Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12
AVOIDS BRUSHES aoN, THE ROAD.
Consumptive looking cyclis,
and the "Sportys WheeIman.

A Consumptive Hooking Cyclist
and the sporty heelman.
From the New York Tribune
while I shouldn't Wish to be called a
'scorcher.' I have Just enough sporting
blood in my veins to emily an occasional
brush on the road" saidt the man who rode
an English wheel. OF course, every one in
the party recognized this Statement as the
prologue to story, SO an settled back in
anticipation. The speaker went on:
Il had fellow teach fne a good lesson
the other afternoon, and an unexpected
one, too. I crossed to Hoboken on the 14th
street ferry for ride out in Jersey. The
only other wheelman on the boat was a
tall, cadaverous man, who might have been
taken for consumptfve. 1 was disap-
pointed when I saw that he had child of
four or five with him. He didn't look as il
ne could have gone nine miles an hour
alone, and with the child, I supposed, could
not have passed a street car horse.
1T was just my luck to have the fellow
come up to ne and say;
''Going for ride"
said was although hated to admit
II, Tor knew what was coming.
Would you object to my riding with
for little spin myself
" course, l had to say should be glad
OF his company. although I was disguised
at the prospect Of creeping along at a
snalis pace, when felt just like speeding
for thirty or forty miles, However, there
was no help for 1t, SO we went off together,
he with the child in front of him. We
started over the plank road. bound for Pas
panion was not a corpse In fact, he as
tonished me. didn't have to wait for him,
and. on the contrary, had all could do to
Keep STEP, He rode with wonderful speed
Eel -1rt1l 10 .{,,-~
Part of the way was a path about a foot
VIDE, with tall trolley tracks on one side
ana steep embankment on the other. A
sWerVe to one side or the other meant a
child and perhaps himself. But he went
IKE hend, not hesitating to start just in
front Of trolley car, although had he
sipped the car might have run over him.
for his and the child's that we passed that
ticklfsh ordeal But soon had to give up
all my thoughts and energies to keeping
within respectable distance of the con-
sumptive-iooking father. Up the long wind
Ing hill to Carlsbad he sped like Zim-
norman, and the upgrade from Passaic to
clifton nearly exhausted me. l expected
70 regain my breath going over the cobble-
mind them In the least. thought he would
Jolt the life out of his child, but the little
one didn't seem to mind. When was near
enough I could hear the father talking TO
Ing 1t along in baby carriage.
Il should rather have had a smashup
than give in, but when we struck the steep
hill to Passaic Falls was ready to drop
over. By what seemed to me almost super
human strength got to the top, but there
l stopped. l called to the racer and he
came back and dismounted. I explained
that l had to be back in New York by 8
o'clock, SO I should have to leave him.
I'm very sorry he said. I was just
getting warmed up. feel like going about
another forty miles. There's fine ride to
Englewood and along the Palisades.
know you would enjoy that. You'd better
come along, and never mind about New
York
Il insisted that although should be hap
py to accompany hinAs further, business
compelled me to return to the city. I asked
him If his child enjoyed.such trips.
=" oh. YES, he replied, He and his little
sister are crazy to go. In fact, If I don't
toke one of them along my wife wouldn't
let me go riding. There would be no end
of trouble If 1 left both behind. Why, this
boy goes to sleep on tina wheel. 1 have to
talk to him to keep him awake
my cadavercus friend thereupon re-
mounted and started OFF AT a fifteen-mile
an hour pace. 1 didn't go back to New
York at orce but brushes on the road have
lost their interest for me-,