Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-24
som CYCLE CHAT

thing the bicyclist meets with on the city
streets Is the dog, the faithful friend Of
man. but to some riders he seems to possess
an unusual propensity for getting in the
way Of the bicycle. There are, perhaps,
very few riders who have had no expert
ence with dogs, and 1t can be safely pre-
dlcted that those who have not will shortly
experience something Of the kind.
The writer well remembers his first ex-
perience with dog. That was some time
ago. He was coming down o street from
Georgetown University, and had not
reached Seth street. when little spitz dog
came abreast Of the front Wheel barking
as loudly as possible and trying very hard
TO chew chunk Of rubber from the tire.
tempts to get hold, but the rapid revolu-
lions OF the wheel caused him to hesitate.
1t was Just after rain, and the asphalt
surface was wet, making it obligatory on
the rider to exercise some care in not hay
Ing the wheel slip from under him. The
small brute persistently got in front Of the
wheel, and 1t was only by extreme care that
ne was not run over From hugging one
curbstone the rider slowly worked over to
the opposite side in an effort to keep from
going over the small beast To no avail
Just as the wheel was within two feet of
the opposite curbstone the animal slipped
ana Tell, and the fall was dangerous to him.
Before the machine could be stopped both
wheels had passed over the brute, close
back of the neck. The rider expected to
see dead dog. In this he was disap-
<Ao ooOu rs the GG8F Wneel passed
over his neck the dog got up shook himself,
turned around several times in rapid sue
cesslon, and then started on a bee line up
tne street, emitting series of unearthly
entire neighborhood When last seen the
deg passed through the gate Of Georgetown
University at the same breakneck speed
from all accounts the animal may not have
stopped as yet. The dog must have been
injured, but the writer has never been able
to find tc what extent.
A well-known rider, who works in the
vicinity of the Northern Liberty market.
mad a peculiar experience the other day
with dog. He did not run over the ami
MAJ, nor did ne injure it in the slightest.
At 18th and K streets a small, black.
woolly dog struck the trail of his bicycle
and continued until 9th street and Masse-
cnusetts avenue was reached. The rider
endeavored to shake the dog. but to no
avali. The animal tenaciously followed the
nind wheel, taking pace, as 1t WERE and
the faster the rider went the faster the
dog ran. Along the route another dog
then would jump in front of the rider ana
cross in front of his wheel. There were
about fifty other bicyclists passed on the
trip, but the dogs would not shake the
frst rider. At 9th and K streets the wheel
man was obliged to slow up and both dogs
Jumped In front of the machine Both
seemed to enjoy the sport neither appear
Ing to be viciously inclined. Finding that
rider dismounted a short distance from
his destination, and by yelling at the dogs
and making threatening motions, succeed
60 IN getting them to depart. 1t seemed
exceedingly strange that they should have
followed him in particular.
A good many riders have been troubled
and annoyed by dogs jumping out at them
with vicious intent while riding along the
street. This is bad enough occurrence
Tor man. but for woman, who is
naturally more nervous. the situation is
much worse. certain rider whose name
is withheld. but who would be widely
known If printed. was obliged to pass by
18th street and Massachusetts avenue at
regular intervals Every time he passed by
this place there was a good-sized brute.
white with dark spots, that made a habit
OF jumping out at him, and following the
wheel, endeavoring to fasten his teeth in
rider thus attacked, and he noticed that
the animal had no preference, but jumped
at every cyclist. male or female. He laid
his plans for revenge. The next time he
did not appear. The rider kept lookout,
and two days later the dog was at his old
tricks. The wheelman saw the brute half
square away, and prepared to meet him
at his own game. He sackened up his
pace and rode leisurely along. AS soon as
he got west of 18th street. at the top of the
hill, the dog made a lunge for him. 1t
was just what the rider wanted Gauging
his distance. he waited until he thought
things all right, and then he let his right
foot out The aim was true The mouth
of the dog was open, sand the blow caught
him just under the chin. The jaws snap
ped together with a grating sound and the
momentum of the blow was sufficient to
make the animal turn a complete some n
sault. landing on the top of his head. The
brute got up. whimpered plaintively and
limped into nearby yard. perhaps the
home Of his owner. Since then he has let
bicycles alone.
1t is very seldom that cyclists have an
encounter with cats. The felines in day.
time are rather scarce, and their nocturnal
habits more often keep them on back sheds
and roofs, back yards and alleys, instead
of out on the street There is one young
lady rider of the city who recently had an
encounter with cat that she will remem-
Der for some time: It happened on 1 street
in the vicinity of Franklin Square. The
young lady was out riding early in the
evening, darkness having just set in. and
she was alone. Suddenly two cats dashed
from m front of a nearby house and ran
across the street, one pursuing the other
The young lady was riding leisurely along
all unconscious Of the impending calamity
The first cat was so intent on crossing the
street that 1t did not see where it was
going. 1t narrowly missed being run over
striking the front wheel, and getting its
head mixed up in the spokes The wheel
continued to revolve and the cat was lifted
IN the air. but managed to free itself be-
forks otherwise there would nave been a
dead cat. most likely. The whole thing
happened in less than a second and there
was confusion of sound. The young lady
thinking that she had killed the cat
shrieked loudly. and as soon as the cat got
free it Joined In the chorus. The pursuing
cat. seeing the fate Of the first feline,
changed Its course and disappeared across
the street. AS soon as the other cat ex-
tricated itself 1t followed in a bee line
continuing its plaintive yelling. The young
lady was worse affected by the collision
than the cat, and it was some time before
she recovered composure enough to con-
tinue her interrupted ride.
Speaking Of animals and bicycles re-
minds the writer Of an occurrence that
happened to friend out on a nearby coun-
try road, as subsequently related by the
friend himself. He was coming down
= hill at pretty good rate, keeping his
feet on the pedals. however, when a sud-
den turn in the road brought him directly
in front CT a flock of sheep being driven
In his direction by several colored men.
The rider was in a predicameut The ex-
perience was something novel to him and
he did not know what to do. He could not
dismonnt in time, nor could he turn TO one
side. as the sheep took up every inch of the
highway. clear to the barbed wire fence
that lined both sides of the highway.
There were probably several hundred sheep