The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-02
CAN A BICYCLE REASON?
IT'S CONTRARY ENOUGH TO MAKE
LEARNERS THINK so.
The Hypnotic Power ENcrted by
Rocks and Fences over beginners |
scientifically Explained.
From ID 20 York -.

trariness. Like spoiled children, they will
always do exactly what is not wanted Il
them. II there is an obstacle which the
learn er desires 10 avoid he Is bound %
run into Il. Place beginner in a ten
acre lot which is bare save for single
rock. and the moment he Is on his wheel
he will fasten his eyes on that rock AMI
find himself saying repeatedly to him
self; Il mustn't run into It," He will
find that he can't lift his eyes from it.
and that every lurch. as we'll as every
wabble. is heading him straight toward
ii. This rock seems to be gifted with sa-
tanic power; it seems TO have the fascin-
alton that opium has for an opium fiend
He endeavors TO steer in another direc-
ton, then the machines wabbles. he
rights it-only to find himself nearer to
that rock. a panic OF fear seizes him:
he sees a rock that has so Increased In
size as to leave room for nothing else on
this earth. 1t is were the edge OF the Grand
canyon of Colorado it would make no
difference. His legs are moving, his
hands are powerless. he family realizes,
for that cursed rock has fairly paral-
yzed his brain-and, bang into II he goes
AS he lays sprawled out, with bent ham
dlebar boring into his stomach, he SUE
denly feels a great, deep sympathy for
drunkards, gamblers, men who run for
office and others who succumb to tempta-
ton.
IF we are conscious Of great many OF
our physical acts" said learned
psychologist, they are accomplished awk-
wardly. You cannot tie knot as quickly
II you ara in a hurry. A base ball player
Is never as sure of catching a ball when
he knows that his mufilng II may lose the
game as when he knows such Is not the
case. Naturally, this Is more particularly
true Of an amateur than of a professional.
IN base ball phrase II is getting ratified"
II one tries TO walk across a ballroom
floor gracefully II is likely that he will do
so awkwardly. Usually our movements
are In direct answer to and appropriate to
our sensations. One inVoluntarily closes
his eyes when there Is an explosion or a
gust of sand, But sometimes the move
ments are exactly inconsistent with the
sensations 1t Is exactly the opposite of
building for fear that they will leap on.
When man is on his feet he has no
trouble In getting around an obstacle He
is used to his feet He is not used TO his
bicycle. His nerves have to become ac-
climated to 1t, as II were. Any one who
becomes accustomed to high buildings can
SIT on the edge of the highest building on
broadway, allowing his feet to hang over
the side, without fear The man who gets
on bicycle for the first time submits that
portion of his brain which governs his
muscles to new sensatian, and II has. a
distinct misunderstanding with the
think portion. After a time they become
used to the new sensation and understand
each other. When the bicyclist gets close
to an obstacle and runs into II, when he
doesn't want TO Il is case of temporary
paralysis through inability OF his faculties
TO meet new conditions. The man who gets
on bicycle for the first time is like a
child learning IN walk -
IT'S a case OF getting on to the thing"
said one of the teachers of riding i'm an
uptown bicycle riding academy, Gust as
you nave 10 get onto anything else. The
beginner gets ratified just as he would
get ratified If he tried to learn TO walk a
tight-rope.
IF you have ever tried to learn any new
trick of any kind, you know that 1t doesn (
take your Instructor long to tell you how
TO do 1t. but it takes you a long time to
put what he SAYS inc practice That's he
cause you haven't caught the knack, the
trick, you aren't used to 1t. don't you see.
Ever play billiards? You don't play bill
liards by figuring out the angles on piece
or paper, do you? It's the trick. the knack,
| tell you. You understand you mustn't
turn the handle bars in that way: vet YOU
do. Hands won't go the way you want 'em
to- head works quickern your hands You
work It out in your head as soon as your
instructor tells you; but you haven't work
ed II out with your hands. Always can tell
thing quicker'n you can do II, you see
That's the reason. | guess Never thought
Of 1t before. Go and ask some Of those col
lege professors. They'll make a long yarn
OF 1t. But it's the knack, the trick-just the
same"
The red headed young man. who had
taught hundreds of ladies this spring how
to ride the bicycle, stuck his hands In his
pockets and looked aloft with an air OF SUI
"One lady of 65 was taught by me in five
lessons" he continued. "She could give
some of the young misses points The old
"a 10 to L Il
takes spin on the boulevard every day
and carries himself like a prince
=, Men learn more quickly than women.
Naturally, II Is more awkward for any
one In skirts TO get used to the wheel
than for any one in trousers The aver
age, woman hasn't any confidence at all
alone she is afraid to attempt IT, She
wants teacher at her side until she is
able to coast along the boulevard like a
veteran. But the men are too often over
confident. The fellow who Is sure that he
can jump on a wheel and ride off on it as
easily as II y were cab usually gets
some frightful tumbles. Some confidence
is the best thing in the world. The man
who has the proper amount OF IL usually
learns earns the trick n single lesson.
The trouble with the women is that
they insist on looking AT their TybeeIs.
they feel that II they don't they'll surely
tumble, although the teacher assures
is no danger. How would a baby learn
to walk If 1t kept its eyes constantly on
its feet?
OF tact. You've got to be patient.
Yes, it's rather nice to teach q real
pretty girl. But they amt all pretty
not by a long shot. Some of 'em make
your life miserable
Il say, do you think you could walk
around and around this hall all day long,
holding woman up on a bicycle? / guess
not. That's knack, too. 1t takes a lot
of practice. But when you're use to Al
you can keep a 200-pound girl balanced
without much effort You see we hitch a
leather belt around the woman's waist and
we hang on TO the belt--not on to the wo-
mans waist: no, neyeri We have to be
careful, too, particularly with old maids.
If your hand slips off the leather for a
minute the devil is to pay. / had one the
other day. She had got to where she
thought she could handle the bars, and
she made break-I couldn't help it-and
over she went into my arms. She screamed
bloody murder and What do you mean,
sir?' Then got ratified and tried to right
her. But she started 10 fall over the other
way and l had to grab her again. When
we got out of 1t she hadn't a very good
opinion OF me. In fact, she went imme-
diately to the manager and said l was a
bold, impudent young man, who would
come to some bad end, and she wanted an
other instructor.
ITS easiest to teach children, either boys
or girls. They don't mind tumbling. They
have confidence; they aren't afraid of get
= IL 80