Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-28

the poor people Of China hardly having suf-
fcient to keep body and soul together. Their
use is certainly increasing though at pres
ent there are very few in the country In
the southern portion OF China there are no
roads. Narrow paths connect the country
villages, while across the rice fields stone-
paved and very uneven paths from three to
four feet wide were built hundreds OF years
ago, and by the looks of them do not seem
to have been touched since that time. 1t
would be impossible to ride any distance
on these stone walks Foochow has about
fifteen miles OF good roads which have been
built by the foreign residents. In the north
the roads are very good, varying from fif-
teen to twenty-five feet In width, and in
many parts very good and level, principally
used for heavy wood carts and wheelbar-
rows. Cheap and poor bicycles are now
being manufactured In Japan and are hav-
ing some sale, but American and English
machines are generally used French ma
chimes are used here, but are so heavy that
American wheels will entirely supersede
them. The duty on bicycles is 5 per cent
ad valorem. Bicycles for China should have
special namepates and colors. Some name
plate device such dragoon, pagoda or
characters of the Chinese language denot-
ing happiness, good luck. speed or lightning
might be popular, and undoubtedly the best
color would be red. The brighter the color
and the more nickel the better.
OF course, it was only step from bicycle
policemen, bicycle messenger boys and BIZ
cycle soldiers to bicycle highwaymen Still,
this new development in the possibilities of
the wheel comes in a startling way The
married COllDle which was halta6 ap5 robbad
of $500 on lonely New Jersey road by
man and woman on bicycles are likely to
look ON the wheel as an invention of the
enemy o''er this. The distressing thing Is
that wneelwoman should turn highway
woman.
Two Welsh wheelwomen who started to
ride from Cardiff to Brynamawr in South
Wales, going via Newport and Abertilly,
were jeered and assaulted by women and
children who threw stones at them because
they wore rational costumes. The perse-
cution was bitterest at Brynamawr, at the
outskirts of the town, where the populace
Is ignorant and strongly prejudiced. 1t be-
came so severe that the wheelwomen sought
refuge In store and remained there over
night, until they received skirts for which
they had sent.' This incident, which was
narrated at length in the British papers,
may be valuable hint to. bloomert wearing
Americans who are planning trip abroad.
Miss Jennie Armitage, a buxom country
lass OF nineteen berry picking summers and
an equal number of quilting bee winters,
who lives near New Brunswick, N. j., found
the other day that, a tramp had stolen her
bicycle and that all the horses of the place
ThHr xx,ith
line rope, she made cbridle and. without
any saddle, mounted steer grazing in an
adjacent field and-recaptured her wheel
after chase of nine miles.
An adjustable bar that adj. its Of the ex-
tremes Of high and low positions and all
ranges between is put out by an Illinois
man. He fits the bar to any wheel. In ap-
pearance the attachment is neat, but its
construction, is SO novel that it is doubtful
II 1t will find favor among the Quieter rid
ers. Two plates are fitted, one projecting
from the top OF the head. and the other from
the under side Of the fork crown. The upper
plate has a short stem of the size of the
handlebar stem, and Is clamped to the head
in the same manner. The lower plate is
screwed to the fork crown. Both plates
have slight projections at their outer ends,
Wnlcn projections slip respectively into the
upper and lower ends of a piece of tubing
lying parallel with and directly in front of
the head tube OF the bicycle. On this tube
is removably clamped the handlebar. This
may be slipped up and down on the auxil-
iary head tube, and may be turned up or
down as desired, thus giving on occasion
the lowest of low bars, or an extremely
high position.
new style Of grip is much larger than
the ordinary, and will meet with favor from
many riders who think large grip would
not cramp the hands so badly as the present
styles. The new grip has another peculiar
feature. On the top it is rounded, but on
the under side 1t is irregular, and conforms
to the fingers when claeped around 1t.
A puncture clamp for tires is the result of
a Chicago thinkers efforts. 1t has an outer
clasp OF metal. with a facing Of rubber. and
is affixed with a thumbscrew. 1t may be
put on in ten seconds, and its inventor
claims 1t will temporarily cure the worst
leak or cut.
BICYCLISTS As BANKERS.