The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-28
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Ut SIX year ago had handle bars fully as
VIDE, ard some wider. On the bi0gTanb
plcIures which were taken last week the
big. NV 'ooh % very
we went to the Providence state fair
on the same day of the first trial and
niaue eXhiDltion runs twice a day for
got the team in pretty good shape. Az
Ter few days they were so well train
ell to the new machine that we made one
quarter of mile in 80 seconds, before
Governor Dyer and 10000 people. They
say That the applause was something ire
mendous, but had all could do to mind
my own business and 1 just heard lot
OF noise without being really able to say
Whether they, were clapping, or whether
Providence we had spill, owing to one
OF the starters pushing the machine side
ways, when he let go. Nobody was hurt,
nor the machine either and we were I'D
and off again in jiffy.
But the hardest of all was the time
the biograph people came down from
New York and took moving pictures of
the. ten-seater, pacing Lesna, McDuffie
and Riviere on the Charles river track.
They came all the way from New York
because this track is probably one of the
best in the country. 1t was a pretty
chilly day and by the time the sun came
| out we were all shivering. Then we
had to ride around the track about half
| an hour. while they got the proper focus,
and as the biograph people insisted on
| my keeping the ten-seater running on the
| three square from the pole l felt / had
| done about a days work when | got
through. Last Monday night when
saw the picture at Boston theater.
| hpnrI laly CIV ooh 1oo1- tho h;,,
centipede bicycle"
Next we took the machine TO the
Springfield meet where it was exhibited
by part of Lesna's pacing team, making
good time. But, the next week in Phila'
delphia when | was steering, the man on
the rear saddle got to wiggling for some
reason or other, and we had a spill which
laid me up for several days. All | know
about it was that while we We're going al
about thirty seconds per quarter mile
suddenly felt lurch and then / sho
through the air. up the embankment OF
the track and then | was surrounded by
lot of reporters who said | was dead
In fact. all the papers said l was killed
but as they got my name wrong and a.
the worst / have had is a black eye,
| don't care much.
1t is necessary for all the men up t,
ride very steady and not swing the body
and to pass orders as to speed and direc
ton quickly from man to man. as it
impossible for the steersman to hear CIV
Ell the middle man, let alone the man q
the rear seat. who is nearly eight yard
behind him. The wind pressure is. rattle
pleasant. for the stcersman catches a
of it. but the force behind him is so gren
that it causes no fatigue, though compel
ing him to breathe very regularly, wit
the head well down, else you can no
catch your breath at all.
Even though it may not be noticed b.
outsiders. still. while riding n large mul
| ticycle the stcersman must always keel
the front wheel moving right and left t.
preserve the balance. The larger thu
| machine the slower its motion and the
! weight of the body rest on the handle
| less chance the steercr has to let Inc
| bars. 1t is all muscular force. Any
| uncvenncsa on the surface of the track
ia not noticeable to the riders of the
drcemtuplc owing to its great length.
| have stcerod the Oriten ever sine" II
: was finished that is. September 9th. That
dav. Labor Day. it was Photographic
with ten men up: the president on thc
front seat and the superlntendent on the
lnst. BY the way. Mr. Metz. the presl
dent. is over six feet in his. stocking ieel
and the sunerintcn1rnt il somewhere
rbout five feet one When the photogra
nhcr was over we trundled the big ma
Chine to the Waltham track for max
cr's trial which I have already mention
cd Very truly vours
ARTHUR +. W1SNER.