The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-23
MUMBY'S bike" WRECKER.
A NOVEL REAR GTdRD or 4 DEAF
MUTT At WABJNG RIVER.
n1unby VYenrird or Climb ing Trees 20 Escape
scorchcra-Once by MuiaLe. Hc Ausnilcd
n BIooner Girl - Now tie RNercIsns the
Privileges or Pedestrian aud vehicle.

Privileges or Pedestrian and vehicle.
wADiNG RIVER. /. J.. Aug. 22.-At last there
is TO DO n definite settlement between John
MUMMY Of this place and the bicyclists. For a
year or 80 the wheelmeu made life a burden TO
John MUMMY, and for the next year or so John
MUMMY made life n burden for the wheeltncn,
and now the law IL to be invoked to settle tho
dispute. AS the bicyclists who have grievances
against MUMMY arc about 100 to his L. the
chances arc in their favor. but he has made a
determined. not to say a vicious fight. and there
IA some talk OF settling the matter by presenting
n wheel to him and thereby bringing him over
10 the other faction. But MUMMY says that
rather than set foot to the pedal of one of those
Internal machines no would scorch to Hades
inside a burning barrel.
To state that MUMMY says this is a figure OF
speech. lie doesn't say anything. His has been
a silent fight, for he is a deaf mute. When the
railroad came to town Mumby successfully re-
sisted the passion that every deaf mute has for
walking on railroad tracks; and so he kept out
of the way of tho cars. but when tho all.pervad-
ing bicycle came he found that hc couldn't keep
out of the way OF that. In this village q bicycle
has all the privileges of man. beast. and
vehicle, including riding across private
lawns and climbing fences. Consequently
whom tho craze arrived here the sidewalks
were occupied mainly by flying wheels. and Mr..
Mumby spent much of his time up ono or an
other Of the trees which line the streets. This
was not until he had suffered severely in one or
two collisions. which convinced him that there
was no safety on the earth's surface. So long as
he walked every other bicycle or so that came
up behind him failed to get past. The wheel
man spinning along the walk would ring his
bell. which, Of course, produced no impression
on the deaf man. Then the wheelman would
shout:
"Heyi Get out the way"
Mumby wouldn't make q move until the
wheel had swerved to pass to one side OF him,
when, either feeling the vibration or catching a
glimpse of tho wheel from the tail OF his eyes.
he would leap aside and there would result a
terrific tangle Of spokes and speech and silent
wrath, with Mumby in the thinking part.
Naturally. the wheelman would swear. and
MUMMY would fan the air with his hands and
make profane griIlaces. and tho twain would
part in mutual disgust. contempt, and ~indigna-
ton. BY the time he had become a sort Of COM
posit porus and court plaster the deaf IMAM con.
oluded that his best chance Of a long life was to
keep watch before and behind and climb a tree
or . fence when the bicycles came: ru,..n
more like work than pastime for him. 50 he
took to writing letters to the village authori-
BIZ the wheeimen. In vain. The wheelmcn
Kept right on. and pedestrians had to get out OF
the way or DC run uOWu. ENculuuilN -NluLluy
decided to avenge the wrongs and stand for the
rights OF the pedestrian before that biped
should become con extinct Io1s on AfGSo sSyY a ls;nae ne pp f3iSiha Ss
took with him on his walks. Whenever he saw
q wheelman coming along the Sidewalk ne
was wise enough to proceed along the line Of the
least resistance he turned out into the roadway.
c cnUse and n 4 they resented this too 6arshiy, he
boa. them upon ~, the sr head with tn, it, Gno Ma issr wGre
~ h{a affiiCtinn they fOrpbOre.
Then one day he got into a disastrous entan.
clement which, put an end to bis cane exercise.
Looking behind him as he walked. he beheld a
Juvenile person rather ~dudishly clad in a
checked bicycle suit coming up at a rapid pace.
downfall. On came the youth and around
turned MUMMY with waving cane. indi.
stating for that Mb seH rDaq but th was bie sSS PFU %ss
head. for he rode bang into the pedsftria1.
got up first. Ho grabbed his cane. gave the
was sbout to follow this up when. to his Intense
dismay, the bicyclist burst into tumultuous
bona bona n ainS Under ssut the c cap. Witch had been
knocked ! b,o aw5y: and stood +, dag ssh Sst, The 10r bic Pbiey nah;.
t tent : m D,H'G to make 81 ss gsS ssif '0 signs ms with with
her sTis &. s stS. st on the ground toy i.n ana
MUMMY. in utter despair, fed and hid himself in
fos q avn Wse IeaS Sa Wnadis Il The s'y young nEs se woman 'f told
all her bicycle club about being hauled from her
madma aaV With tfAt a fc re " countenan.- and aea a
cane. whereby she achieved an %enviablc reputa-
ton as a liar Of SINGULAR and cheerful ingenuity.
a defensive machine Of his own contrivance.
This was a sort of wheelbarrow with the barrow
trundie this along behind him when he went
walking was no great %exertion. and it afforded
sides Being a defence it was in the nature Of a
declaration that if q bicycle had rights. on
n sSe m s1Sewr'f how 80 o aia Sis 0'h The E ETe"tsr
the indignation of tho wheelulen at this
oontriyance, which pretty well blocked the
It. He loved to see them get black in the face,
and to imagine what they were say wing exercised
ing Continuance the more effective, he fastened
. board across 1t. which projected on both sides.
So he walked peaceful and unmolested until an
indignant wheelman approaching from in front
mani TAKE ad tsat 81 th tRs s aw5T; with Sf ELL" the wheel
From tho expression OF the wheelman's face
Mumby could get some idea of what he was say
reader he would have switched his protective
vehicle to the front instead OF wasting time in
o You Won't. Won't you =" cried the wheel.
man: I've heard Of YOU before. Here goes"
the e' obstru ctsF I n the path nai' e az Kim D l%ip
amidships and sent him spraying back over his
invention. while two other bicyclists who had
SoLhO W. boOptp "ttp 49, -hi'SA th"N. Va IL
fitted up a rocket on one Of the handles In whlch
he carried his cane. OF late. tacks. broken
glass. and bits, of scrap, iron have been discov.
cred ltoo late) by many bicyclists on the side.
walks most frcquented by MUMMY, appearing in
great profusion after that gentleman's peram-
bulations.
To all accusations Of being responsible for the
presence Of this bric-a-brac. whether in writing
or the sign language, he has disdaincd to reply,
and as there has been no direct proof against
him nothing could be done on this score, but
some of the blcyclists decided after they had
paid out considerable money for tires to put a
stop TO his performances at the next oppor.
tupity.
The opportunity came last week. One day
Mumby had gone out with only his cane. the
protective vehicle being out OF repair In conse.
qaence OF = collision which had resulted more
disastrously to the bicycle and It's rider, how.
eyer, than to the upicycle and it's owner.
Island Railroad. came along riding on the walk.
MSmby sisnal."d to him with the cane. AS 4
nal tha. bids a train get on the track
his sa4e between tho bicycle wheels and
demanded 10 know why he had been so treated,
Mumby waved his cane In a manner more
mlpatory than explanatory. Further transac
tons followed, and the brakeman says that the