The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-15
DOES NOT RIDE ONE.
This May Account For John l. s
Objection 10 the Bicycle.
Sullivan Praises the T.. A. w. But
Condemns Cycling.


ing the past IL months, and everywhere
found men, women and children scorching
along the highways and byways.
This is about the only game have never
played. When say games, / do not mean
such pleasantries as croquet, lawn tennis
or golf, but downright manly sport like
hunting, shooting, fishing, rowing, run
ming, walking riding, wrestling baseball,
football and boxing. / never oottoned TO a
bike, somehow, and whilo / will never
knock any honest sport / can't say / am
particularly stuck on this one. 1 know it
is a rather bad play TO 'speak right out In
meetin," as they say down cast, about
game that is as popular as this unless you
say something nice, but have been on the
level all my life, and / will give you
straight tip what think about the game
since you have been good enough to ask
my views about IL.
In the first place, must say that I ad-
miro the spirit of tho men who are run
ming the whoelman's league, as they call
it, in making governors, legislatures and
municipal authorities come TO time. In
New York state they made the legislature
pass law and the governor sign ii cori-
pelling railroads TO carry their bicycles
free, the same az they do the trunks and
yalises Of passcngers-this, too, with my
able and eloquent friend, Chauncey M.
Depew, kicking like mule They must
be dandies 60 beat Chauncey, and, as no.
body but greedy corporations are hurt a
bit by the move, take of my hat TO the
league and gay moro power Co its elbow.
Then, too, they threw scare into the
New York board of aldermen and made
them vote away sac, 900 TO light up the
Boulevard 80 they could wheel away at
night. That is more than all the million
aire horse owners and big sportsinen of the
metropolis ever had the nerve TO try. Score
another point to their credit They have
got the politicians afraid Of them. They
must be splendidly organized TO do this 1
hopo the American Liberty league, which
am about to start, with the aid of repre-
sentative sportsmen, 10 promote and pro-
tect the interests of boxing will be as sue
cessful as the wheelman's league certainly
Is Our society will be somewhat similar
IN character. We will organize In every
state In the Union before September, and
about the time nominations are To be made
by the various political parties for con-
gressmcn, assemblymep, aldermen, mayors
and the like we will wait upon them and
ascertain their views on boxing. Those
who are bigoted and against us we will
scratch at the polls, and those who are
with us we will fight for tooth and nail
If we display anything like the same pluck
and energy that the wheelmen have done,
we will win hands down. The politicians
won't dare run counter TO US, and you
won't see any more senseless crusades
against boxing.
But am DEPRESSING, as my friend Sem
ator Timothy Dry Dollar Sullivan would
say. / started out to tell you what l
thought of cycling and how IL compares
with other games Honest Injun, think
1t Is the poorest, least invigorating and
least strengthening of the lot. 1t might
DO a nice thing for fellow to be out
wheeling with his best girl on n bicycle
built for two and go flying past pretty
pasture lands and rippling rivulets; but, to
my mind it would be far nicer 10 be seated
In light road wagon behind q speedy
trotter, with one arm at least at liberty,
and drink In the fresh air and charming
scenery.
take no stock in the theory of crank
doctors and crazy specialists that cycling
brings on crooked spines, spinal menin-
gifts, heart troubles, congestion of the
brain, nervous diseases and the like. That
Is all tommy rot. 1t was only n week ago
saw Lillian Russell, Cissy Fitzgerald and
Della Fox speeding down the Boulevard,
and they all looked the picture Of health as
well as beauty. Their eyes were frightened
and their checks a pearly pink from the
exhilarating feeling the exercise brought
them. But then they were not racing They
were only going fast enough TO feel good.
Cycling, however, has these disadyan-
tages as compared with other games--I
mean OF cousse when the rider is going at
good clip: Tho muscles of the legs, espe-
cially Of the calves, are developed abnor-
mally at the expense of the rest of the body;
the shoulders become stopped and the
chest hollow, while the circulation becomes
quickened but still impeded by the con-
tracted position Of the rider. In almost
every other kind Of game it is different In
walking, running, rowing, horseback rid
ing, wrestling baseball. football and box
ing, the body IL erect, the shoulders uncon-
tracted the chest thrown out, and the blood
given chance TO circulate evenly and I'M
impedcd through tho Systcm. The best Of
all games tor Developing qualities of head,
heart and courage is boxing. IL Is the
most hCalthiul on all exercises. IL strength
ems the lunEs End develops tne muscles
of the Cntlc bCUy, arms, ChcSt, shoulders,
neck, back thighs and calves SO even Is
the distribution ct physical effort that the
trained bCAor is Ccldom, x ever, known 20
have an cLlgrg,t hcgrt or o:.lcr serious all
ment save sucl. ts hc himself brings on
through dissipation CT oiAcr cSccSscs
which sometimes follow In tic wake Of
success. Yet THIS is The game which kings
once played and which fanatics nov Try TO
destroy.
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