Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-07-13
BICYCLE FEATS.
REMARKABLE WORK DONE By PETER )
FISHER, JR.

FISHER, lR.
Here ID man who can do anything
with bicycle except ny. He can al
most do that. He defes the ordinary
laws Of equilibrium apparently and pays
no heed TO the obstacles which most men
meet In riding wheel. II you saw the
Evening Telegram bicycle parade you
will remember 4 courier who went up
and down the line on one wheel, rode
backward with his arms folded and per-
formed other feats which amazed and de-
lighted the beholders. The name OF this
remarkable trick rider Il Peter j. Fisher,
Jr., who is the manager Of bicycle
academy over In Brooklyn.
Everybody In the world OF bicycling
calls him siPete" Fisher. He has been
known as . trick rider for eighteen
years. When the ordinary was the
wheel OF the day, Peter j. Fisher, Jr.,
sometimes to the peril Of his neck, per-
formed some wonderful feats Of balanc-
Ing. The tricks which he has perform
ed for the last seven years have attracted
the most attention.
He did some riding over 10 Brooklyn
last Friday while one Of the Herald's
photographers took snap shots. This
magician with bicycle wheels never gives
the impression that he Ii doing "stunts."
He performs these fests with the air OF
one who rides that way all the time.
He rode around the floor OF the bicycle
academy the other day with the front
wheel Of the machine balanced In the
air. 1t requires about two years prac-
tice for trained athlete to learn this
trick. II Is one Of the best examples OF
the nicely Of balancing. The rider rode
with apparently no effort. He can ride
mile that way with the greatest ease.
Mr.. Fisher then rode with his back ia
the handlebar. His arms were folded
and his back rested against the handle
bar. He was pedalling backward.
Every sense must be alert In feat Of this
kind. lie could see where he was going
by turning his head rapidly to the right
and to the left.
as though he were turning coat inside
out, and the rear wheel Was In front and
he was riding with his back to IL. You
who are skillful upon the machine with
rubber tires will appreciate this feat bet.
ter when you try TO do IL. Yet this man,
who says that he "thinks he can ride a
little" has ridden twelve miles under
these reversed conditions. He rode that
way down the Coney Island cycle path
one night.
~ did IL all right" he said, "only
when got half way down ! had 10 get
of on account of an obstruction" lie
has ridden half mile backward In one
minute and forty seconds.
~ don't pretend" said this man ~ho
thinks he can ride little," ''to be
much Of racer now. fused to do some
rapid work, but found that II didn'!
pay very we'll"
As a bicycle hurdle rider pete" Fisher
has field which he claims for his own
He can jump his wheel over sixteen
inch hurdle. Owing TO the limited space
which he had In the cycling academy he
used an eight-inch hurdle. His feat:
Nth hurdles twice that height. however
are matter OF record.
A ten foot hoard, which was made "a
stand on It's edge by mailing thin strip
to IL, wss placed In the middle OF the
floor. Mr.. Fisher circled around II for q
few times and then came down the cen
tire OF the floor like a Comanche on a
bronco.
A quick movement OF the handlebaI
sent the front wheel over the hurdle
The second followed II with another
twist. A snap shot was taken "a the
first wheel had passed over the hurdle
Another circling Of the academy floor
followed, and Mr.. Fishers wheel wa;
lifted sideways over the hurdle.
The most difficult feat Of all was the
flying leap over the hurdle, which was
made upon the smooth asphalt Of Han
son place, Brooklyn. The rider swept
down the street, and with flving leap
cleared the hurdle with several inches 70
spare.
This man who can "ride little" can
cause bicycle to take flying leap OF
twenty-seyen feet.
"The origin OF the hurdle trick" said
Mr.. Fisher, "wss due TO An accident.
WAS riding with several friends. There
was an obstruction In front which they
saw, but I did not see In time to dis
mount, | lifted up on the handlebar and
cleared the obstruction. This sounds
like the story Of the old chap who lifted
himself around by his boot straps
doesn't IL: began to practice the trick
right away, and that Is how developed
the hurdle act"
Another feat for which Mr.. Fisher Il
well known Is his riding up stairs. He
can ride up q short flight with ease and
confidence provided there Is a CORE
spending flight on the other side for him
to 20 down. lie can ascend five or six
steps sidewise, by pulling upon the
handiebars as he does In his hurdle race
He considers the flying leap his best
feat.
He was among the first to develop
bicycle polo. This game Is played by
twitching the front wheel about by
means OF the handlebars. The wheel II
directed In such way as to strike the
ball as 1t rolls over the floor.
Mr.. Fisher plays polo with the rear
wheel instead of the front. This I;
twice as difficult as the front wheel
method. II was his devotion to water
polo which cost Mr.. Fisher his rating a:
an amateur. He was fond OF practicing
with some professional bicycle pole
players, and was forthwith set down In
the books as professional.
Mr.. Fisher made century run with
out any handlebar just by way Of diver
sion. He rode with the century wheel.
men for spin to Patchogue. On the
upright where the handles should have
been he fitted wooden ball an inch and
a quarter in diameter. This he used as
a rest for his hands. Most Of the time
he had his arms folded. He got dowr
to Patchogue with the slow division Of
the party. He came back with the fast
division. He saw friend behind hin
whose eyes bulged out and whose limbs
were weary.
He took his friend in tow, and this
man who thought he could "ride little
came to New York like q seagoing tug
with craft in distress. Yorh
Herald.
Will you give up all that health means
to you? II not, look out for impure
blood. Cure boils, pimples, hum0rs and