The Van Buren press., 1897-07-17
BILL ARP AND BIKES.
Sage of Rartow Soil 7quizes on the
Cycles and Cyclists.
Takes u Trip TO Carolinn--Finds That
Maids and Mntrons There Take
Daily Rides on Their
Steel Steeds.

The bicycle has come 10 stay-at
least until there is something better.
Prejudice is passing away. l confess
that had it, but | am cautious nova
days and make no fuss about it. Some
how | don't favor things that | can't
do myself. l don't like to be left be-
hind. One of our school board refused
to vote for our superintendent. Il
believe he is the best man of all" he
said, but he rides bicycle" was in
South Carolina last week and found
them everywhere. There were 81 regis
tered in the town of Blackville and
nearly half of them were used by girls
and matrons. 1t is beautiful town, as
level as a floor, and the streets look
like they have been fore planned and
sandpapered. The light, sandy surface
is not much in the way of the wheels
and the pretty girls wheel to school
and to the post office and the stores and
go visiting and take their evening ex-
cursionR. They ride with grace and
modesty and nobody objects or is sur
prised. There is first-class repair
shop there, where every broken or
damaged part is mended and even Slat-
ing in silver and brass is done. From
this skilled mechanic | learned that it
cost a man about five dollars year to
keep his wheel in order and cost won-
an about $3.50.
You see" said he, 'the young men
take more risks and fide over the cross
ties on the railroad track, but the girls
are more prudent and careful Oh, no,
it does not cost one-tenth as much to
keep a wheel in order as it does to feed
q horse. With careful usage good
wheel ought to last ten years, but the
improvements come SO quick and fast
that the old style soon becomes sec
ond-hand and is sold for half price and
new one bought. Like the sewing
machines, the price will soon come
down as the patents run out and then
a good wheel can be bought for $50 or
$40"
My next stop was at Bamberg, live
town on the South Carolina road, and
the first thing that greeted me was a
bicycle dress parade and then tour
nament. Riders and wheels were all
decorated. Some of the men were in
fantastic array; the wheels were
adorned with gay colors of ribbon and
fancy paper. The company was 40
strong and had its officers, who gave
command Right wheel, forward roll,
evolute. speed well, round the bend,
wheels ahoy, slow up, dismount, salute
your queen" etc. There were some
young ladies in the procession and some
men in female garb, but it took no Solo
mon to divine their sex. Bamberg is an
old town made over, renewed and invig-
Grated by the wheels and spindles and
looms that hum day and night in a
large cotton mill near by. This mill
has brought good schools and artesian
wells and new hotels and churches and
many beautiful new residences. A cot
ton mill does as much or more for a
town as a pension agency. The latter
pours free money into u community,
and free money goes as easy as it comes,
but a mill distributes money that Is
earned. | saw more mills at Orange
burg and that city is on boom. More
mills are being built-built from the
dividends of the first mills. The town
airs. | wish it would stretch to that
Coast Line depot, for it is an awful long
mile for man of my age to walk and
carry valise. / was told that hack
would come for me at half-past five
o'clock, but as it did not come | walked
for fear of being left. 1t was little
after daybreak by that eastern time
ard l hardly got rested in the depot
before the street car came rolling down
without a passenger. What an idiot
was, but nobodytold me how to do and
| wouldn't have been left for ten dol
lars. But just think of it, | left at six
o'clock and reached Atlanta at IL
o'clock-261 miles in six hours. 43 miles
an hour, including stoppages. This
was the fastest travelling | ever did in
my life. visited another town that
is just taking on its second growth.
st. George is a lovely little village that
has recently been made a county seat
and the people are proud, very proud
They are preparing to build court
house and expect that factories and
street cars and waterworbs and gas
lights Will soon follow,
But right now" said my friend, 1--WE
have a town full of the prettiest girls in
the state" Yes. His wife is in Europe
and every girl looks sweet to him.
learned that the town was named for
a clever old settler by the name OF
George, buthow he came TO be canonized
like u saint | did not learn. / met a
Howell there-a cousin Of Evan. lie is
editor, postmaster and general fac
totum and a rebel to the core. Our own
II. b. Freeman, of Cartersyille, another
editor, has proved his claim to the
youngest soldier of the confederacy
but Howell pushes him very close. foI
he ran away when he was 10 years old
and fought at Nicksburg and Chicka.
manga and then got into hospital al
Rome and DIR. Miller took pity on the
beardless sick boy and cared for him
two months at his own home and then
sent him home to his mother.
But Barnwell, old time-honored Barn
well, quiet, peaceful Barnwell, gave me
the most royal welcome. Those good
people are not in a hurry about any
thing except once a year, and that Is
on the race track. They trot around
that and talk politics and discuss Till
manism and the dispensary on the way
What fine old gentlemen | met. A
ripper scholar than Col. Simons. a son