Rock Island Argus., 1895-04-20
TOLD ABOUT TOWN.
Protest Against Slovenliness as
to Streets and Walks.
SHOULD CONTROL BAD HABITS.

The Bihe Craze at Its Full Height In Rock
I.Iand-Le.ds Other Cities In the Mum
ber Of wheels U.ed-Gossip Of the Week
Of Various Sorts.
81 do wish some action could be
taken such "a will insure clean streets
and walks," said q citizen the other
day. s.Now that we have both prop
erly graded and substantially i'm
proved at great expense. it seems to
me trifiing matter to prevent the
slovenly appearance that is bound to
be the effect of the tossing of pieces
of paper into the street and expecto-
rating on the sidewalks. There
should be a crusade by municipal
ordinance against the one and a
moral crusade supported by cleanli-
ness and public pride against the
other. There is nothing that so lit
ters and disfigures the streets as
pieces of waste paper; besides they
involve danger to life and limb by
frightening horses. AS far as ex-
pectorating on the sidewalks is con-
cerned. it is a filthy habit that can be
controlled. One may just as readily
step to the edge of the walk as to be
so inconsiderate of others as some
men are"
Boom for the Bike.
1t is beginning to be a matter Of
comment among visitors to Rock ISL
and the number of bicycles that there
are in the city. One travelling man
remarked last evening that he had
not in his travels-and his territory
is considerable portion Of the wes-
tern country-seen so many bikes in
a single town as there are in Rock
Island. The fact is. the craze, if
such it may be called. is on its top
most wave here; the streets at night
are alive with wheels, and the street
car company and the livery stables
are beginning to realize to their sor-
row that the now popular mode OF
travel, recreation and amusement is
a very formidable competitor.
Talking about bicycles. however.
downtown citizen of anything but
diminutive statue who has been very
much in earnest of late in his deter
mination to master a safety, came up
in a street car this morning. and
| when he alighted with fearful limp.
considerate friend Inquired aux-
iously if he was having his "old
rheumatic troubles again"
Rheumatic. -" was the emphatic
| reply. Pneumatic would be more
like it. This bicycle business is not
what it is cracked up to be. Talk
about there being no trick in learn
| ing to ride wheel. Those who have
not tried it don't know anything
about it. l have been there, and the
| consequence is that 1 was pretty
nearly killed and got a badly
! sprained ankle into the bargain.
Don't think that l shall ever mount
a wheel again. got a good lesson;
one that will probably save my life.
| You never know when you are going
| to get the worst of it in this bicycle
business. Treachery turks in every
spoke and every turn of the wheel.
You think you have smooth sailing
just when you don't. That was my
case this incoming. was skimmiDg
along as sweetly as spring breeze
when all of a sudden l went bang up
against curb. took a header and
went home with limp. A number
of lady friends who witnessed my
mishap nearly went into commissions
over it. Then they tried to sootht
me by begging that l never attemp,
so hazardous an undertaking again
But l can ride a wheel il l want to
but do not think l shall want to for
some time"