Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-06-03
INFLUENCE OF THE BICYCLE
BY HERMAN WE'LL.

nj. M1chaux, a Partisan, invented q
vehicle which bears a good deal of
resemblance to the wheel of to-day.
The two wheels of this were differ
ent sizes, the front wheel being
about six feet high and the rear one,
about foot. These wheels We're
connected by a backbone of iron and
it was propelled by two cranks at
tached to the axle of the front wheel.
A bicycle similar to this was manu-
factured during the following year
by the Pope Manufacturing Compa-
ny of Hartford Connecticut: The
weight of this wheel was much less
than the one first made by Michaux
and it had rubber tires, On account
of these changes it met with much
more success than had any former
wheel. The next radical improve
ment was the addition of cushion
Tires. This was somewhat like the
solid rubber tire but it was larger
and with hole in the centre, thus
making the tire more resilient.
Because of the danger incurred in
learning to ride the high wheel, in
1886 bicycle called a safety was
made, although some beginners
claim that it is misnomer The
danger of learning to ride being thus
reduced to- minimum, many people
who had hitherto considered the
wheel danger and also a great folly,
Der began to ride them.
In 1891 pneumatic tires were first
applied to the bicycle. This caused
it to run much more easily and
smoothly than before and gained for
it many riders The patrons of the
bicycle have increased so rapidly in
the last twenty years, that in place
of the one manufacturer of 1870 there
are now over a thousand. The
weight of the bicycle has been re
duced to about twenty-five pounds
and it has been improvedin in SO many
particulars that one wonders in
what way it can be further bettered
Bicycling has become a great pas
time and it is estimated that there
are now over two million cyclists in
the United States. Similar to other
sports in which speed is a large fac
tor, constant practice has shown
what can be done with the bicycle.
A relay of riders rode from Wash
ington in Denver, distance of over
two thousand miles, in six days, and
much better time was made In the
last rely race, although some rough
country had to be traversed. One
man had in his allotted ride to cross
trustle half mile long, the cross
ties being eighteen inches apart.
This relay was from San Francisco
to New York. The distance was divid-
ed into four hundred and three re
lays.
Doctors consider the wheel a
great health restorer and, strange to
say, prescribe cycling both for re-
ducing and for gaining flesh. Many
ride for these reasons.
The most important and best re
suit of the bicycle is the improve
ment of roads. A good that is likely
the large cities there are now roads
for cycling and some of those extend
for a long distance.
Many States, on account of the ia
tai accidents which are continually
happening on the crowded thorough
fares, in which the wheelman always
gets the worse, have expended much
money for building roads for bicy-
cles, and New York has lately passed
a bill authorizing the construction
of a bicycle way upon the top of
Croton aqueduct running for forty
miles through beautiful part of the
country, north of the city.
Another great road which is now
being constructed is that between
Baltimore and Washington and this
doubtless will become great resort
for cyclists.
The South, as yet, has few good
roads for cycling, but the, wheelmen
are beginning to demand them The
most noticeable use of the bicycle
SO far made by the South was in a
recent election in Alabama when the
Birmingham Cycle Club, composed
of thirty members, went all over the
State and brought in the returns be
fore midnight. To accomplish this
over two thousand miles had to be
traversed and for. the first time in
the history of the State the result OF
the election was known the next
morning. The wheel is great help
to the businessman, especially IN a
large city, when his business local.
ty is probably two or three miles
from his home, and some men claim
that the car fare alone that is saved
in eight or ten months amounts to
as much as the cost of wheel. 1t
is also much more convenient than
either cable or electric cars, there
being no stops or delays.
AS decided factor in the lessen
ing of travelling expenses, the bi
cycle has been used by tourists ano
students, singly and in companies
Travellers in a strange country
Whose object was research more thai
pleasure have used the bicycle anc
at times found it more conyenien
than horse would have been. On
of the most difficult of such rides wa'
that made across Asia by two Amer
ican students, Allen and Sachtleben
who after two years of endless mis-
lhaps and narrow escapes, succeeded
in reaching California and from
thence they came overland on thei
i wheels. Since that time Allen at
tempted to cross Asia alone and wa
murdered by some Arabs.
f Probably the number of bicycle
in some of the towns of this Stat
will give an idea of it's popularity. /
Charlotte there are about a thousan
wheels; in Raleigh about six huI
dred and fifty; in Newbern abou
four hundred and fifty, in Wilso
r about two hundred and in Colds
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