The record-union., 1899-12-25

experience with the tricycle. will be sur
prised to know that the English Gov
eminent has ordered a supply OF these
machines for use in the South African
war. Prominent wheelmen are OF the
opinion that for war purposes the pl-
cycle would be preferable to the three
wheel machine. Good roads are abso-
lutely essential for comfortable riding
on a tricycle., while the wheelman on
bicycle can pick his way over almost
anything, SO long as he can find
smooth place only an inch or two wide.
Under similar conditions tricycle.
would be practically useless. The owner
of an old tricycle. called on local
dealer the other day to see if it was
possible to have a motor fitted to the
tricycle.. He was informed that it could
be done, and that the cost would be
anything from $75 to $3.50, according
to the sort of motor he wished to use.
The wheelman had not ridden the tri-
cycle in years, and he was surprised
when he tried it. 1t was like learning
to ride all over again. The veteran ex-
planned that 1t was much easier for the
novice to learn to ride the tricycle. than
1t was for the expert bicycle rider. On
bicycle the riders body sways with
the machine and he will invariably
adopt the same tactics when he tries to
ride tricycle., and it won't do. The
veteran bicycle rider on a tricycle. for
the first time is more likely to wind up
a a g
keep in the middle of the road So if
tricycies have been sent to South Africa
for oldtime wheelmen to ride, there will
learn the peculiarities of the three
wheeled machine.
The Capital Citys have their annual
holiday reunion, for members only, at
their clubrooms. 1108-1110 K street,
New Years Day, from 3 to p. m.
There will be music, light refreshments
and a Christmas tree, with presents of
| special character, for special reasons.
for special people. But the tree is open
for any to hang stockings on or to nil
EN-. 1t can be counted upon that the
affair will be an enjoyable one, with
/ fun without boisterousness, humor
with cleanliness, with without offense,
and hearty comradship all around.
The club especially desires those mem
bers to attend who .eome SO seldom .
-
The c.. C. W., with it's long roster.
has naturally a good many members
who drop in at the clubrooms only oc-
casionally-. Sometimes it happens that
member comes in who is not known
to those present, and occasionally he
retires feeling that he Is indeed a
stranger, and hurt that he receives no
welcome. AS rule. this is his own
fault. There is always a Committee of
Reception present Of evenings. The
committee may. sometimes not spot"
strange, but if the visitor will take a
little pains to make himself known he
will quickly realize how welcome he is
and how much the members desire to
know well all persons on the roll, and
| have them understand that all are on
common level of good will, right and
interest in the organization.
| New York Tribune: The increasing
interest in the subject of good roads is
now of considerable significance, owing
to the class of men who are working
up the agitation. In the, Western States
the farmers and wheelmen are working
together in harmony, and the interest
they are arousing is little short of re-
markable. The enactment of good roads
laws in the Easern States was secured
through the combined efforts Of the
farmers and the wheelmen. In New
Jersey the movement was begun by the
farmers, who sought the aid of the
wheelmen, and found their assistance
of incalculable value. This was not I'M
expected, for the wheelmen have al
ways been consistent advocates of
highway improvement, and the Gospel
of Good Roads" formed the chief plank
in their platform when the League of
American Wheelmen was organized. 1t
has been charged that the motive Of the
wheelmen was a selfish one, and in the
early days of cycling, when every
wheelmen was a road rider and rode
a high wheel, there may have been
some ground for the charge, but no
foundation for such a belief exists to-
day Since the adoption of the safety
machine as a business vehicle by all
sorts and conditions of men, not one
city wheelman in ten is seen on coun-
try road more than a few times each
year, and the wheelmen's interest in
good roads is purely business
A veteran dealer says: "Self-suff
cheney usually sits on the countenance
of the new rider who buys a trashy
wheel, against the advice of others OF
fuller experience and wider knowledge.
He is apt to kick reason overheard.
and is sometimes betrayed into harsh
manner if you mildly suggest to him
that a months riding is better than a
minutes seeing when the quality Of q
bicycle is in question. You cannot be
sure that he will have the wisdom to
recognize the better value of a high
grade wheel until a year or so has
passed, when he may be reasonably ex-
pected to come around and order the
| best there isl
In speaking about the advantages OF
good roads prominent official of the
League of American Wheelmen says:
If there is a method of accomplishing
twice as much as heretofore wi ha ven
| amount of effort, it is to the farmer
interest to discover and adopt it.
| Economy of labor means additional
acres which he can find time to make
productive. The only way to compute
l. 81, 20 III L