Evening star., 1896-08-13
THE FOOTPATH STATUTE
Bladensburg Has Declared War on Bicycle
Riders.
A judicial Exposition on Weeds n
the Natural boundaries of
the Pike.

OF wheeImen to avoid Biadensburg. Sundry
and sufficient reasons have been discovered
for all peaceful and not over wealthy riders
of bicycles to give this venerable COM
munity the go-by. Yet Bladensburg is on
the direct route to other places, and is on
a pike which, however poorly maintained,
IS yet better than a majority of the Mary
land thoroughfares and hence Bladensburg
is difficult of avoidance.
Somewhere on the leaves of the statute
books relating to Prince Georges county is
a law prohibiting the use of footpaths by
other than pedestrians. Doubtless this act
long antedates the bicycle or even the old
fashioned bone shaker" There is new
er, fresher statute in force in Maryland
that specifically prohibits the of the
side paths and walks by wheelmen. but that
applies only to Baltimore county. So the
BladensbUrger depends upon the older law
and spreads terror and poverty among the
Wheelren.
The Star has just received the following
interesting account of the experience OF
two Washington wheelmen IN encounter
with this statute. which it reproduces for
the benefit of all who may pedal their way
out the Old pike. 1t is as follows:
Sample Experience.
The Bladensburg pike is in point of
antiquity without doubt one of the most
interesting highways about our sovereign
dtion roadway would require at least
century and a half of systematic neglect.
The eliminating point, the center Of
atrocity. is formed by the village of Bla-
denSJurg itself. ON the I'd day of July,
1896, two wheelmen approached BladenS-
burg from the direction of Benning with
their machines on their shoulders. The
sandy waste stretching away in their rear
explained this somewhat paradoxical ar
rangement. The patient bearers had push
fhpir
whence the relief, the leader exclaimed:
The railroadv Along this trundling at
least was possible, and N this manner they
effected an approach upon the otherwise
impresnable burg. And 10! breach in the
defenses! hard bit of road Mounting
in haste and calling to his comrade to fol-
low. the leader dashed forward over the
hard. smooth surface-alas, to destruction.
For upon this one point of vantage from
without the forces of the stronghold had
been conferred Searce had the wheelman
progressed fifty yards when figure loom
ed out of the gloom and a stern voice
dered him to dismount. Resistance against
the force thrs opposed to him would have
been worse than useless so the wanderer
called parley. He reminded the OBTAINING
force that peace had existed for some time
between the metropolis of Bladensburg and
Washington. whence he came, and his ex
pedition was not hostile. Nor had he any
consciousness of breaking this peace of the
village.
You're riding On the sidewalk came
the answer. in stern accents.
Am I? How do you known
That's the roadway said the official In
wounded tone of voice Anybody could
tell the difference His local pride was
wounded: the reputation of Bladensburg
had been slighted.
ITO verify this statement the culprit
stepped off the hardened ground into a
quicksand- That. said the captor, is the
main thoroughfare of Bladensburg.' and
his tone seemed to add. Where will you
find the like?'
Before the Justice.
You must come with before the
Justice of the peace he continued, and
there was nothing to do but to obey. They
were led to a certain room containing be-
sides two imposing tones of legal lore,
the inmutable arm of Justice in its shirt
sleeves.
L did not know 1 was on the sidewalk
demonstrated the cuiprit-in-chief.
by, It's perfectly well Defined Then
the judicial authority proceeded to explain
an interesting property of weeds They are
IN Bladenseurss natural limits; Just as
the ocean forms natural boundary to a
country's Jurisdiction, so In this village
weeds determine where roadway ends and
sidewalk commences and vica versa.
This is but the logical outcome of the abb
solutely natural formation of the highway
itself. If now the Bladersburg thorough
fare owed its existence IN any way to arti-
fcial sources. a gutter or handrail would
the question As. however, 1t Is the result
of the inclenencies of the weather aided
by the churning wheels of carts avoiding
the several buildings. 1t will be readily
seen that where this friction ceases weeds
viii continue growing. This growth is again
stifled by the tread of foot passengers
evading the alternate periods of mire and
dust. This leaves a narrow strip of rank
growth between the legal weed bed under
discussion. Bicyclers found on one side of
this suffer - fine. on the other, shpwreck.
Fines and Costs.
''In view of the intelligent attention ac-
corded to the elucidation Of this unique
legal point the fine was reduced to 81
Then there were $2.1O extra for costs
imposed on each. And here another en-
crossing question arose. which was re-
fused recognition. however, by the court,
Le;, what were the costs so laconically
rersrred to? The municipal proceedings
had consisted in the arrest, the arraign-
ment and the presumably gratuitous legal
disqulsition. Can 1t be possible that a
community Of ths undoubtsd probity and