The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10
THE KICK" MACHINE FAD
SMALL COLORED BOYS HAVE TAKEN
TO 1T VIOLENTLY.
Tin-Cup Races Around Monument
Place stopped by the Police
bicycle Notes.

The bicycle has a rival in town. It is not
one which is destined to supplant the wheel,
for its popularity extends only to a class of
ragged colored urchns who only dream of
reaching that state in life when they will
be able to own or rent bicycle. The rival
in this instance is a poor little four-wheeled
wagon, such as have become abundantly
numerous on the streets of late. Where
they came from is a mystery. No man
can remember having seen one three months
ago. But who is it who has not been run
over by them or compelled to fight his way
among them during the last few weeks?
There are hundreds of them to be seen on
the paved streets every day, and more are
noticed at night.
The vehicles are homemade affairs The
wheels are of iron and stronger than the
wheels of toy wagons and baby carriages,
SO that it is another mystery where they
come from. But the boys get them some
how, and contrive to mount upon them a
bed sufficiently large and strong to hold
themselves. Then sitting in the bed, they
propel their quad by pushing on the
ground with one foot. 1t is marvellous the
speed which some acquire.
It is interesting to note that none but col
ored lads own these wagons and indulge in
the sport of riding in them. In almost ev-
cry other sport there are white boys to
mingle with the colored, or vice versa. But
with these wagons the sport seems to be
confined exclusively to the colored race. No
white boy has ever been seen kicking his
way along the street among horses, car
riages and bicycles, taking his life in his
hands and worrying the drivers of other
vehicles lest they cause the death of the
bold wagoneer. Whether the white lads
are afraid to take the chance or have other
sports which are more interesting, does not
appear, but the fact is that none but col
cred boys, in age ranging from seven or
eight to sixteen indulge in the pastime
1t has taken on sort of faddish turn,
and any evening a score of the boys with
their little vehicles can be seen about Monu-
ment place making the rides of cyclists who
come that way extremely uninteresting and
causing the nerves of the cyclists and
drivers of carriages to be unstrung by their
daring. The matter has become such a
nuisance that the policemen on the district
in which Circle street is located have taken
it up and ordered the boys to keep off the
streets during the evenings. Friday night
a half dozen of them were captured by
Patrolman Weible and his partner. Every
lad in the crowd swore positively that he
used the wagon only to deliver 'washin =
for his grandmother or aunt although they
had just concluded a series Of races which
people about Monument place had learned to
designate as the tin cup series"
Thursday night the races began. There
were six or seven of the boys who had
been training for the occasion. They were
in the habit of starting at the northeast
corner Of Market and the Circle, where
they could see the hands of clock. and
making the circuit and timing themselves
by the clock. They soon found that they
were making il in two-minute clip, and
then arranged for a sort of a tournament
The first night the races were for glory,
but on Friday night the boys concluded
that this was too tame and capitalist
among them had a nickel changed and
announced that the races that night would
be for cash prizes There were nve events
in heat races. il being necessary for the
winner to take three heats. The competi-