The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-09
The Whir Of +
X The wheel.

| fectcd by the conservatism OF the Sv"l",
which looks askance at any novelty, anu
very many Of them yet think that Dlesci-
ing is highly improper for a woman. we
have frequently noticed remarks to this
effect I'm Southern papers, and we re-
| Gently learned that women In several
| places there had been brought under So
| cial discipline for bicycling.
THE pr0digiOus cycling boom Of TINS
| year In New York has already told upon
| the South.
by this time there are lots OF women
bicyclers IN Virginia and Georgia. ih'te
| are a smaller number In Alabama anu
| Louisiana. there are fewer yet IN SCUM
| Carolina; there are very few IN Arkansas
we have not heard of any in Mississippi
| the Northern women IN Florida nave III
| troduced the wheel there.
1--WE do not believe that the conserFa-
! tism OF Southern women can mucn lohAeI
| resist the wheel the Texas ana Norln
| Carolina girls seem TO De ready for IL
We think It IS bound to attract the iaT
sex even in the Bayou state
at Is not undgniicd for "a woman 10
ride the bicycle. She does not lower her
SELF by wheeling. TO ride upon 70 az full
speed does not cut into the pride of "o-
manhood. That pride exists in the NOrth
not less than I'm the South.
THE BICYCLE as Az fDtcAioh.
The New York Tribune says: Although
so much is printed nowadays about l.e
| bicycle, compatibility little attention II
given TO its educational effect upon tnose
VINO use IL. Emphasis is commonly iai
on the physical benefits TO be derived
| from wheeling. and none can dispute that
these are many and great II j. not Only
the muscles of the lower limbs which are
Il f.r-s al the wheel. fH.
muscles Of the arms. the chest ana the
! back are brought into com tont play so
that on the whole tn IRE is even develop
ment, and Sc may be questioned whether
| any othr form Of exercise produces more
| uniformly good results. II is safe to say
| that no other Is at once so eNhllaratlns
| and satisfactory. Except in billy regions
| it can be taken with the greatest modera-
| ton, and from this point any degree up
| 10 that OF violence is attainabie.
But the bicycle does more than develop
muscles and send the blood coursing Wig
| orously through the veins. IL has an
| educational value not 10 be desplsed.
| Bicycle riding tends 10 train the per
ceptive and judicial faculties to n remark
able degree Especially is this the case
whore the riding Is done Ia city streets
| The rider N Ust in the first place keep
constant and sharp lookout on tho road
way in front OF him. AT the moment 1T
may be clear. but few seconds may
suffice TO change the entire situation. All
! times DE has 90 thread his way among
a medley OF vehicles Of all sorts. and only
a cool head and steady nerves will carry
| him safely through. Constantly he is
called on to exercise his Judgment as TO
what course 10 pursue-whethcr 10 go
SLOW or fast, whether 10 turn on this side
or on that. whether there is room for
him and his machine in the narrow OPEN
4 ing between two tr1eks-ald bis decisions
have to be made instanter. Little time
! is there usually for deliberati0n.
| Then suppose ne has 20 cross a street
car track. 1t is remarkable how soon
rider who gives attention 10 his business
will learn to note even when a consider
able distance away whether a ear has
crossed the roadway ahead ole him in
either direction. and so estimate his cnau-
| ces OF finding his way clear These are
| but a handful OF illustrations out of tue
| thousand that come within the experience
| of every wheelman. Emergencies are
constantly arising, new Il0Dlcms are
| constantly being presented. unexpected
combinations constantly appear. and the
| bicycle rider must be continually on the
alert. OF course. in the case Of be-
einuor there is considerable nervous strain,
but this soon disappear and "a sense on
exhilafation comes with the demonstra-
ton OF ones ability 20 so through a
tight place without getting "ratued"
and without taking any serious risk.
Caution. as well as nerve. is required. FOR
az times the only safe thing is to dis
| mount.
KNOWLEDGE or NiTUKE
But It is not the perceptive faculties
and the judgment alone that are cuitivat-
"a ia the wheeman or wheeiwoman. III
the rider is a person OF intelligence. DEE
Will not fan 20 discern and take advan-
tage OF the opportunities which the wheel
presents TO him for gaining a knowledge
OF nature al first hand. When NE takes
run into tho country. therefore, 10 viii
not be simply for the purpose OF seeing
how long or how fast q ride be can take.
| The desire 90 make records Is one
OF the evil phases Of bicycling, which can
only be deprecated by the wise and prn-
dent. it has its manifestations not Only
on the racing path, bat in the unlauiaDie
ambition of many riders TO indulge n
century runs" as Ii there was some
peculiar advantage I'm the demonstration
of ore's ability 10 ride "A hundred miles
in ole day. Rightly employed. the bicy-
Gle enables IFS rider 10 study with ease
| rocks and flowers aud trees and the hun
drcl and one natural objects that shouI
be of interest to every rightly constituted
mind. 10 also enables one 10 travel over
considerable sections OF country with
ease and delight I'm the week or fortnight
which constitutes the summer vacation
Of So many men, 1t S. "A good thing for
them to plan long trips aWheel. but let
them not place emphasis mainly on the
matter of making them as long as p0ssi-
Bile. The bicycle tour should combine
health, pleasure and knowledge; and 1T
! may be added right here that the smaller
the company which starts on such a tour
the smaller will bee the temptation TO fast
riding which cannot FAN 10 interfere SER
iousiy with at least two OF the objects
that should bee kept in view.
The bicycle has apparently come 10
stay II rightly directed its use cannot
but be of vast benefit to lbs votares n
many ways. IT clearly may have a mark
ed educational inhueLce upon them, not
only physically, but intellectually and
spiritually.
SENSIBLE CRITICISM.
The New York sun prints the following
in rs editorial column:
Your stalwart young men and as many
1.-THE young women, all I'm a group, wheel
ed past The Sun office upon their bicy-
cies We eyed them from a window in
front OF which there is never-e nding
circus Of hun unity. We could see theta
| from a point opposite Perry place tn
they were 4 good way along toward the
Staats-Zciiuns. They were going at a
good speed, and the road was clearer than
usual, because 10 was Decoration-Day.
Three OF the men moved their stout and
! stockingcd less very heavily as though
] they were under "a irving strain and