The evening times., 1896-05-11
PARADISE OF the WHEEL
Washington Gone Mad on the
Bike" Fad.
EVERY ONE is A RIDER NOW
Sunday the Great Day for All Lovers
of the BicycIe-They Can Be Seen
Stretching Out in an Almost Never
Ending Line-From Congressman to
Messenger Boy. .

10 you ONH anu iihN u
don't you are, in the ineiegant but express
i've slang of the "bikis,s, plumb out OF
it." All Washington seems to have gone
wheel crazy, and everybody, from the
messenger boy to the member OF Congress,
las either taken unto himself Dicycle
or is debating what kind OF machine ne
will get. Everybody rides bicycle. and
the pedestrian Is an isolated and worried
being.
Sunday is bicycle day, and the devotees OF
he silent steed that has revolutionized
.ravel In this end OF the Nineteenth cen
Jury allow nothing else 10 interfere with
heir enjoyment. The young man whose
-pringtime fancy is lightly uckled with
owing thoughts takes his best girl out
tandem riding, anCtu under the cool shade
OF the trees that border a smooth country
-oad he whispers sweet nothings into her
back hair as they speed along.
The fond papa no longer pushes the baby
carriage under the park trees, while the
wife reads novel on a neiGhboring bench.
He straps young hopeful into seat on
the front OF his wheel and both take an
outing together. And the sweet young
maid who doesn't wait for a love-lorn
drop frame, unless she has adopted the
wheel, and speeds along by her natty self,
he observed OF all observers.
THE WHEEL PROCESSION.
AudayIong gtheprocessionof wheels keeps
up one street and down another, and the
smooth, shaded country roads in the neigh
OorhOod OF the city are alive with them.
The shining bikes CLEAN in the sunshine
Of a spring afternoon, and the flecks OF
light fall through the trees upon FURNISHED
steel, as the Sunday bicycle parade stretches
away in an unendins procession. The
paving and clatter of horses hoofs and
The rumble and rattle of cumbersome vchi-
cles rarely interrupt the peculiar silence
of the parade of wheels, and the various
costumes of the fair ones make it inter
esting as long as it lasts.
At short intervals, Il strange. dubious
apparition fits by, and al turn to behold
and admire the boomer girl. She speeds
along with easy grace, and all wonder
why the rest of tie fair sex don't wear
them. No entanrling skirts; nothing to
get in the way or prevent one from riding
even a diamond frame, if they want TO.
BIOOiltIs nave tJllt 70 Dt EtGbEtttl Lot
lightly, as an amusing spectacle. but Sc
riously, as an ultimate conclusion, almost
reached.
The bloomer girls are few, however.
most of the fair sex preferring TO hide
their shapeliness behind seeming con-
tinuity of cloth. The short skirt, reach
.ng Just below the knee, with dainty
!cggius from there down, is now the fav
onte costume. The men, of course, are not
burdened so much with thoughts of their
clothes. If they haven't got Il regulation
bike suit. they simply stick a pair of clips
on their ankles and speed away.
FAvoRITE Runs.
The Conduit road and the Ca nal road are
the favorite snort runs outside the city on
Sunday, and from early morning until late
IT night both are crowded. Wheel after
wheel skins past. seeming hardly TO touch
the ground, guided and controlled by
healthy men and women, with the delight
of physical enjoyment shining through.
their faces. AS the cycles whiz past.
some sngly. with their riders striving TO
outdo every one else. Others in pairs OF
parties. pcdaliInc smoothly along. caring
only for the enjoyment of the moment. IL
IS small wonder that the pedestrian looks
envious and wants wheel himself.
No more perfect democracy was ever in
troduCed than the reign of the wheel.
Every sort OF mankind pedals along the
streets and roads on a Sunday. Rich and
poor elbow each ether. trying To wheel
past and narrowly escape collision. The
wealthy business man and bis household
are overtakcn and passed by the business
mans clerk and the clerks family. The
thrifty mechanic. whose muscles are mS.le
,ard and firm by his labor through the
week. plunges into the relaxation OF a BIZ
cycle ride on Sunday and passes them all.
There are types of capitalists and labor
ers, easily discernible as they flash past,
but in the democracy of the wheel they diff
fer little from each other.
Never before were there so many bicycles
n Washington us at present. and their
number is increasing every day. 1t is the
harvest year for the dealer in wheels
Every man who hasn't bicycle has made
up his mind TO have one before the summer
is over. 1t is better nowadays to be a
bicycle repairer than a plumber.
NO MONOPOLY.
The young have no longer u monopoly
the wheel. as was the case a few years 20.
Staid old men, and white haired women,
pedal along beside their sons or daughters,
aid enjoy the recreation Just as much as
they possibly can. The Old and middle
aged are becoming as keen and enthusiastic
whecimen as the younger generation, and
IN some cases they are even more so. A
year or so ago misguided urchius of un-
chastenedspeech would ieer at the spectacle
of Old age on a wheel. but it has become
too common now to attract their notice.
The delight of the small boy now is to
hear the loud report of pneumatic tire,
as it strikes terror to the heart of the
rider.
"Aw, my! did you hear dat busto" and
he will run over to where the luckless