The record-union., 1896-11-15
MECHANICAL BICYCLE GIRL.
How Numerous Slot Machines Pick
In the Pennies.

OQ SlIC HCuuICSs
A mechanical bicycle girl has just
been constructed which works SO per-
fectly and with such lifelike motion as
to be regarded as a wonder. 1t is a most
delicate bit of mechanism, fitted with
oogs and springs, wires and pulleys,
and it seems to do everything but talk.
The first member of this band of
automatic bikerettes will soon leave
the factory and take It's stand on
prominent street corner near the New
York end of the bridge. Those who have
seen her say that her costume is thor
oughly up to date and includes bloom
ers of the most daring pattern. AS her
face is to be of wax, however, no tell
tale bushes will chase each other over
her carefully nodded features should
her apparel be adversely criticised, nor
will she smile in response to compli-
I1ents paid either her tailor or herself
This bicycle girl is out for the money,
and she will positively refuse to per-
fern unless her works are plentifully
oiled with coin of the realm Owing to
tre hard times and the general scarcity
OF money the wax beauty will go
through her PAGES for the small sum of
cne penny. AS her mechanism is so
perfect that she might easily be mis-
taken at a little distance for really,
truly young woman, it seems likely that
she will jump into popularity at sin
gle bound. When you see her standing
en- the corner, casting glass Sleeps
eyes at the passers by and moving her
head from side to side in her quiet.
jerky, little way, just step up boldly
in front of her and slip penny in the
hole in the top of the box which hangs
before her from strap around her
neck.
You will see her head come to a full
stop, her eyes will look at you in a
surprised sort of way. and then in
little jerks her right hand, which has
been lying appealingly on her left
breast, will begin to descend slowly bnt
surely toward a stand filled with
chewing gum.
All this time you may hear the tinkle
of the penny as it pursues its blithe-
some way by slips and slides dow
through the bicycle girls interior econ
omy, until at last it finds a resting
place. The moment it's journey ends
and the bicycle girl, who is older than
she looks. is convinced that the money
IS safe, she will turn a lever with Ter
left hand, dip her dainty, waxen digits
into the tray, and grasping package
of the juicy gum, hand it to you in four
slides and two jerks.
Having served her customers, the
drawer will close and the right hand re-
sumo IT'S resting place over her heart of
steel. About the only thing the bicycle
girl cannot do is to make change. If by
any mischance you should start a To-
cent piece on its downward journey you
will get out one piece of gum, as her
unvarying rule is that no mistakes are
corrected. AS her price of gum is COM
prised by the smallest coin in circula-
ton it will be seen that the bicycle girl
is not standing on street corners selling
chewing gum for her health. She cannot
lose by her customers errors, and is
sure to win.
The mechanism of the figure is really
most ingenious, and must have entailed
great deal of study and experiment
Oh the part of the inventors It's quaint
design and the novel purpose to which
1t is put are of the kind that are certain
to make the slot bicycle girl a sure
penny catcher, and she will at once take
front rank among the other odd de-
vices to make the public give up their
small change in return for the gratifica-
ton of their idle curiosity. 1t was only
snort time ago that foreign inventor
made the slot restaurant, where you
drop in coin and take out sandwich,
cup of coffee or a bowl Of soup.
There is also mechanical doctor
which hands out prescriptions for vari-
Gus ailments when a penny is put into
the part of the body, supposed to be af-
feoted. If your stomach is out of order
you drop a coin into the front of this
figure and receive powder guaranteed
to aid digestion, restore the appetite
and drive away pain. These mechanical
doctors are taken about the streets of
London and do a thriving business in
picking UP the pennies of the poor An
enormous number of pennyin-the-slotl
machines is being daily used in New
York. The industry has become such
an important one that these machines
have caused serious trouble to the
banks They collect all the pennies and
large number of the nickels and dimes. |
journal.