The record-union., 1896-08-30
FOR HER BLOOMERS.

AS all agree,
The shopmen rushed to serve her.
On her they beamed,
But glances seemed
In some way to unnerve her.
All waited meek
For her to speak,
But still she hesitated.
Her face seemed flushed
In fact, she blushed,
1t may as well be stated.
II WANT She stopped,
Her eyelids dropped;
Her face sun resembled.
Il want Again
She paused, and then
Her voice sank low and trembled.
Though she was new,
Alasi it's true,
She found the scene most trying.
She came to get
A trifle, yet
She felt much more like flying.
The boldest clerk,
With bow and smirk,
Then thought to surely fetch her.
Il want" she said,
Her face deep red,
Il want a trousers stretcher."
The critics have taken me to task
says Zimmerman, for asserting that
high-grade bicycles will be no lower in
price next season than they are at the
present time. Their criticisms have
been based on the argument that while
high-class material used in construc-
tion costs more by far than the metal
used in the cheap grade Of wheels. yet
the difference in cost would not Justify
dealers in maintaining, the price OF BIZ
cycles at 500
Within the week and at the request
of the maker inspected a bicycle that
is going TO be sold at $3.50 next sea-
son. The firm manufacturing this
wheel has had large experience, is thor
oughly familiar with the business con-
ditions and is confident that the wheel
VIII sell at the price quoted. The wheel
IS undoubtedly the finest that has ever
been put on the market a glance at it
shows it to be superior to anything we
have yet seen on the market, though I
care little for the outward appearance
of it. 1t is the interior or the mechan-
ism of this new wheel in which I was
chiefly interested and which serves well
TO illustrate the point to which 1 wish
TO call the attention of my critics.
The wheel is put together in a man
ner that is as nearly perfect as human
skill can make it. The adjustment is
well nigh marvellous. A few vigorous
twists of the crank caused the rear
wheel to make complete revolutions for
six minutes, and then to swing back
ward and forward for minute and ten
seconds longer. know this time is cor
rect because I held a stop watch on it.
A single twist of the crank caused
the rear wheel to keep in continual mo-
tion for about six minutes and a quar-
ter.
That is remarkable when it is remem-
bered that the best of the high grade
wheels now made win swing only from
one to two minutes. 1t shows that a
great deal of attention and study has
peen paid to the adjustment of the bear
ings in this wheel and that the work has
been done by men who are artists in
their respective lines. The firm was
told, has been almost a year planning
and experimenting before one wheel was
u.
them many thousands of dollars, and
now they think they have a perfect
wheel. So careful has been the con-
struction OF these wheels that they dc
not expect to be able to turn out more
than a thousand Of them during the
season.
Now. I'll say very candidly that
believe the firm that is manu-
when they expect to sell bicycles at S156
apiece-that is. many of them. They
may sell few, because there will GER
tainly be some wheelmen sufficiently ap-
preciative Of the high art displayed in
the manufacture of that wheel to want
one of them.
good bit of that expense is made
necessary by the elaborate finish of the
wheel. They could be finished less finely
and answer all purposes. With the or
binary finish the price might be easily
reduced. The extra expense could very
properly be put into the bearings, as II
is at present, and the wheels would find
a ready market. That is what l would
do were I in their position.
For that Will anticipate the demand
that will be made next season. While tn,
maintained, those wheels will of necess
ity be better than the wheel which occu
pies the same place this year. The i'm
provement viii be most noticeable in tbs
bearings, about which everybody, rider!
and manufacturers alike, are beginning
to learn something. The manufacturer!
in particular are now devoting more at
tention to the bearings and their ad
iustment, realizing that therein lies th'
success Of the bicycle Of the future. TIL,
consequence will be that next year {
high grade bicycle will run with al
ease that will astonish the riders. Ant
the price viii be 500.
A woman who is well known among
cyclists and has written upon the sub
iect of wheeling for her sex gives thi
advice: "The right position is a happ,
medium. The rider must be about al
inch to an inch and half within he
reach. This allows room for ankle ac
ton. which is a sine qua non in goot
riding. Learners may be lower at first
but it must be clearly understood
thing that, as they gain confidence, tn