The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-06-17
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER.
CYCLES AND CYCLISTS THE SUB.
JECTs OF SOLILOQUY.
AN ENJOYABLE TRIP TO CAROLINA
The Philosopher Makes a Swift Journey
Homeward to Be Present at His Help
meets's Birthday.

The bicycle has come to stay-at
least until there is something better.
Prejudice is passing away. 1 confess
that I had it, but I am cautious nova
days and made no fuss about it. Some
how 1 don't favor things that l can't
do myself. I don't like to be left be-
hind. One of Our school board re-
fused to vote for our superintendent.
'I believe he is the best man of all, "
he said, "but he rides bicycle" l
was in South Carolina last week and
found them everywhere. There were
eighty-seven registered in the town OF
Blackville and nearly half of them
were used by girls and matrons.
1t is beautiful town, as level as .
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 postofice and the stores
and go visiting and take their evening
excursions. They ride with grace and
modesty and nobody objects or is sur
prised. There is a frst-class repair
shop there, where every broken or
damaged part is mended and even
plating in silver and brass is done.
From this skilled mechanic I learned
that it cost man about S. year to
keep his wheel in order and cost a
woman about $3.50.
''You see," said he, ''the young men
take more risks and ride 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 1t
does to feed horse. With careful
ausgee a good wheel ought to last ten
years, but the improvements come so
quick and fast that the old style soon
becomes a secondhand 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 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 forty
strong and had its officers, who gave
command, "Right wheel, forward
roll, evolute, speed we'll, round the
bend, wheels ahoy, slow up, dis
mount, salute your queen" etc.
There were some young ladies
in the procession and some mea in fe-
male garb, but it took no Solomon to
divine their sex. Bamberg is an old
town made over, renewed and invigo-
rated by the wheels and spindles and
looms that hum day and night in d
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 cotton mill does as much or more
for town as pension agency. The
latter pours free money into commu-
nifty, and free money goes as easy as it
comes, but mill distributes money
that is earned. I saw more mills at
Orangeburg and that city is on q
boom. More mills are being built
built from the dividends of the first
mills. The town is stretching out and
putting on city airs. 1 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. 1
was told that O, hack would come
for me at half past 5 o'clock,
but as it did not come, 1
walked 70, fear of being left. Il was
little after daybreak by that eastern
time and I had hardly got rested in
the depot before the street car came
rolling down without a passenger.
What an idiot 1 was, but nobody told
me how to do and I wouldent have
been left for so. But just think of
it, I left at 6 o'clock and reached At
lanta at II o'clock-261 miles in six
hours, 43 miles an hour, including
stoppages. This was the fastest tray-
cling l ever did in my life. I visited
another town that is just taking on its
second growth. st. George is lovely
little village that has recently been
made county seat and the people are
proud, very proud They are prepar-
ing to build a courthouse and expect
that factories and street cars and wa
terworks and gas lights will soon fol-
low.
"But right now," said my friend,
eve 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 clever old settler by the
name of George, but how he came to
be canonized into saint I did not
learn. met Howell there-a cousin
of Evan. He is editor, postmaster and
general factotum and rebel to the
core. Our own D. B. Freeman of
Gainesville, another editor, has proved
his claim to the Youngest soldier of