The record-union., 1896-05-10

VI
The Capital ladies are gloomy this year,
And the pavements of Washington lonely
appear,
Because the good President thinks it his
right
To put down his foot with three hundred
pound might
On bicvcle riding for women of place.
Lest some of their thoughts take the BIZ
cycle pace.
And then the wheel costume, though
modest it be,
He thinks unbecoming to DANES of de-
gree;
And says, with a frown quite forbiddlng
and grim,
That Cabinet ladies must listen to him;
Their husbands he hires for wars and such
To give him more leisure to cope with the
bike"
And while they are puzzling Ger Cuban
And over wise statecraft are splitting fine
hairs,
The President keeps weather eyes on the
town,
Qike Officer Barwick of local renown);
And whene'er on a wheel a fine lady he
He sends her right home just as cool as
you please.
The beautiful streets of the Capital gay
w
Each one is as smooth as ribbon of
white,
With all its. magnificent distance in sight
And if ones abroad in the fresh morning
hours
The country breeze brings her the incense
of flowers.
The ladies of Washington bow to their
fate,
And find at a ball or dinner of state
The sole recreation propriety yields,
Though they sigh for the freedom of posy
set fields,
well Mr.. G. Cleveland, you can't boss
us long,"
Grace Duffie Boylan.
Tom Durham had no idea of riding
very far that night. Before he real
lied the fact he had left the roar Of the
city far behind and was pedaling out
into the country along the silent road
The perfume of early apple blossoms
filled the air. 1t was such a change
from the dusty streets and smoky at
mcsphere of the city that he drew long
breaths in order to fill his lungs with
natures pure ozone
He'd no use for the city lights The
full moon outlined the road and he felt
that he could ride on this way until
Git off O that thar thingi"
1t was a gruff voice and Tom was
quickly aroused from his dreaming, as
visions of footpads loomed up before
him. The form of a man was outlined
in the moonlight. His dress bespoke the
farmer. Don't be skeered," said the
man, as he came toward Tom, "but I've
got leetle darter dyin' up thar at tn
nv &c cio IN, he
barn The nearest doctor is four miles
Brother Bill said he'd walk it as fast
as he could, but he ain't ben gone long
an I'm most afeared Rosie's goin' to
choke to death afore he can git here
with the doctor. iist seed you comm
an I thought I'd ask you if you would
ride fer th doctor on that thar thing
Tom forgot everything but the help
less father and dying child. He never
claimed to be much of a scorcher, but
Brother Bill had visions of a ghost fit
ting by him in the moonlight as Tom
shot past on his way to the doctor.
Half an hour later two wheelmen
pulled up at the farmers door One
was the doctor. Tom felt too sensitive
to intrude his presence at such a time
and silently pedaled back to the city.
O half-dozen of the club boys, and sug-
gested they take a run out that even
ing and see how little Rosie was coming
on. On their way they stopped at the
florists and Clipped" in for an i'm
mense bouquet of roses. Tom thought
they'd please the little one, unless
well, they'd be appropriate anyhow
They dismounted at the gate and Tom
-eay1f fn ha 10 =
of the farmers hand as he greeted him
told the story.
Yes, Rosie's better. The doctor said
If he'd ben half an hour iater she'd ber
dead. It's diphtheria- Dye see them
apple trees full of blossoms? When
they're ripe bring yer friends. They're
al yours, if you want EN-
Referring to the making of a bicycle
path or wheelway from Sacramento tC
Gait, the Gazette of that place says
No intermediate town between Sac
ramento and Stockton will do more fol
the wheelmen than Calf Build your
path, boys, and Gait citizens will hell
out handsomely. In this connection
we will further state to Sacramento and
Stockton wheelmen, that a movements
is OH foot here to build an eight mile
bicycle path for racing in the vicinity
of Calf, west of the town, on an almost
perfect plane, and the only chief OBJ.
stacle in the way at this time is the
opening of the mile-and-h of road
between S. NJ. McClaughry's place ant
the Mcfarland road, by the Board OF
Supervisors.
A real and serious danger, says g
Hartford paper, is caused by the habit
some bicyclists have Of passing at con
siderable speed by a street car. A per-
son crossing the stree. is thus exposed
to three perils-the car, teams, and BIZ
cycles, and although he may guart
against one or two, the third compli.
Gates the situation enormously. If tn,
car is at rest 1t is still worse, for peopl,
are going to or coming from ii, ant
there are usually others on the cross
walk who have been stopped by the cal
and are impatient TO cross. Most o.
them have learned to look round tn,
corner for an approaching team, but i
ic very difficult to see the bicycle in tim,
TO avoid it if it is near the car and com
ing fast.
Until the present no cyclist has in