Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-31
THE BICYCLE CRAZE.
How The Wheel Has Attained Its Supfs-
macy In Richmond.
oUR GRACEFUL LADY RIDERS.
They Present More Interesting Pie
turss Than Do the Men-Names Of
Some Prominent Wheelmen-Netes
About the Sport.

The world new bows at the shrine
OF the cycle. Its struggle for supre-
macy has been long. tedious, ana hard
fought one, but even as mighty as has
been its effort. just go complete has been
its victory. Swift and smooth now 's
its sailing. since It's tvery obstacle has
been overcome.
In Shakespeare's Richard III. the
hunchback king stretches out his hands
| In dispair ard walls. IA horse! horse!
my kingdom for a horse" Now the
shrieks of mankind and OF womankind.
| and of boykind. and of girlkind. are:
"a wheel, a wheel. my kingdom for a
| wheel" That is the cry OF the multi
| tudes who thus far have been unable to
| supply themselves with the safety" that
| Is SO necessary to human comfort and
| enjoyment, and so essential TO the strict
| observance of the demands Of Dame Gus
| tom.
This bicycle craze is a somewhat sud
Den thing l hardly know how to account
for II. and shall not attempt TO do so.
only know that a short time ago 1t was
a rather unusual sight to witness a Jaunty
little cap, q fascinating array OF wind
towseled hair, a dainty skirt OF pea-green
or navy blue. and pair OF pewitchlhs
ankles as the chief clements or attract
iveness OF a passing wheel Now one Is
fortunate on passing street corner III
he does not collide with bevy OF pretty
maids upon cycles
Unlike other fads. 1t seems that the
fad OF the bicycle has come 10 stay. so
far as Richmond Is concerned. The
streets and boulevards are well adapted
to it's use, and within the past two
months more than Il hundred and fifty
wheels have been sold by the dealers OF
this city. one agent started UP Clue
OF ten machines of one make, and already
ffty-odd have been sold by this means, and
ii Is doubtful If the factory Will furnish
any more wheels at the same figure. the
riding schools are most popular rendez-
youS for the young rides and furnish
much amusement and pleasure just now
to more than hundred young people
who are learning TO sit In the saddle and
manipulate the pedals.
The wheel has become so practical and
beneficial in both business and social life
that It Is being used here by messen-
ger-boys, newspaper-carriers are making
regular use of them, clerks in going 10
sional men of all kinds, and even many
mechanics make the cycle answer the
purposes OF the street-car morning, noon,
and night. great many of the runners
in the Fire Department have wneelS-not
In their heads, but in their houses-for
the purpose OF reaching fires promptly.
and it is not unlikely that Major Poe Will
soon learn to ride, and introduce the ma
chine more extensively among his blue
rIi Of "a
But the bicycle is largely the fad Of.
society. Nearly all the debutantes art
riding because the pace has been set by
some OF the older members. Then, too.
quite Il large number of married ladies
are taking advantage OF the sport for
the reason that 1t is healthful. insplrit-
Ing. delightful, and proper. And l agrees
with them as to the pleasures to be de-
rived from the wheel and the propriety
of its use. Really the lady riders OF
Richmond, while they have not had SO
much experience. are decidedly mors
graceful upon the machines than the
men. The Richmond girls and young
ladies ride with charming grace.
Ny great antipathy toward the bicycle
has passed away. and j am reconciled
to its occupying a respectable place In
all civilized communities. 1t deserves
the place ii has won In the hearts OF
Richmond women; 1t right admirably
fills its important vocation at the West
moreland. Commonwealth. and Albemarle
clubs Qn each of which organization
there are a number OF excellent riders).
and the space 1t occupies In the left
hand corner OF so many halls in Rich
mond is justly devoted to II as Its shell
ter.
Miss May Handy set Eichmond's fash
ion and culture eSug over the BIZ
cycle. Last summer. while at one OF the
Mane-coast resorts. she learned 10 ride.
and upon her return home she continued
to take her constitutionals upon her
wheel Up TO that time only a few OF
our ladies were riders, and great many |
who are now ardent devotees OF the cycle |
had not until then dreamed OF ever being |
able to mount one OF the machines. But |
under the superb and graceful leadership |
OF Miss Handy and one or two others |
Richmond's society ladies fell into line |
with their wheels, and are 10 be seen |
upon tRe streets or boulevards nearly |
every afternoon.
Some of Richmond's most graceful lady |
riders are: Miss Handy. Misses Lang |
horne, Miss Mary Pace, Mrs. Charles T.. |
Smith. Mrs James X. Branch. Mrs. W. |
r. Oppenh!mer. Mrs. J. S. Donnan, Mrs |
Mrs. Walter C. Mercer. Mrs. John ID.
Murrell. Miss Virgie Drewry. Miss Nellie |
MAYO, Miss Mary Mayo Misses Hayes,
Misses Keesee. Miss Fleming Mrs. Meade,
Miss Meade, Miss Ezekiel. Misses Loven-
TEN. Miss Walker. Miss Callie Ryland, |
Miss Pauline Powers.
Some OF the best riders among the
younger ladies are: Misses Murphy, Cur
It's Barber Reinhardt, Davidson, Whit
Dickinson, Goodman, Keesee. Bowie, Gill
mer. Stearns, Yancey. Waddill, Hancock,
Mercer. Perkins. Starke. White. Phillips
Harris, Wingo, Hayes. Carmichael, Wat
kins. Thompson, Turner. Loving, Nash.
Micheaux, BEDFORD. Branch.
Among the prominent gentlemen wheel
men who are frequently on their cycles,
either In business or peasure-bent are |
Messrs. J. L. Anderson, T.. b. Thomson,
a. W. Patterson. Archer Anderson. Jr., |
W. c. Long, krkwood Mitchell. +. W.
c. OBJ. Cowardin. Langdon
Williams. III. Theodore Ellyson, w. s.
Copeland. Drs. j. a. White. J. +. Wood
ward, W. VI. Peyser, Charles l.. Seigel |
ID. y. kuyk, Lewis c. Bosher. Gus Han
liins. a. r. Holderby. w s. T.. Mayo
T. C. Mayo, Hampton Fleming, Lewis
Fleming. George Reid. William Ryan,
Writ Bowles, j. NJ. b. B.. NJ. s.. and
l
John overly, Rolfe r. Glover president
Of the Common CounciD. Burnett Lewis,
Richard Meade, w. W. Collins, G. c.
Bidgood, G. 7. Shields. G.. Davis, NJ.
Bullock, s. d. Peasants. James T. Gray,
George Gibson. Jr, Preston holland, w.
r. Gum. w. c. Boyd. C. s. Lvesay,
Wallace Christian, J. II. Il. Peay, W. Il.
Williams. G.. r. Stacy, n. S. Morton.
II. II. Chalkley. Dean Maury, a. a.
Echer. j. Il. Branch, c.. Mckinney, A.
Z. Holiday. J. Gregory. Frank Blank
rnshp. J. L. Strlnger. Ed. Harrison. L.
I. organ. Charles Talbot. Ed. Hotz.
Allen Talbot, Z. b. Pollard. Robert
Campbell, j. r. Lightfoot. j. Binford, Jr..
W. Il. Claiborne. NJ. BInford, Coleman
Workman. W. G.. Fitzwilson. c.. Hail. s.
u. Christian, a. c. McKenney, A. NJ.
|