The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-02-15
The Bfcyclists of France.
Ed. DEMOCRAT:

OAAT 1 READ q very Interesting &C.
count OF a conflict between TIVE bicy.
clists outlaws and a cabman in the
cit! a Paris. France. ana in which
CONFLICT the attacked party. Coshey
. n ! 1be7s called. came Of Veto
r5ClS- - ! happened % b. n Paris
aboat mai tine ny attention was lac
U0~ readily attracted by IL relation
= EcI- excellent paper
T any other class OF offenders
2-ai-s. municipal law has b4en
charged Win ~ oatra@ ! would MOI
la n o==1 50 noticeable . r1-B. but
o~.aEels.s are - don >ezl or re
Streets or o-Ee- public places i hal
great e=ut=- % civilization fLat ! vas
surprised mai II a--snpr a sl-azry
should e made 10y one Of that class.
-1s hicyc- : : "a seldom seen an %
distinctive WIEN - OF So or Il. -
r. ca-- nay L.. does APPEAR hey are
readily recognized and easily arrested
a21 identified - IN police. SUI
so-e 4 yolr readers NAY ask i b.
.-.r riding ! a rare Thing n Paris.
ana If 50. why and how accounted for:
Tier are ~eve-al reasons 70 d a.
signed Tor he apparent absence Of
this OF door exercise II the city Of
Pars- Many OF he streets Of that,
Otherwise. 1ne city ar exceedingly
narrow and always crowded with We
hicles ofdiyers kinds and descriptions.
wlihal lhe sidewalks ar also 30 mar
rev hat rwo walk in places With diff
fculty side by side. and i a person
approaches from an opposite dire
ion one Or other OF Ih= parties has 20
steP into The slrset. This happend
70 myself a number Of times during
ny extended visit there. No bicyclisr
could make any head-way without
difficulty and danger. The larger and
more eligible Str=ets an6 also The
bouleyards arr open TO the same ob-
iection a. 70 The egre>S Of persons
moving upon wheels.
The present writer has visited these
real resorts OF tEe richest and gay
est OF the city. and while these high
ways and ~bo2leyards are spacious.
smooth and clean as ! new pin. YET
the vasi number OF human beings.
not daily. but hourly swarming il
cabs. carriages. cmEibuses ana other
kinds would preclude a bicyclist.
however expert. IRON making any
progress in the way Of travel without
the utmost danger to life and limb.
! have myself driven day after day
many OF these places and canDot
remember but having seen only a fey
OF The class that I an 0 speaking
Of.
\ .sober-sided American standing
or walking On any \ OF these fne
Boulevards such "a -be Italian. GER
man. Monte Paruasee e. Tsn-Girard
conclude that all the Pa-isians
lived out OF doors: ana indeed they
DO SO in q very great measure. They
eat away from bone and drink ont OF
doors. Every hour Of sunshine Is
spent in the oP=n air in the parks or
gardens OF the city. Tuillieriee ! OF
ali. perhaps. thr NOS; treouented.
wbe-e thousands OF the young. The
OLD. the w~oe-b~gone al classes and
every body else 90 20 that famous
ana beautiful place Of pleasure and
~~c~auon. Singular enough a bicy-
cl- or il rider Is O ever. far a. I
,o@ld se-- among that great crowd Of
a---al Kind. The point nos; q: al
i E.~h 20 emphasize Is. that Paris
! -, p lily Of wseelers ike oIE OF
nur cit.e.. and I should say i = he
las city or earth in which q bicycle
.nlct could drive a proftabl- hnsi-
-->- FLEETWOOD.