New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-20

herself and her wheel carried up the Boulevard
on a lumber wagon. which described In last
Sundays Tribune. can be matched ny the story
of another Brooklyn woman who started for the
Delaware Water Gap with her husband late IN
the summer They went down the Delaware
River from Port Jervis, and had got within half
a dozen miles or so Of the Gap when the spokes
Of her rear wheel "buckled" in a most annoying
way. so that it was impossible to turn the wheel.
Things looked blue for the couple for time. but
luckily butchers wagon hove in sight, and for
a moderate remuneration the butcher consented
to carry the wheel and its owner to point
quarter Of a mile from the hotel at which they
intended to Put up. So the wheel was lifted In
behind. and the wheelless rider mounted the seat
beside the driver. The Of the story can. per-
haps be best told in her own words:
1T was the plan OF my husband and myself TO
meet at some little distance from the hotel and
then walk to IT, trundling both wheels. But the
butcher wouldn't have it that way. When we
neared the village protested several times that
We certainly had gone far enough and II was
time for me to get down. But he refused TO
stop. Now said he II you had been one OF
them stuck-up women who think butcher
wagon entirely too good for them. Ia have put
you down half or three-quarters Of a mile PACK;
but you haven. put on any airs at all Ana
then to my utter horror. he added: I tell you
what I'm a-goin' TO do I'll drive you right up 10
the door Of that hotel and you shant have to
walk a step. II was useless to protest, ana, OF
course, | couldn't explain. Pretty soon we came
to the pOstoffice. and frantically insisted that
| ought to alight and see If there wasn't a letter
for me. Oh he calmly replied. as he drove on
without pausing that man Of yours VIII Know
enough 10 stop and ask for the mail | saw that
l in for 1t. and braced myself for the newt
able. And so arrived In state at that fashion
able hotel just as the 400 or 900 guests were
assembling for dinner, and and my wrecked
wheel had 10 be helped down in plain sight OF all
of them. But didn't finch. and the poor, limo
cent butcher never suspected that he wasn't do
ing me the greatest kindness in the world. And
then. 10 add to our troubles, We found that our
handbag had not arrived as II should nave done,
and so had to go In "a dinner in my short skirt
and my husband had nothing but his sweater 10
wear.
The ordinary route for wheelmen going or COM
ing from the East Twenty-thrd-st. ferry is
through Twenty-sixth-st. and down First-ave. to
Twenty-third-s.., the asphalt an Twenty-sixth-st.
not extending east OF First-ave. There is a
treacherous place on First ave after the Belgian
pavement has been sprnked, and numerous falls
occur there At any rate that was the case be-
fore the recent heavy rain, for the pavement for
a number Of rods seemed as II II had been coy
cred thickly with grease. and IL was Impossible
even for expert cyclists 70 ride over II III satety'
Not only would the rear whee' slip in the most
nerve-racking way, but the steering wheel would
also begin to slide and III rider would be lucky
if he managed to bring himself down on MS 1eet'
On pavement that is merely wet IL is possible TO
ride safely if the wheel is kept perfectly straight
but ordinary care failed TO be sufficient on nu-
ne rous occasions the greasy stretch or pave
ment Just described The only safe thing was to
dismount and take TO the sidewalk.
DR.. Piffard's letter &c he Health Board on the
subject of street sprnkng will be heartily APP
h,-t no ube ms NJ ne Whatever
rights they have in the matter have been regu-
larly and persistently ignored and are so still.
but there is time to bring about reform before
next season opens. Really, the reform ought 10
be started at once. II II was bad to sprinkle the
streets 50 freely in July and August. II Is great
deal worse In the present weather, when II takes
twice as long for the pavements 10 dry on Fully
half or two-thirds of the holes in the sprinklers
ought 10 be plugged up so that sprnkling IN the
strict sense of the word. NAV be done Now each
snrinkling cart lets out a food Of water; on
asphalt streets fully ten times as much as is
needed The mere waste OF water ought to pe
tsken into account. Then II would be small
matter 10 leave a few feet unsprinkled for the
henef1t Of cyclists The Health Department and
the city Works Department can easily institute
a reform If they will only resolve 10 90 so.
One step Just taken in the provision OF asphalt
pavements In Brooklyn Will be to the advantage
~ q considerable number OF the wheelmen OF that
CITY AL those who go dcwn Hancock-st 10
RedfOrd-aye. have been competent ~ 'iaHr'se OH'
long block Of granite pavement between Nostrand
and BEDFORD ayes That pavement was put down
only a few years ago at the expense Of the prop
erty owners in part. and the city authorities have
not vet felt like replacing IT with asphalt IN view
of the many demands for that k'nd OF pavement
on other streets But abou' the fnluule Vi last
week The LAYING of an asphalt pavement on the
corresponding block OF Halsey-st.' one snort
block 10 the south Of Haacock-st'' was hnlshed
and by turning on the cobblestones Ia Nostrahd-
ave for a couple of hundred ieet rluers can
reach the new asphalt pavement anu aNolu inc
granite which they have long creu our asains,.
some women riders say they prefer 10 walk me
short block in Nostrand-ave. for the sake OF
avoiding the none too smooth pavement On 'he
Iast block Of Hancock-st. before beuioro-aNe' If
reached.
wheelman Of this city recently had occasion
10 cross the Barclay-st. ferry and rev Gays
later the Staten Island ferry In each case ne
was one OF the last Corners on the boat ana con-
seouently. found the passageways TOT teams
filled with vehicles of one sort or aho,ner' SO
that II was impossible for him to reach 'he 'front.'
Of the boat and get of betimes on arriving AZ the
other side. On each occasion he waited un'H 'As