The times., 1898-07-17

Name.
Indianapolis Ind, July 16.-(Spee.al)
ghose who attend the national meet in
August will find In the Ridiculous Club
what the wheelmen Of Indianapolis re-
gard as about the most unique organiza-
tion in the United States. The visitors
20 indianapolis viii have an excellent
opportunity TO form the acquaintance Of
1he members OF the club, who are joining
with the Indianapolis /. A. w. Club N
preparing entertainment for all the
Hheelmen Rtlo come. The Ridiculous
Club is unique not only in its organiza-
ton but in the ideas il follows IN enter
tanning both its members and its friends.
While its prime interest is 10 encourage
bicycDng il also believes firmly in in
jecting al eut-of-docr deYotions into its
pastImes, thinking the more amusement
The greater viii be the interest. The
Ridiculous Club IS a sort OF a go as
You please" AFFAIR. i was organized No
YenDeT >, 1854
Us Charter membership numbered six
young men who were fond OF cycling IN
season. but who later on in the Fail and
Winter found that lounging about drug
stores and hotel lobbies and chasing balls
halls and clubs were not the most in
teresting things that they could ind 10
do. When they came TO this conclusion
on this November evening, each one OF
the six young men contributed ten dol
lars 10 common fund with which 10
seek new pleasures. Throughout the fol-
lowing Winter the organization did not
expand its ideas. As the time Went by
the interest over the clubs future did
not lessen, but just what that future
was 10 be was slow in unr2velng itself.
One Of the perpleXing questions was what
TO name the club.
One evening the nameless organization
WIS Willing away the time in the par!or
Of an indianapolis girl and drumming on
the half dozen musical instruments which
the clubmen had taken with them. one
Of the numbers played was what they
termed a medley. After ii was finished
the girl was asked for her opinion. She
smiled and said:
THAT medley? ] think il perfectly III
diculous"
lone Of the members slapped his knee
and said:
i have a name for the cIub-the
Ridiculous Club
Before the Winter was over the plans
for Spring and Summer were taken up.
1t was decided TO limit the membership
10 twenty Another queer idea adopted
was that the organization was TO have
neither rules nor regulations. The fUnc-
tions Of president, secretary, and treas
urer and general utility man. were all
10 be vested in one official VINO bears the
weighty title OF the Whole Thing" He
serves a term Of three months, and he
has never beel known TO seek reelection
With Spring came bicycle trips through
the country and Broad Ripple Park,
retreat eight miles north Of Indianapolis,
was an objective point. Out that way
on Sunday, the club members found cool
shade in plenty and farmhouses offered
heaping plates Of fried chicken TO satisfy
their appetites. But riding 10 Broad Rip
pie and eating fried chicken soon became
10 more interesting TO the Ridiculous
Club than was the old program OF talk
ing 20 the drug store man.
Two years ago the club concluded that
it would be an original idea for the club
10 have a houseboat on the river The
idea added vigOr to the club The Whole
Thing was asked 10 resurrect the SCI
which had been given into his keeping
months before. The members Of the club
again went into their pockets and in
creased the fund 10 $50, with which tC
build and equip the houseboat. When
The boat was completed II measured thir-
ty-six feet in length, eighteen feet in
width and rose eight feet above the Wa
AGE-LlnG- Inc interior measured wv 1A4AE
right feet by eighteen. II contains four
fots and TWO hunks. and eight persons
can sleep comfortably in them. The
houseboat has no name. for the reason
shat one which would harmonic with il
snd the one which the club bears could
not be found The boathouse is utilized
largely for a Sunday retreat. II is
practice Of tks club members to ride to
Broad Ripple over the towpath on thelr
wheels and after reaching the houseDoat
they stow their wheels on its top, ano
remain there Saturday night, all day sun
day. and Il is seldom that they get back
10 their business in the city before Mon
dav morning With Sunday comes many
quests. who have their meals on the boat,
and who find plenty Of everything on
board If time gets little heavy, as IL
seldom does, the visitors and members
take the clubs canoes and skim ABOUT
over White River, which is Wlde ana
deep for a stretch of several miles in TINS
neighborhood. meal on the Doat - oiie
of the features.
with the completion OF the boat the
.Tyhole Thing" had new charge allotted
10 him. 1t was TO see that the members
and their friends had their meals TWO
Of the members undertake TO convert
themselves into cooks each Sunday 1hey
follow no cook book. Some of the cooks
u
81 Is as tough as a leather trunk hinge,
or they car broil 1t 10 a most tempting
turn. lust as the appetite Of the visitor
would dictate. IL costs a member . cents
10 obtain a meal on the boat, and he has
TO pay the Whole Thing" a quarter for
each one Of his visiting friends. In addi-
tiou 10 this. he may also have 10 help get
the meal and assist in washing the dishes
after it IS oTer. Occasionally they have
fish for dinner. When they do, II has been
caught in the waters in which the house
boat floats.
The Ridiculous boys have numerous fish
stories 10 tell and they undertake to prove
them by referring to a register, which is
rlgi6ly kept. and which some Of the more
enthusiastic fishermen often tamper with
They also have stories OF storms and high
water with which they have had TO con-
tend on the house boat over night. As the
club members become restless, they
change the boat from one point of the
river TO another. Heretofore the boat
has been towed by one OF the pleasure
launches which ply UP and down the
stream Going down stream has always
been easy enough for the house boat as
Il vas only necessary to draw in the
anchor and let il float over the river "a
the desired point, but going up stream has
always been more of a task.
This difficulty has this Spring been
overcome by the club. and with it has
come another pleasure. The club has ad-
ded launch 10 its water property. 1t is
driven by motor at q rapid rate Of speed
and IL is credited with being the swiftest
craft on White River. 1t will carry twelve
people.
The members have had as much trouble
On finding a name for the launch as they
did the club, but It now has Quo vadis
painted on It's sides. The launch cost
t275 nearly twice as much as the house