The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09
A BICYCLE TOUR IN JAPAN.
Wheels of Native Manufacture Are
Cumbersome and Little Used.


From the San Francisco Examiner.
Did 1 impress the Japanese with my
wheel?" said a young real estate agent
''Well. they did not seem to have much
else to do than to watch my movements"
he continued, answering the question. TN
the interior of Japan especially, the bicy-
Gle and myself as it's adjuncts were re-
garded as great curiosities, and crowds of
men, women and children would gather
wherever l stopped to make an elaborate
inspection of the wheel. A few of them
had seen the old style machines, but the
pneumatic tire and the cyclometer were
beyond the knowledge of even those most
acquainted with western civilization. The
view did not please all of them, as they
saw in the invention a menace to their
means of livelihood. The jinrikasha man
proved my most determined foe. When
unobserved he would take fiendish pleas
ure in sticking pins in the tire to let out
the air. This proved my principle OBJ
with the otherwise exceptions of running
into a hand wagon at Kobe, and two
breakdowns, which were repaired by ma
tive blacksmiths, my mishaps were few
and my enjoyment was great. While walt
ing for the bicycle to be repaired l was
amused by the manner in which the me-
chanics worked with both hands and feet.
owing to the mountainous topography
of the country L was obliged at times to
walk. When the grade was too steep to
use the wheel with comfort, 1 employed
chine up hill. Fairly good roads are.
however, often met with. especially
through the paddy or rice fields, where
the bikes come into good service. To-
ward evening generally managed to reach
a wayside inn, of which there are many
in Japan. There 1 would partake of the
hospitality of the host in the way of
chow, composed of tea, rice, eggs, leek
soup, raw fish, etc. Knives and forks
were a scarcity, and, perforce, 1 soon be-
came moderately proficient in the use of
chm sticks
After the meal my coach would be pre-
pared on the floor, and the scamper of the
me to repose. This, like the use of the
chop sticks, did not come all at once, but
as a necessity and matter of habit.
Meanwhile, my bicycle would be under
going the scrutiny of the assembled neigh
bors, and when their curiosity had been
satisfied, the wheel would be protected by
a blanket or kimono, the native dress.
The next morning 1 would make a fresh
start the whole household bidding me
adieu with their foreheads touching the
floor.
Heavy iron bicycles, weighing from As
to so pounds, are used by a few of the
Japanese in some of the larger cities of
the empire, and when the people hear
them coming in the distance a general
scattering takes place so as to give the
rider a wide berth, for he frequently
comes in forcible contact with pedes-
trianS and sometimes colides with the
houses, shaking the flimsy structures IL,
their very foundations. At Toxic l be,
came acquainted with a Japanese bicy-
clist, who occasionally accompanied me
on excursions to places of interest about
the city. Owing to the fact that the
roads are very narrow and without side
walks he often had the misfortune to
run down an imprudent Spectator and
both would roll in the mud. Then victim
and rider would get up, and each would
profusely apologize to the other for the
mishap. There is Japanese bicycle fac
tory in operation in Yokohama, but as yet
the vehicles turned out are very cumber-
some and little used.