The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-24
BILL ARP ON BIKES.
He Makes An0t her Trip to Carolina-
Maids and Matrons Kido on Glis-

tehlng Steeds.
The bicycl. has como to stay-at
least until there is something better.
Prejudice Is passing away. l confess
That had 1T, but | I'm 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 behind
One OF our school board refused to vote
for our superintendent. 81 believe he
is tho best man OF ALL" he said, but
he rides bicycle" | was in South
Carolina last week and found them ev-
There were eighty seven
and nearly half Of them were used by
girls and matrons. 1t is beautiful
town, as level as q floor and the streets
look like they have been fore planed
and sand -papered. 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 excursions. They ride with
grace and modesty and nobody objects
Or Is surprised. There Is iirst.cIass
repair shop there, where every broken
or damaged part Is mended and even
plating in silver and brass is done.
From this skilled mechanic | learned
keep his whoel in order and cost u wo-
man about 81 so.
"Y0u see," said he, "the young men
take more risks and ride over the cross,
ties on the railroad track, but the z rls
are moro prudent and careful. Oh, no,
1t docs not cost One-tenth as much to
keep wheel In order as 1t does tC feed
horse. With careful usage a good
wheel ought to last tell years, but the
improvements come 50 thick pnd fast
that the old style soon becomes d sec
ond-hand and Is sold for half price and
a new one bought. Like the sewing
machines, the price will soon come
down as the patents run out and then
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 ma was
bicycle dress parade and then a 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 aud
fancy paper. The company was fol ty
strong and had It's officers, who gave
command Fright 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 aud
some men in female garb, but it took
no Solomon to divine their sex. Bam-
berg Is an old town made over, renew
ed and invigorated 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 resi-
dences. a cotton mill does as much or
more Tor Il town as q pension agency.
The latter pours free money into COM
munity, and free money goes rs easy as
it comes, but mill distributes money
that is earned. | saw more mills in
Orangburg and that city is on boom
Mere mills are being built built from
the dividends of the first mills. The
town is stretching out and putting on
city airs. | wish it wculd stretch to
that Coast Line depot, for it is au aw-
ful long mile for a man of my ago to
walk and carry vAlise. | was told
that a hack would come for me at half
past o'clock, but as it did not como. |
walked for fear of being l,ft. 1t was a
little after daybreak by that Eastern
time aud had hardly got rested in the
depot before the street car came roll
ing down without a passenger. What
an idiot was, but nobody told me how
to do and | wouldent have been left for
$40. But think Of it, l left at 6 O'clock
and reached Atlanta at II o'clock
miles in six hours, forty three miles an
hour, including stoppages. This was
the fastest travelling | ever did in my
life. | visited another town that is
just taking on it's second growth. ST.
Georges is a lovely little village that
has recently been made county seat
and the people are proud, very proud.
They are preparing to build a court
house and expect that factories and
street Cars and waterworks and gas
lights will soon follow.
But right now" said my friend, tive
nave town full OF the prettiest girls
in the State" Yes. His wife is in
Europe and every girl looks sweet to
MIN. | learned tnat the town was
named for a clever old settler by the
name Of George, but how he came to be
canOnized into a saint | did not learn.
| met Howell there-a cousin Of Evan
He is editor, postmaster and general
factctum and a rebel to the core. Our
own d. B. Freeman. of Cartersvile,
another editor, has proved his claim to
be the youngest soldier OF tae Confed-
acy, but Howell pushes him very close,
for he ran away when he was fifteen
years Olu anu lOuRn nI at FlckSDurR ana
Chickamauga and then got into a hos,
pital at Rome and DR.. 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 Barnwcil, old time honored
Barnwell, quiet, peaceful Barnwell,
gave mo the most royal welcome.
Those good people are not in q hurry
about anything except once year, and
that is on the race track. They trot
around that and TALK politics and dis.
cuss Tillmanism and the dispensary on
the way. What fine old gentlemen l
mot. A riper scholar than Colonel
Simms, son Of William Gilmore
Simms, can hardly be found. A hand
some man and pleasant and earnest
talker. Then there was Ex-Governor
Hagood-General Hagood, the hero of
Petersburg. His solid, massive, benevo-
lent face made an impression on me that
will endure as long as endure. But who
would have thought Of finding there q
brother of Mrs. Lincoln-Dr. Todd, O
leading physician and surgeon, friend
kx> l.