The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-23


riding over the coping of Cabin Johns
bridge. This was achieved by W. S
Robinson. The coping on the side Of
the bridge Is four feet above the
bridge floor, is 800 feet long and 100
feet above the canal. There were two
joys or offsets in the coping, which
made the achievement more difficult
and dangerous. The bridge is the
longest single span of arched ma
sonry in the world, and the height
above the ravine is such as to make
any man or woman dizzy. A single
error in manipulating the handles
would have resulted in certain death
on the one hand, or a dangerous and
Gripping tumble on the other. 1t has
never been attempted since; and Mr..
Robinson was glad enough to get back
upon safe ground without a mishap.
He would not try it again.
There are several clubs of wheelmen
here, but the Capital Bicycle club is
the oldest of its kind in this country,
having been formed in front of the
capital in 1879. Its organization,
growth and prosperity are evidences OF
the great interest in wheeling. Its
membership is limited to men, and II
has become of late a good deal of a
social organization. 1t has more than
one hundred active resident members.
These are chiefly young professional
men and men of good positions in the
various departments. There are also
about forty-eight nonresident mem
bers, and a number of honorary MEM
bers. Some men of prominence are at
tached to this club, and when they
have regular outings they are accom-
panied by lady friends and present
gala spectacle on the streets, avenues
and country roads. Quite a number of
congressman take to the wheel when
in Washington, and many 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 sockless statesman, is
one of the most enthusiastic of cyclers.
This club of wheel-pushers long since
erected a homelike building on Fiji
teenth street and fitted it up very
neatly. The total cost was s20, ZOO. The
building is q three-story structure, of
modern architecture, and Is entirely oc-
cupied by the club. The moving-in took
place in September, 1886. On the low
er floor are the wheel room, the repair
shop and the buffet. On the second
floor are the parlor, the room for the
club meetings and for smoking, and the
library and committee rooms. The club
possesses an excellent collection of BIZ
cycle literature, including complete
files of every leading wheelmen's pub
billiard room and some living rooms
for the use of officers and members.
Above these Is an attic. The parlor is
hung with pictures presented by local
artists and with engravings. The
building is supplied with bathrooms
and closets, and altogether has very
attractive appearance, within and with
out. 1t is a popular place, for men,
bers have the usual club privilege of
bringing their friends as guests, and
many happy hours are spent beneath
the hospitable roof, and in the cheer
full homelike rooms.
The membership is not now composed
exclusively of wheelmen, although the
large majority of active members are
experts at cycling and have their own
wheels. They have card parties, dances,
musical entertainments and public re-
ceptions. Their lady friends assist them
upon public occasions with piano re-
citals, songs, solos, duets, quartettes,
and in serving refreshments. Altogether
the club is a credit, not only to itself,
but to the wheelmen of the entire
country.
Bicycles are also used nowadays by
a number of newspaper correspond
ents. One of the pioneers In journal.
istic wheeling was William Eleroy
Curtis. He and Perry Heath, now
proprietor of a Cincinnati paper, used
a tandem cycle, and spent considerable
time together in their work. They made
a great team, and are both successful
business men. J. A. Truesdell, former.
ly representing st. Paul daily, and @.
p. Austin, founder of the Press News
were early newspaper
wheelers. But to-day fully a score OF
diligent correspondents of prominent
traverse the city, going
from department to department, and
to the capitol, on their feet
flyers.
Insurance agents, and even book
agents, use wheels in this city, and
many prominent business men have
taken to this mode of travelling from
their homes to their stores. Apparently
the bicycles have come into our civil
cation to stay, and seem to be be-
coming as necessary as telegraph wires
and telephones. SMITH ID. Fry.