The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1897-05-27
WORK OF THE WHEEL
THOMPSON STREET CYCLISTS TEL
WHAT THE EiKE HAS DONE.

WHAI HE FIFNO NS'N-'
shinfoot Thompson on the Results III Buy
slo. Jurisprudence white on tho Cleve-
land Outlook and Judas Lichtfoot on the
Quaker City Development.
When the regular Saturday night
meeting Of the Thompson Street Bicycle
club had been opened, President Toots
arose and said that all routine business
would be laid aside to listen to reports.
Four weeks ago he sent out a large
number Of postal cards asking the re-
cipients to report what progress the
bike was making among the colored
people in that section and what partic-
ular moral and physical benefits had
been derived therefrom. Many answers
had been received, and they would now
be read by the secretary in his richest
and juiciest baritone voice.
Shinfoot Thompson, leading colored
man Of Buffalo, reported grand results
in that neighborhood, He was the first
African in that town to tackle the
wheel, and at the outset he was known
to the police and the public as fluff
he was
a scrapper; he stole chickens and coal
and felt himself sinking down into the
pit Of degradation. One tumble from
the wheel checked him in his mad ca
reer. After breaking his neck q few
times he Logan to see things i'll differ
ont light, and by the time he could
wabble two blocks he was no longer
wanted" by the police, and local
artist gave him SIS per day to peso as q
model for colored angel.
Six months ago, had he known of a
coop wherein roasted so unsuspicious
pullets, he would have had every one Of
them between dark and dawn. Today
the man who even whispered chicken"
in his ear would meet with a violent
death. AS it had been with him, so it
was with O hundred others he could
name. The bike had worked such q
moral change in the colored man Of the
city by the lake that 10 coal dealer now
kept Waterman, and all butcher shops
left smoked hams hanging out over
night.
The Hon. Jurisprudence White, who
is known as 1.-THE colored poet Of
Ohio" answered from Cleveland that
the bike had upset the colored popula-
ton far more than the introduction Of
the cuckoo clock or the electric door
hell In the short period CT three months
it had been the direct cause of two muir
ders, three elopements, ten cases of as
sault and battery and moro profanity |
than would last a pirate vessel on a
voyage around the world. 1t had dimin-
ished church attendance at least enc
half, and it had made bad men of citi-
zens who had long records for integrity.
He couldn't exactly explain why this
vas so. 1t might be that the climate
lad good deal to Go with it or that
Fhe excitement of political campaign
had brought it about. 1t was SO, how
sver, and be was sorry for it. Even in
lis own case he felt himself bad, bad
man, and there was seldom a week
when he didn't have to climb fence ten
feet high to get away from the police.
While his feet were ON the ground he
'elt himself tolerably good ard gave
half the road, but the minute
re mounted a wheel and began to work
lis legs he wanted to kill somebody Or
something and wouldn't turn out for
street car if he was TO be hung for it.
Colonel Judas Lightfoot, enc of the ,
eading colored lights Of the Quaker ,
'ity, reported a mixed state of affairs.
N his church everybody thought the
bike was boon and a blessing, and al
most any fire day the minister could he
cen out on the wheel. In other churches l
hey were divided, and at least in one q
Instance clergyman had been bounced
or riding the wheel. The colonel S
bought that riding the wheel had made !
! better man Of him. When on the (
Wheel his 'vhole time was taken up in
lodging vehicles, running down pedes-
rians and picking himself up, and
when he got home his back ached SO
hat he felt like sitting down and read.
ng his Bible and then going to bed. He
lsed to stroll around and be gay and
estive, but all that had passed. In the
ase Of his brother, who used to be SO
'ood that children cried for him, the
ase was different, Riding the wheel
lad made bad man of him, and the !
asst time he was arrested it took four
olicemen to crack his skull with their .
lubs Riding the wheel influenced peo- l
10 differently, the same as riding a |.
1ule. On the whole, so far as he could I
earn, the influence had been beneficial. =
nd he was one Of those who hoped the .
ike had come to stay. q
The Hon. Abraham Scott of st. Louis, J
tho was blown eight miles by the cy- I
lone last summer and came down all
ght, reported that the bike had not i
'orked any decided change in st. Louis. b
0 far as he could determine, the good i
eople were no gooder and the bad no .
adder. White folks missed their chick. {
as Just the same, while the church at 3
'ndance had not fallen off in. the slight. d
It. The coming Of the bike had not a
-eated either joy or CONSERVATION in Il
!. Louis p
Professor Slipback Taylor, president Q
the Chicago Colorod Bicycle club. o
hich was the second Organized in e
merica, reported that Chicago was in v
with both feet. A colored man or d
oman in that city who couldn't ride f
70 bike was supposed to have Just come u
? from Arkansas to trade coonskins d
r snuff. If thing went ON wheels, it t.
as all right in Chicago. Everybody a.