River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-29
MAN AND BIKE.
The Difficulties Attendant Upon Their Firse
Contact.


The Difficulties Attendant Upon Their Firse
Contact.
didn't used to think that the stories
had heard of the tricks of the bicycle
were true. When l was innocent of this
been led to do so by the advice of my
friends They had declared tome that
the bicycle was noble steed, that the
greatest possible pleasure could be had
by ride astride of one
asked if il was hard TO learn to ride
the thing. Everybody agreed that it
was not They said all you had to do
was to Immediately mount it and ride.
1t was, they assured, as easy as rolling
off a los. / never rolled of a log, SO l
dom know how easy that may be.
Perhaps il had done SO once or twice
/ wouldn't have begun my career of
rolling off a bicycle.
/ remember well when / departed
from q store at which / had bought a
wheel was proud. / glanced with
supercilious glance at the common
earth treading mortals whom /
saw. l rejoiced in the pos
session of a friend who could
accompany me on pleasant jaunts in
the country. Just the right sort of
friend. Not one of those who inter
rupt you when you are telling them
fsvorite story just because they have
heard it few times before. No, this
would be a friend who would always
be silent-a silent steed," as the BIZ
cycle poets call It
In spite of my confidence that il was
an easy matter to ride wheel, / did
not mount it then. The street was too
crowded, so / walked it home, pre-
ferring to practice on my own stamp
ing-ground.
Upon reaching home determined to
begin riding. KNEW from what had
been told that it was very easy mat
ter. carelessly placed one foot on the
pedal. while the other foot rested on
the ground. Immediately crowd OF
ribald small boys gathered expectant-
Iy, while the neighbors came out to
watch me.
Ny bosom swelled with pride. l
knew that it was an easy matter to
ride the machine, and all that had to
do was to hop on, but postponed the
''hopping on for awhile.
tried several times to mount it, and
hoped along on one foot. pushing the
bicycle. Finally l came to the conclu-
sion that I must take the thing firmly
in hand / knew that the right foot
was getting more than its share of the
sport, so put the left foot also on the
pedal. The result was disastrous.
The machine had only been acting a
little cranky before, but now it sud
denly lay down in the street and took
me down with it.
stopped practicing for that day,
but l continued practice the next and
succeeding days for week, until had
mastered it. as thought l will not
tell you what calamities happened to
me. If you have tried to learn to ride,
their recital would only awake un-
pleasant memories in our mind. If you
have yet to learn, then do not wish
TO prevent you from having the same
amount of fun that / did. / am not a
phIlanthropist. am only an ordinary
mortal, and | confess that | take mali
cious pleasure in seeing other people
made victims of the game from which
/ have already suffered.
when had gained some control of
my "steed." / ventured to try
straightaway ride on an unfrequented
street. l got along very nicely, but
soon discovered that l must keep in
the straight and narrow path, or else
meet with an upset This discovery
was made when ! attempted to get
out of the way of a wagon. The team
ster avoided me just in time. had to
go fast, for when l slowed up my
wheel world wobblA wondered how
far had to go, and whether | would
ever be able to start back. l was like
the man who had caught the bear by
the tail and couldn't let go.
On we sped The only hope had of
avoiding the wagons and carriages, as
we'll as pedestrians, was ID yell when
ever | drew near them l di5n't haow
how to turn the wheel, and the wheel
wouldn't turn of its own accord. All
could do was to hold on and to make it
go fast, so / wouldn't fall
But this sort of thing couldn't last
forever. There was soor. TO be an end
to my ride. ! collided with a stone
wall in the park, smashing my ma
chine and badly hurting myself. i
limped around for several days, and
gave the remnants OF the machine
away, and hereafter, il / want a gentle
''steed" 10 ride, will ride donkey or
a mule. No more bicycle for me, thank
you!-William w. Webster, in Golden
DAYS.