The times., 1897-09-12
pays.

London correspondent utters the fol-
lowing wall, which VIII doubtless appeal
tos a great army OF riders ON this side OF
the water:
Il am sorrowfulIy coming to the sadden-
ing conclusion that cycling through the
suburbs OF London is developing into do
cidedlr dangerous pastime. Now, be It
understood. 1 am no novice az the game:
Tor the best part or two years have cy-
cled from one end o. this tight little island
To the other North, east south aud west
have / wandered safely, and with feel
ing of comparative security born Of conf
dence in myself: but henceforth, 10 view
of q recent experience, / shall probably
never venture abroad without feeling
that / may be carried hume, manned and
mangled, on a shutter.
Nowadays every street corner constI-
tutes a source OF latent danger, and the
perils OF negotiating a erossroad are such
as to ruake me shudder as write, a state
of affairs due largely To the discourtesy,
the iRcapacity, and the total ignorance
OF the most elementary rules OF the road
displayed by tie new school OF riders.
"only last week l had an experience or
this class, which all but resulted in a
dering quietly along, l was suddenl Y
confronted with quartet OF riders, two
being women, and all arrayed in the most
aw-e-inspiriug splendor- Presumably they
Were practioing some gyinkhana antics,
as they came swooping around the corner.
practically abreast, the two women In the
center holding hands. The idiot on the out
! side. 10 a vain endeavor 10 keep level,
| failed 10 negotiate the turn. .csronied against
| the curb, and cropperei right below my
! wheel: while the female contingent bore
down as If determined 20 sweep m e
| from the face Of the earth. managed
| to escape humiliation by mounting the
| footpath, only 10 bowl over harmless pc
| desuian and suffer a cropper myself. The
| whole episode occupied not more than thirty
seconds, but 'swas enough three cyclists
| had bit the dust, one pedestrian lay pros
| Tate and bicycle had been badI V damaged.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
! pany, which was he firstline in the country
to carry hicycles free when accompanied
| by owners holding passage tickets, an-
nOunCcs it win cheek them free OF cost
upon presentation OF passage tickets.
This Is a decided Improvement over the
| present way OF handling wheels, and VIII
| meet with the approval OF thousands oi
| wheelmen In the territory reached by the
| Baltimore and Ohio system
Under the present system the road car
| rics wheels free, but it valves resDonsl
| bility for loss or damage, and owners are
| required 70 place them in the baggage car
and take them out upon arrival at desti
| nation. This not only inconveniences wheel
men, but sometimes the wheels are injured
despite the fact that the management In
ssructs its employees to handle them witt
ell possible care.
Waen a bicycle, TRICYCLE., tantian or Bab,
carriage is presented for checking In con
netti"n with baggage to points as men
| toned above, the weight win be estimate
at 90 pounds each, which weight will bt
added TO that OF the baggage, and IL thJ
combined weight exceeds 80 pounds, th,
excess weight shall be- collected for il
the regular manner, allowing so pon d
free for each fun ticket, and rs pound
for each (childsl half ticket. No more thar
one bicycle, tricycle., tandem or baby car
riage shall be checked on one ticket
The results that on andafter September
bicycles VIII not only he checked free ot
cost over the Baltimore and Ohio sysre Al
bnt also over the Philadelphia and Reading
Central Railroad Of New Jersey, Let,gf
Valley, Ptttsburg and Western, and Bait
more and Ohio Southwestern. The Ter
ritory embraced extends from Jersey 'Jit,
TO Pistsburg, Chicago, Columbus, Gle e
land, Cincinnati, Louisville, and st. Louis
and includes all intermediate points.