River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-22

cyclcr OF local uOLc, t9rSccuQeQ THESE
steps from the bron1s doors to the
ground on a single wheel. OF course,
this might not be regafded as much OF
an achievement on a safety bicycle
with its low wheels, t-lt on u vertical
machine 1t was certainly very dam
gerous and difficult Performance. An
other very hazardous feat was that of
riding over the copingIof Cabin Johns
bridge. This was achieved by w. S.
Robinson. The copirg on the side of
the bridge Is four feet above the
bridge floor, is 800 feet long and 100
feeU above the canal. There were two
joys or offsets in the coping, which
made the achi svemeit more difficult
and dangerous. Tho bridge is the
longest single span of arched ma
sonry in the world, land the height
above the ravine Is salch as to make
any man or woman Why. A single
error in manipulating the handles
would have resulted I'm certain death
on the one hand, or dangerous and
gripping tumble ON the other. 1t has
never been attempte1 since; and Mr..
Robinson was glad enough to get back
upon safe ground without q mishap.
He would not try 1t ain.
There are several g Sbs OF wheelmen
here, but the Capit;ss Bicy Gle club is
the oldest of its kline lin this country,
having been formed i'm front of the
capital in 1879. Us organization,
growth and prosperity are evidences OF
the great interest in wheeling. It's
membership is limited to men, and II
has become OF late good deal of a
social organization. 1t has more than
one hundred active resident members.
These are chiefly ytung professional
Len and men of good positions in the
various departmental There are also
about forty-eight npn-resident mem
bers, and "A number OF honorary MEM
bers. Some men of Prominence are at
tached to this club. and when they
have regular outingsE they are accom-.
panied by lady friends and present a
gala spectacle on tho streets, avenues
and country roads Quite a number of
congressman take toithe wheel when
in Washington, and rpany Of them are
warm personal friends of the members
of the capital club and their lady
friends. Jerry Simpson, of Kansas,
far-famed as the socl&ess statesman, Is
one of the most enthusiastic of cyclers.
This club of wheel-phshers long since
erected homelilSe building on Fiji
teenth street and etted it up very
neatly. The total coH was sec, 900. The
building is a three-story structure, of
modern architectureIa and Is entirely oc-
cupied by the club. Ihe moving-in took
place In September, 1856. On the low
err floor are the wheel room, the repair
shop and tho buffet. On the second
floor are the parloy, the room for the
club meetings and fot smoking, and the
library and committee rooms. The club
possesses an excellent collection of BIZ
cycle literature, iacluding complete
files of every leading wheelmen's pub
LEGATION. On the third floor are the
billiard room and. some living rooms
for the use OF offiders and members.
Above these is an atfic. The parlor Is
hung with pictures presented by local
artists and with iengravings. The
building Is supplied with bathrooms
and closets, and altogether has a very
attractive appearance, within and with
out. 1t is a popular place, for men,
bers have the usuat club privilege of
bringing their friehds as guests, and
many happy hours pre- spent beneath
the hospitable roof, and in the cheer
full homelil1e rooms
The membership b not now composed
exclusively of whed men, although the
large majority of dctive members are
experts at cycling bnd have their own
wheels. They have u ard parties, dances,
musical entertainments and public re-
ceptions. Their lady friends assist them
upon public occasions with piano re-
citals, songs, solosi duets, quartettes,
and in serving refreshments. Altogether
the club Is a credit, not only to itself,
but to the wheeln of the entire
country.
Bicycles are als4 used nowadays by
n number of newspaper correspond
ents. One of the pioneers In journal
istic wheeling wins William Eleroy
Curtis. He and Perry Heath, now
proprietor of a CibcinEati paper, used
tandem cycle, anH spent considerable
time together in tht ir work. They made
great team, and tare both successful
business men. j. >. Truesdell, former
ly representing 81. Paul daily, and C.
L. Austin, founderiof the Press News
association, weres early newspaper
wheelers. But tofiay fully score OF
diligent correspond ents of prominent
newspapers traverse the city. going
from department TO department, and
ultimately to the capitol, on their fleet
flyers.
Insurance agents, and even book
agents, use wheeE in this city, and
many prominent business men have
taken to this mod of travelling from
their homes to thet stores. Apparently |
the bicycles have fome into our civili-
zation to stay, ahd seem to be be-
coming as necessary as telegraph wires |
and telephones. SMITH ID. Fly.