The news & observer., 1897-07-18
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN
(By A. w. OMAN.)

(By A. w. OMAN.)
Six years ago there were but two lady
riders in the city of Raleigh, and one OF
these had learned to ride the bike when
in the North.
Neither Of these ladies thought there
was any wrong in their riding wheels
about the city, but there would have
been more gossip among those in social
circles had any one "brokel rules" this
way than one would imagine. However,
these ladies had tact, and after talking
cycling for some time, they had the en-
tire town interested and every woman IN
the city who thought tnat she could make
graceful picture on the wheel was
anxious to try it.
Two or three lady riders ventured
forth the season following, and the year
after there were possibly dozen women
i'm Raleigh whd did not mind a certain
sort Of public opinion and learned to en-
joy the wheel. There was little enjoyment
for them, however, for, at that time, the
heavy weight of the wheels were dead
against them, and then, too, they were
compelled as subjects to public opinion,
to wear the regulation long skirts
any thought or slight dream of bloomers.
divided skirts, or even shortening OF
the regular style skirt, would have been
received with Kisses and clamorings
from those who cling to the customs of
what the younger generation call ira
dition."
was speaking, only few days ago,
to an elderly lady friend of mine in re-
gard to her daughter as a cyclist, and
thought / would surely please her by
saying that l thought she was the best
lady eyclist tnat l had seen in the State,
when. much to my surprise, the mother,
with gloves off, waded INTO cycling, cycle
dress and the thought of such thing
coming to pass during her life time.
"You see.' said the lady, ''if such
thing had happened in my day-if had
been seen riding such a thing as bl-
cycle. with or without a gentleman.
whether in sight or hearing of one, and
nv father or mother should nave heard
of If. why | should have been sent away
from home possibly to some strictly discl-
Mined school. or it is possible that my
parents would have thought that punish
ment too light" / waited, fearing lest
some word of mine might bring forth
another TRADE against the wheel and Its
deyotees, but had not long to wait We
were standing on the steps to her home
and almost as she finished her last
words | saw the fair young woman, who
had caused al this trouble, riding UP to
the door. jumping swiftly off and wav-
ing a goodbye to some lucky fellow. NOW
you see what / mean" she said, and L
could see her face grow crimson. Sup
pose / had been so undignlhed as to
wave a young man from my fathers
door in that manner, suppose young
man had taken his leave from my home
in that way after seeing me to my door.
Well-things are different nowadays, but
should such happening even as the last
| have mentioned have gotten to the ears
of my father, would have been severely
rebuked and the young man would most
probably have received a sound thrash
ing at the hands Of my father"
Yet. there are very few women, old or
young, today who do not think well Of
cycling for both sexes. There are few
cranky physicians in this country who
will today argue that wheel is not ben
eficial in any way to the health of
young woman or a young man, but these
are fast dying out, and / think l have
heard some enthusiastic wheelmen say
tnat it did not matter how fast they died.
-
A little over two years ago, and again
about a year ago, there was great
| TRADE made on cycling by women by
| number Of the most prominent divines in
this country and in this a number of ply
sicans joined. The great matter that Gre
| nted this discussion in the daily print
\ was not as to whether there could be
any wrong in riding wheel or as to
| whether any ones health was injured.
They were making their fight on dress.
| Every one opposed boomers, nine out
| of ten opposed divided skirts and
great number were even shocked to
think of women riding in short skirts.
| Today there are few of the ministers in
| this country who do not look back upon
| the whole matter as an idiotic fight and
see the fault that the cyclists saw at the
| time of the TRADE.
1t is a well known fact that women
| know well enough the right thing, and
| that when a man opposes her ideas she
| then and there sets her mind upon the
| thing, saying to herself that she will con-
quer in the end.
In this city it is estimated that there
| ar cover two hundred ladies' wheels, and
| the lady riders here have displayed that