St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-20
SALVATION ARMY CAPITULATES
TO THE BICYCLE AND WILL
ORGANIZE A CORPS.
THE LASSIES ARE PRACTIcING,
AND WILL SHORTLY DISCOURSE
MUSIC WHILE RIDING THEIR
BIKES.
LITTLE CHANGE IN THEIR DRESS.
The Blue Bonnet, However, VIII
Give Way to Little Cap
Other Changes.

The hallelujah bonnet, worn with
triumph in the very palaces of the
King of Evil. has been DOTTED at last
TO the bicycle, even the Salvation
Army has capitulated. A wheel corps
is organizing in this city, and sinners
will soon scorch their way to glory
according 10 the rules of the n. L.
A. w. as revised by "the elder
Booth" The holy wheelers will be
mounted upon bicycles with blue rims
and red spokes. The skirt guards
of the lassies' wheels will be cords of
the same army colors. The hallelujah
bonnet is a sacred thing indisolubly
connected with the many triumphs of
the soldiers of salvation. But alack!
1.-THE wind bloweth where it listeth,"
and the reckless lassie who would at
tempt to steer her wheel with one
hand, Wiggle a tamborine in the other
hand, and charge a Minnesota zephyr
with her beloved blue bonnet spread
like a mainsail, must either veer eff
on the quarter and beat her way into
the enemy's hostile harbor by a series
of tortuOuS tackS, or submit to i'm
mediate shipwreck, exposure and dis
grace amidst the ribald hooting of
the unregenerate foe Thus has the
hallelujah bonnet given place to a
naughty little blue cap, not few or
which are seen above the gay and gid
ed locks of those matinee girls who
don't ask mamma when they want to
go down town. But the naughty cap
is conseCrated for salvation by a red
band bearing the name of the army.
Each lassie will also wear a red
blouse and blue skirt The skirt will
be of becoming length to fittingly con-
ceal the y rays emanating from natty
leggingS of red leather. The lassie
that plays a tambourine now will play
it also on her Wheel if she can. 1t
is believed that the harmonious effect
will not be impaired by the changed
conditions. The girl cornetiSts will
also play their comets with one nand
when a-wheeling. BY special dispen-
satiOn from London, the musicians OF
the Holy Wheelers are permitted to
keep any sort of time that harmon
ICES with their speed when in progress
and the condition of the roads.
I'm glad of it," said a pretty SER
geant-major yesterday, 'for we won't
have to put in so much time practic-
ing variations. The variations will
sort O come naturally"
The men of the new corps will wear
but who cares what a man wears?
OF course, the bearded soldiers will
wear something in line with the pres
ent uniform.
Capt. Lizzie Johnson was asked
questions about the new corps yester-
day at the army headquarters on Wa.
couta street But she opened her eyes
very wide and told the G o b e re
porter that she didn't think any Corps
was thought of.
Some of us have Wheels" she added
most demurely and in all sincerity
and we are just practicing. We
it1-f n11t. N,.li,
except the bonnet. That would catch
the wind and spill us off in a heap,
maybe. SO. We couldn't even keep
time right. I've got a wheel myself,
and I'm captain. My husbands a
captain, too He is in command uf
the st. Paul forces-about 100 soldiers.
Then Sergeant Major Gertrude Cor
man is out there in front practicing.
Why, she's just took a header. 1 hope
the poor dear isn't hurt. And Junior
Soldier Sergeant Major Ella Wheeler
is going to have a wheel too"
shes very sweet singer, L sup
pose?"
30, yes, the sergeant does sing
beautiful; but she can do that on he,
wheel just as well. Well all sing
and play as if we were walking.
There's regular corps organized by
Maj. Sully at Topeka, Kan. He has
charge of that department, and his
corps Oh twenty officers, half girls and
half men, go all over Kansas and
Texas on wheels with him. heard,
too, that Minneapolis would have a
corps. But we're just practicing, so
We can run about on wheels and save
car fare"
The captains husband, however, Capt.
j. S. Johnson. did not deny that a BIZ
cycle corps was being organized among
his soldiers. He gave the names of
the three lassies mentioned, and said
that several other soldiers were get
ting ready to join the movement. He
described what he knew of the cos
tune designed for the wheelers. He
thought the corps would be sent out
to the surrounding lake resorts where,
after parading a bit, they could dis
mount and hold meetings. He believed
that the cycling apostles would save
many souls.