The herald., 1895-06-23
GOSSIP OF
THE WHEEL
What Two People Are Apt
to Suffer When Go
ing Tandem
DANGERS OF THE NELLY BLY,
Some Advice About the New Way of
Riding, Now Quite Popular ia
the East==SOme First
Lessons
DANGERS OF THE NELLY BLY,

Whatever madness you may perpetrate
in the line of bicycling, to whatever
lengths you may go-this is pun-don t
be induced to ride Nellie Bly,. BE
warned by the horrid example of north
side lady, who came near being no lady
at all, because she wa, induced to accom-
pany a relia BILE escort-one of those who
twill see to it that nothing happens to
you" you know, on one OF these twin en-
gines OF terror. 1t is unnecessary here,
by the by, to emphasize the fact that no.
body can guarantee any safety for another
in bicycling. as he certainly cannot for
himself.
"Nelly Bly," by the by you might sing
that is the name given to two bicycles
fastened together with a straight bar, and
is supposed to give the timid confidence.
But. like all such fattering preten ders
it is liar.
Well. the two went out and the lady
fell off as much as she could. You can t
fall off. it seems, when you are on a
Nelly Bly, unless your fellow Nelly Blyer
falls off too. Nothing stops the machine,
that is, but both falling off together.
Four feet with but double thought, two
backs that break as one, you know th at
that is to say she WASH on, and the man
couldn't stop the wheel imme ediately.
His pedal was up, SO that making q
| downward motion set the thing ahead in
stead of stopping it, and the one that
was down was on his companion S side
at least that Is the inference-so on they
| went. and the delicately nurtured Mrs.
Blank was spinning along rough pave
ment on both knees, until the thing
could be stopped and the man could get
off, which getting off probably shook her
up more and hurt her worse. Sne says it
has cured her OF wanting to ride. but she
| should lay it all to the Nelly Bly,, not the
| comparatively innocent wheel of univer-
| salty.
One should be free to kill himself in
| his own way, not be dragged to death by
another's mishaps. To ride two bicycles
with a connecting rod between is as bad
as being Siamese twins. And, by the by,
crazy, to ride the bicycle and the other
had hated it, how awkward 1t would have
been. While they were learning the one
who loathed the sport might have had all
the black and blue spots.
| That sad accident to the Nelly BLY,
makes one eve tandems with kindlins
| distrust The one who is in front has
simply to hold the handle bar. Usually
| it is lady, and while she sits, only half
| frightened to death, and bearing no re-
sponsbility whatever, the person at the
rear appears to be bursting several blood
| vessels and working every muscle in his
| body. II that irresponsible front lady
should TALL OFF, and not fall clear, she
must be run over, or dragged, or banged
! by the wheels or something. But let us
not contemplate these horrid posi- bill
ties. 1t is enough to fall off with as little
damage as may be when ones own time
| comes.
A few days ago a rather fragile looking
woman was riding on cable car, when
suddenly she got up, put her foot on the
platform at the side and swung herself OF
without stopping the car or thinking OF
it. 1t was frightful. but seeing shoulders
| pass around, some one who must have
been with the suicidal maniac. explained
that her friend said that dismnoutlne
from a bicycle was just like getting off a
| cable car in motion, and if she could dc
one she could do the other. 1t is to be
hoped that no official of any cable system
| will read of this,or instead OF once in five
times, they will never have the cars
stopped all.
One of the teachers of bicycle riding ha;
a note book in which he has pust down
the earliest remarks of his lady pupils
1t is a tiny note book and has little in it
but when that was remarked he said
why. sometimes | don't enter thing
in a whole day; they all use the same
words. even" They always look arounc
despairingly for means of flight first
that failing. they say: Don't you think
it's little late?'' or "No, you so on to-
day. I'll try next time" II am so ner-
! vous: you know | haven't been we'll fol
a day or two" But if the friend, who
hasn't served her apprenticeship fol moth