The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-27
THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE ''HOT
STUFF" BUT 1T IS DIFFERENT
NOW.
SOLDIERS NIP sCORCHERs
FOR RIDING FASTER THAN SAFETY
ALLOWS On TIE RESERVA-
TION.
ARCHIE MATHEIS' CENTURIES.
He Tells How to Train and Diet for
the Long Rides-FrOm Expert
knowledge.

They were two young men Of the
genus scorcher. Not content with
scorching single-footed and alone sep
arately, so to speak, they found high
geared tandem and started to make
every one else on the West Seventh
street cycle path look sick. With proud
disdain they furtively looked back as
each plodding male or timid female
fell back into the receding past. Oh!
But they were hot stuff. To hear them
tell it. They clipped feathers off the
wings of the wind; did these sharp
boys. They could beat express trains
with only a little more Of the pipe"
They dashed across the Smelling bridge
at rate which left it dependent en-
tirely on pneumatic tires for its safety
The old barracks was soon far behind
them, and heat Of their rafting chains
burned the facade Of the administration
building, as they dashed madly up and
proceeded to rest upon the green sward
The United States army was imme-
diately modified in that vicinity. AT
least a portion Of it was. Not quite
a brigade, nor even a regiment, but
a detachment of a corporal and four
high privates. The corporal, backed
by his squad Of four, interrupted tho
sleeping beauties on the grass. He
did it with his voice, although he had
bayonets he might have done it with.
The scorchers We're hotter than ever
now, but 1t was a different kind Of
heat.
The corporal, who did not speak any
foreign tongue. informed them in very
good American that they would have
to take their tandem and travel with
his company for a short season. He
was going for cross-cOuntry run. The
scorchers wanted him to take the side
walk, but the corporal was seized with
a sudden attack Of deafness. He could
not hear the request at all. So they
went down the main road. There GER"
tainly never were so many blcycl1sts
going out to the fort at one time as
there were that day. Nearly all Of
them seemed familiar. They looked
q great deal like the patient plodders
who had so recently been scOrned.
But where before incessant pumping
had drawn hard lines in the set faces,
there now appeared a beaming smile.
ride slowly down toward the return
ing. cavalcade. of dismounted tandems
and uniformed troops on foot. o..
Reaching the end of the bridge, the
seopchei1s were permitted to remount
the wheel and -scorch back, but there
dds not seem to be a. scorch left in.
them. as@ --lslysr
yOne of the slow boys, who had been
given the merry ha ha by the first ones
as they dashed out, stepped up to the
officer of the day as the cortege went to
the bridge, and asked what was the
matter.
With but a smile the latter replied:
"Ohl There are a lot Of women and
children out here and we're trying to
discourage scorching."
Archie Matheis, who is, perhaps, one
of the most persistent riders Of centu-
ries in the state, in reply to a query
as to how to ride a century, says:
I'm the first place you must be in
good health. Start in by riding TWEEN
ty-five miles. If this does not seem TO
tire or cause you any great fatigue, in
crease the mileage to say fifty or sixty
miles.
You will then begin to feel con-
ffdent that you can ride 100 miles,
which confidence is a good share Of
your ride done. Rest we'll for a day
or two before starting and retire be-
fore 8 .. m. Get up before a. m. The
evening before, see that your wheel is
in perfect condition, we'll cleaned and
oiled, and with all the nuts tight. After
b good breakfast, consisting Of pOached
eggs on toast. a nice rare steak, ber-
rieS. bread, butter and coffee, you are
ready for your start. Ride your first
eight miles in an hour, and if you feel
you can ride faster do SO. Don't try TO
l. d. Poo
than you feel you can ride, and don't
think because you feel good you should
get out and try to run away from the
rest. Remember you have long days
work, and always keep a good reserve
of strength on hand, as you will need
1t before you get home. Don't stop at
every we'll you see. Avoid drinking
water or anything else until dinner
time. If you get very thirsty stop at
a cool farm house; ask for some milk,
and, with a little bread, make a light
lunch. After a little lunch resume
your journey. At noon you will be 50
hungry you will feel as if you could
eat anything. Avoid pie and cake and
the like. Eat all you want of good,
substantial food. Rest an hour. You
should have half your century done
and feel fine for your return home
When you get twenty or thirty miles
from home let loose on your strength,
II you nave any extra, ana rlde as last
as you want to, for you. know you can
get home without any trouble. So
much for the century. Now, about the
hills. Don't start a hill slowly. Ride
as fast as you can on the level at the
start and let your wheel run up as far
as it will go itself If you are feeling
strong enough to push to the top do
so: If not, stop right where your
wheel does. Do not ride halfway up
and stop when your muscles are at
their highest tension, as this is very
fatiguing, and it is better to walk from
the bottom than to ride halfway up
and stop suddenly. Your muscles in
doing this stiffen up and will make you
very tired
The rules for riding centuries under
the Century Road club are: Rules
Governing Century Riding-ActuaI