The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-08-13

0ehulnB, IN large, Dlach ietteEe, n
High Grade Ladies Wheel, the high
grade, of course, applying to me and
not to the ladies. 1 defy any one to
produce more perfect specimen OF
the bicycle kind than / was when |
left the manufacturers on beautiful
May morning Just two months ago.
They we're proud of me at the shops
indeed, think there was something
about my graceful frame and polished
enamel finish that made me stand out
rs one apart from the thousands OF
other wheels around me. The first
journey / took was when | left my ma
tive city and was shipped with many
companions to Washington.
liked this beautiful Capital City OF
yours, and longed for spin on the
smooth asphalt pavements, but 1t
seemed for time that l was doomed
to disappointment
/ was taken to the bicycle school,
where / spent most of my days watch
ing the strange antics of beginners,
the earnest efforts OF those who had
takep several lessons, and the lofty,
though sometimes uncertain, air OF
the ones almost ready to ride in the
street.
In all of this had no part, was n
new wheel, aud must wait quietly un-
til purchased. Sometimes my indig-
nation would be aroused by the rough
treatment bestowed upon the poor old
machines, on which the beginners
were taught, by their inexperienced
riders. How they slammed those
wheels around! Why, often have
seen the ground strewn with riders
with the overturned wheels under
d cath them. Sometimes, though, the
wheel got on top, and then the rider
usually was hurt little. Th.n again,
some few OF the wheels who had not
quite lost all their spirit would get
tired of the endless jerking and clutch
ing, and spin around the track until
the scholar became parcl y..,a and heir.
less with fear. and then plunge thr0trsz,
an open gate or up "A brick wall. with
the rider screaming: Instructor
Instructor! Help" Those were risky
tricks, though, for you stood an even
chance of getting hurt yourself.
Day after day watched these sights
until was weary of it all, and beyond
making firm resolution to throw my
self down a precipice before descend
ing to such work, | did nothing for
several weeks. At last one beautiful
morning-I remember we'll it was May
19-the manager of the place came in
the epark, accompanied by very pretty
girl and an older lady whom | took to
be the girls mother.
They came over to the rack in which
stood, and drawing me out he said :
"Here is exactly what you want, miss
there is not finer wheel in the city
Look at that frame. good and strong,
beautifully finished. Light weight,
just lift it, not twenty-five pounds, all
the bearings turned from tool STEEL
The girls pretty face was a study a.
she looked up and down in an anxious
effort to find the different parts to
which the manager referred 80 glibly.
81 like it," she said at length,
"don't you, mother? You see," turn
ing to the man, al have been about a
month trying to buy wheel.
thought it would be quite easy, but we
have had dreadful time. Besides
having gone to about twenty places
ourselves we have had ut least thirty
agents, who heard We wanted wheel,
come after us, and the most puzzlinp
part of it all is that each one SAYS all
the others are perfectly worthless. Sc
mother aud / made up our minds to
give them all the slip, and that is why
we came here this morning. Let us
take this wheel, mother"
The mother approached me, tried tc
look critical, gave me gentle shake,
and said:
"Well, it seems to be good strong
one. i do hope you won't have any
accidents"
That very afternoon / was sent tc
my new home, a magnificent brown
stone on Connecticut avenue. and in I
few days l knew all about the family,
for gossip is rife in the servants hall,
in little room adjoining which was
kept.
Nuy JouhB Hiif iicoS Who huiiltu bts
sic cambridge, she was the only-ant
needless to say overindulged-child o
wealthy parents, and just now, o
course, she was suffering from bat
case of bicycle fever.
Almost every evening after dark tn,
devoted father and mother would 81,
out on the porch and watch Bessie ant
me struggle up and down the street
A young friend of hers was teaching
her to ride, and OF all patient and de
voted instructors that handsome mar
took the lead. He was a nice fellow
too, and never seemed too hot or tireC
to invent suitable answers to the Lar
ents' endless questions as to why Bes
sic couldn't ride along like the othe
girls did, and what made the whee
wobble so, wasn't something the mat
ter. - hadn't they better 60 back 1,