The sun., 1896-08-23
HALF WAY IN A CENTURY.
BICYCLE RUNs Considered FROM
4 VIEW POIST OF view.

How the Resideats Aiong the Routes Fee
About Th~m-Some Cyclists who At
tract Sympathy and Others Ridieute-
Mints Etiquette for wheel Devotees
This much Is certain. that century runs, nj
matter how they affect the bealth. muscles. OF
pockets OF the cyclists. n source of lively In
terest 10 tho residents along tho popular routes
The preliminary notices on the sporting page OF
THE sUS give warning when club run may be
expected. and. as sunday Is the time usually
chosen for the outing, the people in the villages
may calculate from the schedule whether tho
riders will pass them before or after morning
church or just wher the pastor will he in tho
middle OF his sermon In the latter event there
are apt to be aomc empty pews.
Those who dwell by the wayslde find certain
similarity In every passing show OF century
riders. yet there Is always variety of incidents
and difference in the outfits and manners OF
the individuals which make each run during
the season novel and interesting sight First
njangle Of HonEs is heard down the road. an
nouncing the coming host Then. with shoul-
ders and heads low over tho handle bars. like
scorchers on the track, come tho pacemaker
and his aids. Whether It is a slow or fast
paced run. those who set the rate impress the
onlookers with the idea that II Is n mat
ter OF great mental and physical exer-
ton 70 lead the line. After the
pioneers and sometimes racing them, come the
fast division OF riders, the flying dragons of
the wheeling company. Their number. and the
presence of women among them. depends on the
fast or slow pace set. This division Is followed
closely, or. rather merges into the third part OF
the run. which is made up Of the men and wo-
men who are plodding along we'll within their
powers, and, although dustj, quite happy and
at ease. Last of all are tho straRglers. some an
hour or more behind the pacemakers.
At once the most amusing and pathetic sights
of a rnn are presented in the scattered and fall
tering line OF stragglers. The most attractive
looking riders in the rear ranks need not ex-
plain why they are there. They are always In
couples; young girl trim, frizzled, and coQuot-
fish. with young man, who bends toward her
Rt the imminent risk of a cropper as they wheel
slowly along together. What care they that n
dinner, smoking hot, awaits them at the fifty
mile stopr Right behind Is o rider always ON
hand, the cyclist, sometimes a woman. who Is
wheeling to reduce flesh. II man. the stout
party 10 remarkable for the tightness OF his
sweaters and knickers as though he had been
squeezed into them when soft and was now be
ginning to expand. while the stout women are
usually conspicuous by balloon-like sleeves,
the shortness and iufflness OF their skirts their
low-cut tan Shoes and q seemingly unlimited
amount of tan hosiery. Trundling by the
stout folks rosy and smiling. as though
they felt certain of attaining. at the end OF the
hundred miles of toll, the sllmnesss of a sylph.
Characters. too, are the guys, conspicuous
by oddness of costume or manners. Then
there is always q keen delight in observing the
despsiring efforts of the novices. who have
started q journey with barely experience
enough to carry them through Central Park.
and grow more and more desperate with
every mile they fall behind. They urge the |
wheels along manfully. and in spite of wab.
blinRs and q thousand narrow escapes from COL |
lisions and bad falls. usually manage to reach |
the ffty-mile stop before the last afternoon |
train leaves for New York. |
1t is not SO pleasant to look on the weaklings |
among the struggling wheeimen. Usually most
Of those who falter from illness are only tenn
porarily out Of sorts, suffering from vertigo or
the heat and soon able TO 60 on again, but
Others show q weakness from overexertion that
ls most distressing to look upon. As they wheel
past with white faces and slow. painful push
ings of the pedals, 1t 10 apparent that they are |
only kept up by their courage. They arc the |
last to pass and tho distress they show Is |
potent factor in stimulating the prejudices
against long runs. But even among the halt
and the sick there is often an element of
comedy. On o recent run 1t was furnished by
, small boy. who, while resting his muscles,
had daliied with some green apples by the road
side. His contortions he wheeled into the
village were worthy of trick rider. They
ended In wild swoop toward and tumble
onto the drug store stoop, followed by agoniz-
ing cries for both arnica ana stomach medicine.
Until 1894 century runs were great novelties,
but row every important club has its outing,
often arranging several hundred-mile runs in
the heason. The New Jersey roads are much
used. but since that year Long Island has be-
come the most popular course for century runs
with the cyclists in and about New York Tho
usual trip starts from Jamaica. and, after q |
hfty-mile journey, the riders stop at Patchogue
for rest and a dinner returning over the same
route. Tho road follows in general the shore
liue of the Great South Bay. and winds past
many elegant summer homes, carrying tho
wheelmen in turn through thriving towns. park
like estates, and quaint fishing villages often in
view OF the broad sheet of water and its fleets
OF oyster boats and yachts. Thousands of riders
have journeyed over the route this season, to
the infinite profit Of the keepers of hotels restau
rants, and iee-cream saloons.
Beneath a canopy of leaves before the w. X
Vanderbilt place at Oakdale is u well of clear
and cold water tnat has quenched the thirst of
tional, for many residents Of the " South Side"
offer the wheelmen similar hospitality,
drink of pure water is as welcome to parched
,ider ,tI on u not sunday as It would be to wan
lsked to do more for the comfor. Of Of the h W6rio I
ne strangers. yet in emergencies The hos
pitalty does not stop at a glass OF
Adams ale. Indeed. SO frequently are the
ropt t lawns OF the householders studded
With prostrated riders. that what may |
% termed a syttem of first aid to the injured
'icycliats," is well established. II consists |
mainly in placing the sufferer In a Sleepy !
Hollow chair on the cool veranda, the applica-
ion of Iced cloths to the head. the administer
ng Of Jamaica ginger or other stimulants, fol-
owed, aftera rest by ten and toast. BY this
ime the sufferer IL usually able to wheel away
n ese walk TO the railroad pushing his ma.
hine by hiS side. This stage of convalescence
cached, an eAgerness to depart is usually
hown, and the stranger hurries away, fre- ,
pently forgetting TO offer n word Of thanks to
he samaritan who has succOred him. &
The bicycle schools should teach a code OF l
t!quette. pointers on what to do and say after
Eheeling into mans best cump OF carnations
aintipg all over them. and worrying his entire :
lousehold Tor an hour. while they bring him {
,ack to life." said prominent resident OF the a
'outh Side Only yesterday We had terrible
line bringing one around. We really thought c
or spell he was about to die, yet as soon as he
lad recovered. the cad hurried away without a h
1ord denotng that he was grateful. But boor- II
shness among cyclists Is an old story with mo-