The record-union., 1896-05-17
.pS&>l.. + g..
C ~ .,
6!,6. !

w
"Why's bike like a woman?"
The merry idiot cried.
Because it is so hard to learn"
The Tilted man replied.
Because sometimes it's fast"
The cynic murmured low;
Because" the critic rash declared,
Its always on the co.
Because it runs through the DUST
A husband sadly vowed;
"Oh! because it's fascinating!"
The bloomer girl allowed.
Then loud laughed the merry idiot:
MY reason crowns the cup!
Because it very often needs
A right good blowing up!"
The proper length for the skirt is
now conceded to be about to the top of
the boots; no shorter, and for hall rid
ing even longer The fullnesS is all in
the back, but there is so much goring
over the hips and width below that the
outlines of the figure are becomingly
hidden. On the correct cut of the skirt
depends the beauty of the costume,
which may be made of a cheap mate
rial if it only hangs well. There are
two ways this season of arranging the
fullness of the skirt at the back. One
has it all beneath the folded-over
plaits which meet at the back; the
other has two box-plaits, double, like
many of the walking costumes. The
latter fashion looks rather better off
the wheel, but the former looks best
when riding, for the folds hang more
gracefully.
The most becoming style for the waist
is the Norfolk jacket, but this season
the filled-in Eton jacket is more pop
ular. The sleeves of q correct bicycle
costume are much smaller than for
other gowns, and are invariably of the
leg g-of-mutton shape. While the Nor
folk jacket can be made becoming alike
to thin or stout women, the Eton jacket
is never becoming to a woman with
short waist and broad hips The bicy-
Gle skirt should not have any facing on
the inside The desired weight and
finish can be given by a broad leather
band or rows Of machine stitching, and
through a broad hem or facing turned
up on the outside. There are many de-
vices for the placket-hole, and the
skirts that quite do away with it in the
ton at each side are the smartest in
appearance as we'll as the most COM
Portable to manage. Where buttons are
not liked. invisible hooks and eyes on
a flap answer every purpose.-Harper' s
BaZar.
Many of the men who are most de-
voted TO cycling buy a new wheel each
year. You ask them ii their old one was
in good condition, and they say it was.
They admit that the improvements in
the newest model are slight, and, in
deed, they seem to give no completely
satisfactory reason for changing.
AS a matter of fact, a new wheel runs
more easily than one which has been
ridden some thousands of miles. The
ordinary rider, who goes perhaps 1000
or / 800 miles in a season, might not no
tiee this difference, but the man who
makes long tours or goes on century
runs appreciates ii. Then, too, dealers
customarily allow $50 for wheel of the
previous year which cost $780, and
thus the price of a thoroughly up-to-
date machine is only $50 to the man
with an old one to give in part pay
ment
Another point is that bicycles after a
years use show some signs of age, such
as imperfect enameling and dingy
nickel-plating, and your true wheelman
taes as much pride in spick- and-span
bicycle as in his best suit of clothes.
The dealers profit handsomely by this
custom of getting a new outfit annual
ly Not only do they make their profit
on the new bicycle, but they will fit the
old one up and sell it at an advance, or
use 1t for hiring out.
The scorcher is doomed. This fiend,
born of a fancy for public notoriety, is
rapidly passing into a decadence. In
every town, hamlet or city, edicts are
going forth to the effect that the space
annihiIators must cease their violent
and destructive exertions. These riders
go through a town at a terrific rate OF
speed and woe unto the unfortunate
pedestrian who gets in the way of this
human thunderbolt. 1t is right that
regulations of this character should be
incorporated among the statutes To
such an extremity has this craze for
speed gone that we may expect to OBJ
serve the scorcher minus all hirsute ap-
pendage, his head shaven clean as a
billiard ball, a shield in front of him to
cut the air and his face and body COW
cred with suet or some other greasy
substance so as TO permit him to slip
through space with the least possible re-
siStance-
Tandem riding is becoming more
popular every day. Two years ago it
was a rare sight to see the double
seated machines, but that time is past.
Manufacturers are experiencing some
difficulty in supplying the market. for
most OF the makers are behind orders
and cannot turn their attention to build
ing tandems until well into the month
of May The tandem has become popu-
lar for the reason that in propelling 1t
the exertion is much less than when
pedaling along on a single wheel. Tan
dems are companionable, and embody
numerous other good qualities The
day is not far distant when a three
seated bicycle win be almost as common
nc the tandem, and no doubt n bicycle
viii be built TO accommodate a whole
family.
The signature of Governor Morton of
New York put to recent law makes it
,,o,cdemeanor for any person or per-