The times., 1897-08-29

| Thatsoorchingi In the city streets or Wash
| ingtcn is on the decline may be proven by
I Comparison of the police blotter of any
J station In the city with that Of six months
or a yeer ago. The proportion will be
| found to be less than one-half despite the
| fact tnat large numbers of people are bein 6
added 20 the ranks OF the wheelIaen each
! day. The city is losing a pretty sum of
| money because of this fact, for the fines
paid by reckless wheeImen before they got
used TO obeying the law amounted tu d
mostsurpilsing figure. III one single month
the amount OF fines paid reached nearly
81 800. However, the vigilance 0f the
bicyciesquad atIength brought realization
that the law must be needed, and with a
learning of the lesson came d big decrease
of arrests for the offense.
oae OF the squad remarked the other day
as be stood watching the afmyof wheeimen
pass down the Avenue: We DON'T have
very much 10 do these days. The bcyclists
have about quit scorching, and 1t is only
occasionally that we can catch one speed
ing too fast At one time nearly all the
scorchers were caught on such streets as
Pennsylvania avenue, Fourteenth street,
but now we catch most of them on the
outlying streets. It's good thing for the
wheelmen, but mighty nonotonous for ="
The cycle column of Philadelphia paper
contained an article the other day, stating
that "low handle bars had been dealt a
death-blow in Washington, d. c., by the
adoption OF an amendment prohibiting riders
| tar,5 ba xr-ha O,,r
temporary is laboring under q msappre-
bension. Up TO the present time there has
teen no Change in the local bicycle regu-
la.ions, although the recommendation t.
discourage riding with the head down was
Included in a communication from Chief Of
Police Major Moore to the Commissioners
with reference TO proposed changes. After
stating that the 'sdeath-blow" had been
delivered the article went on to criti'
cize the regulation as an infringement OF
the personal rights of riders
This argument would be good one ha &
such regulation been adopted, and even
under the present circumstances 1t may
be well TO make some observations regard
ing the sentiments OF the local wheel
men in anticipation of a possible adoption
of the rule. In the first place. it is claimed
that wheelmen are not likely TO adopt any
device that will expose them to accident!
or serious injury, 1t is true that the ex
tremely low handle bars cause the rider e
appear partially deformed, yet L has mo-
been proved that they are particularly dan
gerous or that they have been responsible
for many accidents.
A large number Of whe elmen have such
handIe-baTs on their W he els, and were au
ordnance passed compelling riders to maj in-
tain an erect position at all times il
would lie source OF additional expense
to secure handle bars OF a different pat
tern.
But, above all, the injustice would lie
in the fact that the law would compe
riders to assume compa ratively uni
form position when riding on wheel.
1t is the general sentiment among wheel
men that tie passage of such a regulation
would be all injustice.
Cyclists who have been troubled by tn,
crowdfof hoodlums who gather at the foo
OF Blagden's Hill road viii be delighted
to read the following little story, which i
strictly true:
Some weeks ago two young men, accom-
panied by their lady friends, had occasion
TO take the Fourteenth street road on
bicycle run, and on their return the.
stopped = short time on the bridge a
the foct Of the hill The usual crowd .
rodghs Were there, but at that particula
moment Were not visible. Soon an un
earthly wall disturbed the stiffness o
the evening, nearly frightening the girl
| to death.
The young men were some what shaken
but they reassured the girls by tellin.
them tina. the noise was the cry Of SOM
animal In the Zoo" But in a nomen
the cry was repeated, and then taken u
10y some one deeper in the woods. All tn
| party realized that a joke bad been pla ye.
upon them. The young men got mad bu
the girls were about as badly frightened a
} ever. Que OF the young men Shouted out
''Yoo cowariiy sneaks. if you will com
out in the road one at time, will licl
the whole of you." The invitation wa
not accepted. and the party of cyclist
| left.
One OF the two young men determine
TO get even with the toughs so he toll
the story to a crowd Of the boys, rho wer
members of the same bicycle club, an