you.
Don't ride an inferior make or Sec
ond.hand machine, unless you are
quite sure it is really value for the
money. A first-class mount is gener-
ally cheaperin the end, even if il does
leave an aching void in your pocket