Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-05-11
EARLY BIKES.
EVOLUTION OF THE WHEEL IN
THE PAST CENTURY.
STEADY GROWTH FROM VELOCIPEDE
OF 1879 TO THE MODERN BIKE IN
SPITE OF DERISIoN OF PRESS
AND PEOPLE.

In July, 1873, the journals OF Paris
announced with much derision the APP
pearance OF the first velocipede OF which
we have any authentic account. Two
enthusiastic Frenchmeu, Mssurier and
Blanchard, a celebrated aeronaut, had
invented wonderful o-wheeled ma
chine, which WAS destined to overthrow
with the coming hundred years the
monopoly held through long ages past by
the faithful horse and patient ass, and
enable man to propei himself throughout
the earth at H rate OF speed only limited
by his strength ana endurance.
In 1878 Dennis johnson made some i'm
I proyements on the Draisine, l.ssening
the Weig ht and providing Il stomach rest
He took his machine to England, and
there received letters patent for "pedes-
trian curriclen. The mode of propulsion
WAS still the same, the riders did more
walking than riding.
Louis Gomperts, in 1921, made some
very radical changes by Introducing II
driving handle attached to cogged
segment fitted III corresponding
sprocket on the front axle, by means of
which the rider could assist with his
hands i'll propelling the machine, while
he still depended upon his legs, MS before,
to keep himself upright.
The machine OF 1850, an old naval officer,
Nj. Salices, being the inventor, reached
solution completely, but singular to re-
late, created no particular excitement.
Various improvements were made upon
this machine until 1867, when all Paris
broke out atlame with the first real wheel
craze since the days of the Duke Of York.
The journals OF Paris and France dur
ing the year 1865 continually referred to
the new toy, and the caricaturist found
rich field for his pencils work. The
New York and London papers looked on
askance at first, and then fell into line
with paragraphs and items, editorials and
cartoons anent the craze.
From the famous London Society OF
Nov. p, 1865, this leader is taken:
Paris is in a perfect frenzy with respect to
its new toy. The newspapers call upon the
government to order supply of velocipedes to
save the oyer-worked legs of the rural postman.
Some ask why a species of light cavalry
mounted on velocipedes should not be in
stituted.
Antedatng this we find this item in
the New York Tribune OF Sept.2, 1868:
"With the Grecian bend we are to have veloci-
pedes in this country, which have been SO pop
ular in Paris. These veocipedes have but two
wheels, one of which Immediately succeeds the
other in a straight line. II is three feet
high and seven feet long"
The Scientific american OF Sept. 80,
1868, had description of velocipede
race in Paris, which came off early in the
month, and it might be interesting read
ing for the professionals Of to-day.
The New York Sun OF Oct. 10, 1868, an
nounces as news that
ave saw an artist with velocipede taking
exercise in Washington place on Tuesday after
noon. His performance attracted large
crowd Of interested spectators. AS the gentle
man passed the house of Commodore Wander.
bilt, he turned up one eye to see if the stately
figure and keen glance of the old commodore
were in the window to watch the advent of this
new rival to horse flesh. If the commodore saw
him, he must have sighed over the departing
glory of the fast trotters which are his pride
and joy"
New York World OF Oct. 20, 1868, has
this to say editorially:
1.-TWO or three infatuated persons, probably
driven mad by protracted tOrtures on street
railway cars, or by the spurns which patient
pedestrians of the omnibus take, have made up !
their minds to introduce into New York the |
modern French improved velocipede This is
simply contrivance for enabling able bodied |
persons of a malicious turn OF mind to make
catapults of themselves. such persons leaping