Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17
THE WORLD AWHEEL
In Washington the Craze for Riding
Grows Apace.
CALLED A PARADISE FOR BICYCLES
The Fad is Not Confined to Any
One Class.
THE SMEN
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The lull in legislation in the House while
the Senate was considering the tariff bill
increased the number of wheelmen in
Washington. Many member from remote
parts of the country learned to ride the
wheel. Washington has been called the
heaven of bicycles. 1t has over 300 miles
of concrete pavements and the roads in it's
vicinity are far better than the average.
1t is the only city in the United States
where the streets are better than the side
walks. A trip to Baltimore and back is 10
novelty. Wheemen go there in large par
ties and return the same day. To a
stranger the city seems to be alive with
bicycles. Men and women, girls and boys
fit through the streets like swallows dart
ing here and there between cars and We
hicles. Some are bent on business, and
others are out for pleasure alone. Thou
sands employed in the various departments
go to and from their work upon wheels.
The courts of the Interior Department. of
the War and Navy building and of the Post
Office building are crowded with bicycles.
In every department provision is made for
them. The crypt of the Capitol is filed
with them. There is a place set apart for
them on the ground floor of the pension
building. Theaters advertise them checked
and stored without charge.
A congressman who is a member of the
l.. A. w. rode past the city post Office
Gently at I o'clock in the morning. The
streets in the vicinity swarmed with wheel
men in gray uniform They trooped away
from the building in platoons, north, south,
east and west. making the morning de-
livery. These letter carriers run to the ex-
IRENE limits of the city. They use the
wheel in the delivery of letters. Collections
from the street boxes are most all made by
carriers on wheels. Some carriers ride to
their field of delivery and leave their
wheels at pharmacy or grocery while
they distribute their letters. The congress
man saw one carrier leave his wheel at
the residence Of Senator Stewart, and from
there make his deliveries on foot.
I In Daily Business.
1t is estimated that from 1900 to 1900
persons employed in Washington use their
wheels in going to and returning from
business. Nearly 10000 are employed in
the departments alone. and Of these it is
safe to say that more than one-quarter use
the wheel The sight in the morning hours
is exhiarating. Rosy-cheeked typewriters
in natty costumes, machinists employed at
the navy yard, department clerks, male
and female, old and young, school girls and
schools marms, all dash to their work
mounted upon wheels. Some sail along with
charming grace and even abandon, while
others nervously grip the handles of their
wheels and dismount when in doubt. Many
hind their backs, driving the wheels as
though they were parts of themselves.
Others maintain an unconscious, but easy,
attitude, apparently thinking over the work
of the day. A few bend to the low handle
bars, and speed along as though suffering
from curvature of the spine. Darwins the
DRY is apparently reversed. Instead of the
slow evolution through long ages of man
from the simian, we have the rapid &C.
velopment of the simian from man. This
evolution is confined to the lords Of crea-
ton. for no lady has ever been seen On the
streets of Washington riding a wheel with
rams horn handle bars.
Nor are the patrons of the wheel con-
fined to the Caucasian. Though the Eth
opian cannot change his color, he proves
extremely facile in changing his method
octoroon, quadroon, mulatso or Congo, is
in the front on the wheel. She rides it
gracefully, If not artisticaily. Often she
is accompanied by a dusky admirer. One
of these admirers attracts universal at
tention. Tall and slender, he rides at the
side of his tinted inamorata, clad in a
full bicycle suit. The suit is sumner.
He wears a blue cap with a long white
peak and snowy button ON top. His
blazer carries the Princeton colors, orange
and black. His knickerbockers are of a
navy blue, and his golf stockings are of a
plaid that would throw a highland chief
into commissions.
The wheel is also a favorite with the
members of the Chinese legation Several
Of the attaches are experts. All ride ladies'
wheels on account of their flowing robes.
Everybody Rides.
In fact everybody rides the wheel, the
clergyman and the congressman, the law
yer and his client, the doctor and his pa
tient the mistress and the maid, every
body but the Office seeker He walks. Not
long ago a congressman took tea on a
Sunday afternoon with a family living IN
the northwest. The lady of the house was
busy attending to the wants of those around
the table. One of the children at the table
asked it's mother where Gertie, the servant
girl, was.
"she and the cook have gone out on their
wheels. This is their Sunday off," replied
the mother.
HAS your servant girl wheel?'' the
congressman asked in establishment.
NO" was the reply. ''she hires one for
Is cents an hour
She then told story of her washer
woman. 'She comes here every Monday"
the lady said. ito do the washing. Last
never came. She appeared bright and
early on Tuesday morning. l asked her
why she failed to come on Monday, and
she replied, I hired wheel. A lady out
beyond the Soldiers Home owed me W
cents and went out there to collect it,
After a long morning ride the congress
man breakfasted at his rooms. and. mount
ing his wheel, rode to the Capitol. He had
ndTCly tuTHeu Tie CUTucI UclOIC Hc pdSSco
a gentleman in knickerbockers, neglige
shirt, sack coat and golf stockings. The
costume was complete, with the exception
of the headgear. The gentleman wore
black SLOUGH hat. The breeze was wooing
his silvery Dundreary whiskers. He had a
magnificent presence, and rode the wheel
with the ease Of an expert. He was Rear
Admiral John G. Walker Of the United
States navy. The admiral was lost to sight
in a bevy of young ladies, who crossed his
track and f1uttered under his bows like
Mother Cary's chickens. Two blocks away
the congressman met another object Of in
tefest. 1t was Senator Chandler of New
Hampshire. He wore a pepper and salt
suit, a straw hat. had clips on his ankles,
sat firm and upright. and was making good
time. A quarter of a mile behind him came
Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois, the past and
prospective chairman Of the committee on
appropriations. He wore felt hat and a
gray business suit. and was smoking a
Danville intimidad. He has been riding
the wheel for several years, and It is said
that he was the first man who ever in
duced Speaker Reed to mount the wheel.
Whether this is SO or not, 1t is certain that
the statesman from Maine never uses a
wheel In Washington. His form is familiar
on Pennsylvania avenue. He usually walks
to the Capitol. rolling to and fro, like q
sailor on leave. Those who have seen him
astride the wheel In Maine say that he
presents an interesting appearance. Mr..