The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-17
WHEELME IN TOWPATHS.
THEIR JOT UNILLoTED WHEY boat
MEN ARE o NEAR.

Particulars In which Both uicycilEt. and
Canal Wen Might Improve Their Mutual
relationship PesiIrerou. Canal DoEs ana
Also Some Experiences with Them.
Bicyclists. particularly those who are ad-
dictCd to iour.'istancc riding, are watching
with n great deal of interest tho efforts to have
the canal towpaths In this State thrown omen TO
wheelmen. Anybody who has taken u two or
three days trip through this State or New Jer.
scy and has v%cnturcd on the towpaths In def
anco OF tho law, knows something OF the delight
IL would DO to whcclmcn to win their fight
against the canal boatmen. Tho boatmen arc
the most bitter and Incorporating set OF
bicycle haters in the civilized world. They
have absolutely no federation for the wheel or
the people who ride 1t and they threaten TO do
awful things at the next election II the powers
that be legislato against them and in favor of
the bicyclists.
In n measure this prejudice is justified. Tho
mules and horses that drag the canal boats are
little moro accustomed to strange sights than
the animals that spend their lives in q mine.
Unless a constant watch is kept upon them they
will jump into tho canal to avoid a wheclman.
The canals are full OF curves, and there Is small
chance for q boatman TO save his animals IL q
bicycle comes whizzing around one suddenly,
full in their faces. Tho leader will take a
AlNNhAN ~ INV Nu4hh nv - ~ . hiEi
tation. and the second horse is pretty sure to
follow the leader.
On the other hand. the friends of the bicycle
maintain that the time has come when the canal
boatmen should DO made to share tho favor of
the State with them. They say that there Is alb
~solutely no reason why they should be obliged to
pedal over miles of bad roads and up hills. on
many Of which it is impossiblc to do anything but
trundle along, for the sake OF a few nervous
-- - L. " -
they could cut of miles, and. what Is more i'm
portant, have coed and level roads all the way.
Tho discussion OF the matter Is growing inter.
esting in this state because Superintendent Of
Canals Aldridge has declared in favor Of
letting bicycles on the tow paths. The boatmcn
were staggered when they heard Mr.. Aldridge's
opinion, and have raised such "a rumpus that
the Superintendent has drawn in his horns, and
Is not allowing himself TO be quoted either way
nowadays. Tho outcome will be watched with
interest because, while New York city people
do not hear much or know much about canals or
canal people. they are nevertheless q mighty
power in the State, and few politicians desire TO
offend them.
The fact that 1t has been against the law to
ride bicycles on the towpaths In this State and
New Jersey has not been sufficient to keep the
paths entirely FREQ from wheels during the last
year. A man can do easily from ton to thirty
miles along q towpath without running across n
man Of law to arrest him or put him of. The
work TO do moro than yell at the ~bicyclist TO get
back on the roads or 10 set a dog on MIN which
will mako his life miserable for a mile or two.
the men or tho constablss. for it is an indo.
fatiguAble beast and sooner or later will bring
down. one must trundIe the bicycle along until
the dog departs, for TO attempt to mount again
In the doE's presence 10 suro to be attended with
grave consequences. .
A man who was making 4 long trip through
s along uss a towp 5ssi Tns %sFu sad 10 100 look q out ie5 fort the tSt
canal dog. He SMILED and tapped his hip pocket.
"Iye got that ioE the rrst dog that fools with
me- he said. ThereupQn the man who had
warned him told him u tale Of another man who
bad shot "a canal dog. He told him how that man
cycle had been thrown into the canal, and bow
after being beaten numerically. he had boon
heads he hight have been Killed. So it is not
safe to use violence on a canal dog. no matter how
pesky II gets, for the canal men love these com
panions OF many lonely hours on the towpath
and VIII avenge any maitroatment OF them.
through New Jersey. reached a point where The
bad roads and hily. country made necessary, 4
s sisnh TO tho ee ,Ew sRs hes 81 Of sfG LAKE, M9Ff Hop eenai; + 1,
took TO the canal. and from there to Port, Colend
o distance OF about twenty.thres miles. he rode
without any more serious interference than Al
occasional bout with a canal dog and the protest,
sometimes mild. sometimes, violent1of thu
with the canals OF this state and New Jersey
open to them the wheelren have little reason L
years. yeIs"0 The to W paths are II the deal Bicycle roads
In this State and New Jersey they pass through
superb ali the way. Life on a canal is interest
ing to a city man. and altogether q great trea
Is before the whselmGm ,,h %ho M 1--WE So IN tt !, BIZ
Ing 1t legal to share the towpaths with thu
boatnen.
q team" advised the man at the lock at Stan
hope. Just keep quiet when you're roasted
would be II you owned them Yourself"
The rider promised 70 consider all these things
and in accordance with his good resolutions dis
mounted fifty yards from tho first team he ell
. counlered and stood waiting for II to pass. 4
aa iaIlige h herssTh o. tr one t inss Sides SI Of hfs mule Ees,
with u snEkewhip. stared in wonder at him, an,
|. as ne came up remarked:
Well. durn ye, II ye Amt the first one OF =
. f%ellsrs, with common sense. I've seen yet; G9sh
> l. FL. I'D Is seen Ie %,oonin, before 70 stopped 10 5d,.
! ali OF 70 feliers do this when ye see a tear
5 a-sqmin,i Ne5be there wouldn't be SO much q
! The rider could not explain why tho ~bicyclist
: generally, were inconsiderate Of the canal boa
mani rights, ana Win smother na,Ser'n nj s sniin,
At other points along the road tho amaremen
|, OF tho drivers at the precautions taken by Tn
best evidence OF the disregard for the cana
: rider had d!smounted In sight OF a team, II
y NllIbIN u "a uIc ~ no l"i Va VI
L glltterinR steel we're such 80 to mako 1t seer
advisable TO get the machine entirely out e
y sight. Tho only way TO this was I
lot It hang over tho OF edge OF the towpath unit
s the animals got by. THIS elaborate precsutio
0 at tho rider AS II not quito sure that they ha
{ seen Alright. They did not have much TO sal
y however. which was in itself a sign OF their al
probation, and for the nrst ten miles OF the tri
the reporter was not interfered with. II
o dined with a family who had n farm %alongsid
v the path, and examined his wheel MS II tho
, never had seen one before. In tho afternoon b
o resumed his journey, confident that he woul,
t finish 1t without any troublesome interruption
a The canal men met with in the afternoon wer
:. not so mild hammered AS those whom he had ei
cOuntercd IN the morning. From the deck OF
r dozen boats the rider was cursed. Once or twlc
a some woman to whom the tilIcr had been II
trusted hovled epithels at him. All Of thes
things the rider boro with equanimity. IL wa
q little harder 10 bear, however, when he va
held up by half a dozen bUatmen and ask Q
what lie meant by riding on tho towpath. II
kept his temper, however, and. after listenin
y 10 a lot OF abuse on the subject OF bicycles nm
= the man md women who used them. waa n