The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-10
AMBROSE B|ERCE INJURED
A Fall From a Bicycle Frac-
lures His Ankle and Collar
Bone.
HE WILL NEVER RIDE AGAIN.
Slowly Recovering His Health at ST.
Helena-HoWet the Accident
Happened.

Ambrose Bierce will never again be seen
astride bicycle, and the probabilities are
that he will in future be restricted in the
use of one of his lower limbs, if, indeed.
the case is no more serious.
Mr.. Bierce has been for couple of years
past an expert and enthusiastic cyclist.
and his tall form. clad in conventional
bicycle costume, has been familiar sight
on Oakland streets as he wheeled to and
from his residence and the Atheneum
Club, or among the more secluded and
better paved thoroughfares of the city.
1t was also his custom to make long trips
in the country awheel, the litterateur de-
claring that more inspiration could be
gained from a spin through a pleasant
country lane with respondent nature all
about than by hours of patient thinking in
the crowded precincts of q city. Usually
these journeys were accomplished alone,
and the author always returned refreshed
and invigorated from his outings.
Recently Mr.. Bierce returned from a
protracted visit to Los Gatos, where he
had been recuperating, and took apart
ments at The Washington in Oak
land, where it had been his custom to re-
side when in the Athens of the Pacific.
After getting settled he made plans for
long trip awheel and run to st. Helena,
with several days of rest and quiet at that
pretty town, varied by short spins about
the adjacent country was on the pro-
gramme.
The journey was about accomplished,
when, in passing over dangerous portion
of the road where deep canyon aanked
one side of the highway, he lost control of
his wheel and started down the grade at
rapid rate.
After making several Intellectual efforts
to regain the use of his pedals and thus
check the speed of mis- wheel, Mr.. Bierce
devoted his attention to keeping his bike
in the middle of the road and free of the
rocks and ruts that were encountered at
intervals.
He succeeded admirably for some time,
but a slight miscalculation of the extent of
a curve around which he was compelled to
pass made him lose his balance and in an
instant the wheel toppled over throwing
the rider down the bank with terrific
force.
Mr.. Bierce was rendered unconscious by
the shock and lay in the gully for some
tlIues COlliHS w ulluoCIl lO
passing team, the occupants of which,
after considerable trouble, succeeded in
getting him into their vehicle and conveyed
him to st. Helena.
The best medical skill of the town was
summoned to his bedside and it was found
that he had sustained serious fracture of
the kneecap and that his collar-bone
was likewise broken. The physicians in
attendance after setting the broken bones
and making him as comfortable as the
circumstances would permit told him that
in all probability the injury to the ankle
would preclude his ever pushing the pedals
of a bicycle again and the sufferer
promptly gave his wheel, fine machine,
to friend.
At last accounts Mr.. Bierce was resting
easily and a recent letter to Oakland
friends said that he was gaining strength
slowly but surely and would soon return
to Oakland. He deplored the loss of his
favorite pastime, but took comfort from
the reflection that the accident might have
been much worse.
Mr.. Bierce is getting along in years, but
by the aid of his systematic use of the
wheel, which he adopted to assist in get
ting rid of chronic asthma, he has vindi-
Gated a robust constitution, and beyond
stiffness of the ankle will probably not
suffer any permanent injury from his