Evening star., 1897-02-13
FOR WOMEN CYCLISTS

There is one big protest that the female
riders make. and one that can be regarded
as just. 1t is the incivility and impolite-
ness of a large number of the drives OF
carts, wagons and other vehicles. This
class OF persons draws no distinction and
discrimination against ether sex. male
| is able to get out of the way or If occasion
demands it do a little protection on his own
nook. but with a woman Il is different.
Naturally nervous and with not the rreat-
est OF confidence in themselves and their
! bicycles TO steer away from danger in a
| tight place, they can frequently be helped
by driver pulling his vehicle a fraction
| OF n foot to one side to give her room I'm
which she can more safely pass. This lit
tie civility costs the driver no trouble or
undue eNertion, and is appreciated by the
rider There are some drivers who do this
| regularly. and give the cyclists all the room
they need. but unfortunately the total
number is small compared to the large
| number OF drivers in the city.
/ The great majority of jehus and others
| entertain the idea that the cyclists. ana es-
pecially the woman. wants the whole earth.
ana they begrudge the small territory occu-
! pied by the wheel. On the other hand the
4 cyclists think the jehus and other drivers
want the entire street. whether the right
or wrong side. 1t seems a case of street
hog all a<ound. though both sides may De
under mistaken impression.
An instance of the crowiing on the
streets was witnessed not long ago by the
| writer. Two men in a buggy seemed 10
| take particular delight in teasing a woman
| rider, to whom the situation was serious
| and anything but a Joke. Ii occurred on
| Pennsylvania avenue between the lsxecu-
tive Mansion and the State. War and Navy
building. The woman was on the right
! side of the street, going west and the men
! in the buggy were following her. The
| horse was trotting at a good gait, and the
woman looking around saw that if she con-
| tinued i'm straight path she would be run
over. She turned toward the curb. and the
men guided the horse I'm that direction.
| This could not be regarded as nything,
| however. as the same idea may have struck
| both parties at the same time, and they
| both turned in the same direction to avoid
| each other. The female rider looked back,
| and the situation was the same as before.
| She turned toward the car track, and the
| buggy did likewise: she turned toward The
| curb again and the buggy followed. The
| zgzagging continued for some time, and
| the woman was becoming alarmed. while
the men in the buggy laughed loudly. clear
| ly showing that they were not gentlemen.
The last time the woman turned out to-
ward the car track a cable train was COM
| ing along, and she ratified that
there was imminent danger of her collidiag
with it. She managed to dismount close TO
the car, however. before the collision, and
| just she stepped OH the ground, the
/ buggy dashed by, grazing her wheel by
| only few inches. The woman was so ner-
vous that she could hardly ride her wheel
| again. As the men passed her they he
hawed loudly, thinking the whole thing
big joke.
Another case of the driver beirg the
| street hog occurred some weeks ago. There
| was a party of young ladies Soing east on
NJ street between 18th and 19th streets.
| They were on the right side Of the street,
| and keeping close TO the curb. riding two
| abreast. 1t was after dark, and the even
ing was extremely pleasant fer riding.
| There was no male rider in the party. The
| sound of approaching horses came from
the rear but the girls were not alarmed.
as they were on the right side Of the street,
| ard expected the vehicle, If IL passed them
at all. to pass to their left They weTc
chatting among Themselves. while the
| sounds of the falling hoofs of the horses
approached nearer and nearer. Then the
| gruff voice of the driver was heard in a
| tone of command IF you wimmcn don't
| git out the way FL run over the whole
| lot of you The women at first refused
| to obey, knowing fun well that they we're
| on the right side of the thoroughfare. They
| were wavering in their determnat lion,
| when the command was heard once more,
| and Ii seemed as though the horses were
| almost upon the two rear riders. They
| steered to the left side of the street in a
hurry. and the two leaders followed their
| example. None too soon, either for the
next instant pair of horses. attached TO
| n private carriage, with gorgeous livery,
| swept by at full trot, the driver going
| straight ahead.
| Though the bicycle has invaded Spain It
| seems as though 1t will take another gen.
| eratiCn before its use becomes general.
The fashionable class shows Indifference
| at present TO the use of the wheel, al
| though the taste for it is spre aiding little
| by little. AS for ladies riding the bicycle,
1t will be fully generation If not longer
| before the people of Spain countenance
such sport for the fair sen The seden-
| tary life of the sex is not easily over
| come in spite of examples and a full ap-
| probation OF the beneficial results. he
| use OF the bicycle by the women OF Spain
| will help toward removing that ba rrier
which prevents them from going out un-
| less atterded by some responsible cuen-
| ma; it will give the females more courage
| and Independence.
There are two sides of the cycle que stion
| for women and from a womans polat of
| view. This only serves to illustrate the
| battle that is now being waged. Miss
| Frances Willard says she has found a hi,h
moral use in the bicycle, and can recon-
| mend it as teacher without pulpit or
| creed. "She who succeeds in gaining the
mastery of such a creature the bicycle"
| she says, will gain the mastery OF life,
and by exactly the same methods and .har-
| acteriStics
On the other hand. Mrs. Lynn Lynton
| says: 'One of the lowest crazes of the age
| is that of the bicycle. Walking. riding,
skating and dancing L can understand
| fit exercise for the vigorous and young. But
! cycling seems TO be such doubtful kind
| of amusement-such a queer cross bel TCen
/ the trea0mll and the tight rope-demanI-
| ing such a constant strain of attentiol TO
| keep your balance, with such a monoto nous
and restricted action of the limbs, as 10 rem
| der it a work Of penance rather Than OF
! pleasure"
Yet there are plenty of people who l.. 7ieve
In either one side or the other of ;he q les-
| ton.
| Down i'm Jacksonville Fla, they Rave
their ways. and the favorite feast Of the
! fair riders, after spin, is said 10 be hot
| chocolate and oysters.
| The bantamette is the name of a new
| style of bicycle designed for the use of
| female riders. 1t is a front driving safety,
| doing away with the chain, and was on rx-
| hibition at the recent London cycle show,
| where it created considerable attention.
In no previous year have the bicycle
| manufacturers paid so much attention to
| ladies' wheels. They seem to realize that
the greatest increase in the cycling popua-
| tion of the country will come through the
female ranks, and the desire is ID cater 20
that branch of trade.
linU tn nr nf no