The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-26

prevec1sng rowdvsszs awneel. TIA n>~s
cycle esses hare s@@r -ro-ars q see TEA.
sss roxsay on bicycle snsswss she rvrs,-
satior. With ncn-rss>-s 90 wAersm~1 who
are not rowdleA
Sometimes feeas hsryrss<.~ insist v,rn
too much. as when they claim the aravfi-
eEs q riding upon sidewalks Or xcsnx
without bel BY day and larr hv nlxhe:
PIT Anerscsns have so long sssed less
than thssr eaeac rights that II Is re<resA-
tne 20 meet oncs n a While a hoSfv Of
men sho stand I'D for a little mere than
nnay properly belong 70 them. And in re-
gard 20 such lecsi ordinances r. il easy
70 So that more strscsness Is required
where both cySlsss ana pedestrians
are many than where either class i few.
Upon the Boulevard IN New York for m
stance. y IS rare shsng nowadays 20 see
. acycisst riding at night without a
3agnted lamp. As for sidewalk riding. IL
IS only allowed IN sparsely settled places.
ana the tendency aSairrss Il IS more and
more marked among whesimsa them
selves
Probably the most magnificent show
bicycle ride in the world is that from
upper New York through the park. down
the Bouiesard-or on Sunday tho cable
car "slot" on Braadway--acrcss the
bridge. through levely Prospect park anl
down the new cycle path 10 Coney island
On sundays and holidays many thou
sands make ase Of this route. and the
proportion OF accidents IN small The
nrsf bicycle path from the park TO the is,-
and proved its inadeqaacy in a single
season and second has Just been open
cd Each or these paths Is about fifteen
rect wide. butt Of very line granite CHIPS,
perfect in surface and about ave and a
hair miles long. A drunken cyciLss -
comparatively rsrs and many OF the
good restaurants sell only temperance
arinAs. Ginger ale with a segnoa saaeexed
into IL Is perhaps the commonesf drink
or male hieyciisfs The pretsiest thing
about the cycle path spectacle IS 20 see
how Young and old join IN Il. Here al
last Is the ideal outdoor exercise IN
which whole families can join In the
good roads section OF Jersey Ii Il alrnost
the rule that the basement Of dwelling
contains a wheel for every member Of the
family except the baby.
Women learn from the bicycle the con-
troll OF their nerves. Il is a fine sight to
see In 1Ss woman weaving her wheel
IN and out among the loaded teams who in
1884 would hardly have dared 10 cross
the same street without a policaman's
arm. When the mother OF family can
strap lunch box to her handle bar ana
convoy a brood of young cyclists for a
day at the seashore or In the woods, there
Is decided gain In the average health OF
women.
The girls. not few girls but nearly all
OF them. are getting out OF doors: which
Is precisely what has been wanted for
the last two generations. TO give the AM
erican race fighting chance To survive
The young men profit quite as much.
They are learning. long before they be-
come voters the power of organization in
enforcing public measures. They are
learning 10 reason that IL by combination
granite ring may he broken, so may
other rings. They are learning 70 talk.
not less about national politics necessar-
lily, but more about street paving and
street cleaning, The board OF aldermen
and municipal affairs generally. They
are learning to take an interest In public
business and larger towns. and those af-
fairs. as all critics agree. are those most
needing attention.
With the extension OF good roads, the
bicycle Will silence the deserted farm"
cry. No one Is Likely much to mind liv-
ing twelve miles from lemon IL he can
get on a fair turnpike and wheel TO his
lemon in an hour, instead OF sitting sui
lenly staring at q mud canal called by
courtesy a road. The horseless carriage
with pneumatic tires VIII supplement the
bicycle in this improvement There may
como day. and soon. when a good road
once built viii need no repair OF the wear
OF wheels. The country boy will surely
be more willing to stay ON the farm
when he too can have his century runs
almost from his own door. and can feel
along the interlinking arteries Of perfect
roads the oneness Of himself with the big
world. in a sense that the railroad station
half a dozen miles away can never give.
The United States has reason 10 thank
heaven for the bicycle. 1t was just what
Wa needed. and It came when our need
OF IL was the greatest.
DAVID WFTIFSf.EIR