The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-03

/ PONDS EXTRACT Co., 10 Filth Ave, NY. City.
Earl Reynolds of Chicago, amateur
/ who has been trying a new invention
known as bicycle road skates. IT is the
joint work of Robert and George An
! derson of Edinburg, Scotland, and
| young Reynolds 50 enjoys the rapid mo-
ton and the discontinue of the police
that he thinks it is the greatest novel;
! ty of the age.
Reynolds only procured the skates a
| few days ago, and as he was somewhat
! doubtful of their practicabifty and want
| ed a clear course for practice he began
/ TO get up at daybreak and use Fifth ave-
nue. boulevard from Fifty-eighth street
! to One Hundred and Tenth street as his
! field Of operation. To his delight he
found that he could after short trial
manage them as we'll as ice skates. and
after few moments practice he deter
mined to try for a record. The trial was
sat for Tuesday morning al 3 o'clock. 1t
was driZzling and wet at the time set
and the roadway was sloppy and slip
perry. Reynolds, however determined
not to disappoint the dozen sleepy and
uncomfortable friends who had gathered
to see the trial. So he made the start at
500. The course was from Eighty-sixth
street to One Hundred and Tenth street
He slipped at the word "go" but made
the first 100 yards in II, 220 yards in 20
fiat, one-quarter mile in 40, one-half mile
in 1:21, and the mile in 2:54.
Twice during the trial frantic police
men made desperate efforts TO stop him,
forcing him 70 sheer out OF mis- course,
and once a driver of a truch wagon OBJ
structed his path.
He was paced by Seifke and Knickman
of the Spalding team on a tandem, and
he gave them all they could do 10 hold
him under the conditions. He is certain
that he can reduce this record by fully
half a minute, and he and those who wit
messed the trial believe that the bicycle
has at last met with a formidable rival.
One feature of the early morning eff
fort was that in some way number of
residents of this, the most fashion,
able section OF Fifth avenue, had got
wind that Reynolds was going 10 skate
that morning and many of them stood
in their doorways and windows and
cheered him as he whizzed by
The skates are the logical outcome of
applying the bicycle idea to the old roll
er skate. They consist OF a curved plate
OF thin metal ending in a fork ar each
end. In each of these forks is fitted a
small bicycle wheel. The fooc rests in
the depression of the metal curve about
two inches above the ground. and the
wheels, which are six inches in diameter,
project in front of and behind the foot.
This arrangement affords great stability
and one can walk with ease on them.
After his trial of speed Mr. Reynolds
gave an example Of hill climbing by 60
ing up the sharp incline on Lexington
avenue from One Hundred and Sixth
street TO Eigh,y-fourah street. He ac-
complished it with apparent ease Few
cyclists in the city can climb this incline
or even care 10 attempt il, and not one
could do it in the time it took the young
champion.
At 1he close or his exhibition Mr.. Ray-
nolds said: The rival and perhaps sun
planter Of the bicycle is here al last II
am an expert on the wheel and love ii, |
but I tell you this road skating is far
better. In the first place there is little
danger OF fail or accident Of any kind.
You can so over the toughest roads
with ease at a remarkable rate Of speed. I
Il You wanc 70 20 across country. 20 some
point OF lnteres,-vade across a brook
or even climb a cliff-you can do il ana
take your skates With You. Mine weigh ,
less tTan four pounds and those made in {
the future Will PROBABLY weigh less. For (
this reason they can be carried With vou
anywhere You g, INFO = church or he 4
9,er. even, and there Is no danger % los /
ing them. There are no PARIS to get our I
q order and il is difficult TO danaea
them in any way. They cost 81 Ettle and /
are 50 convenient shat chey are bound /
70 come into general Use. look for even
a greater craze for road skating than
there is al present fo- cycling. /. 5 also /.
much more heallafuI than cycling. Every I
muscle OF the body i brough. into play.
while the attitude while skating is neces-
SaE-ly erect. giving the lungs full play.
Yes Il ANYBODY asks you What the next
lad VIII be You can say that il VIII be
bicycle road skating
Mr. Reynolds holds he following ana
'eur records for ice skating. and he ex-
peers soon - equal chem in the new
sport: 20 yards. - seconds: quarter mile
81 Is seconds; half mile, l minute 1445
seconds: one mile. : minutes 80 - sec
onds; ana tWo miles, ; minutes and a
seconds.
London. Aug. a, ne first DAYS
racing Of the Birmingham Angus; meet
ing today TIE LorIl,Ari- Beresfa-a So
ale's S-year-old Chestnut gelding. Dorado
won The Water Orton selling 9ls,e.
There were eigat starters over the
straight Sourse.