Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1899-01-28
AwHEEL m SIBERIA.
The Village Boys Had Never Before
Seen a Bicycle.

EGGu u DhNgfNs
During a bicycle journey through ST.
IBERIA one summer | had occasion to
travel several hundred miles along
what is called t1le Great Siberian High
way. You will see by glancing at the
map that this road connects the Sibe-
rian capital. Irkutsk, with European
Russia. The distance is some three
thousand miles, and along It's course
have been built nearly all the towns
and villages of old Siberia.
Through these towns and villages |
made my daily runs, and usually with
a clamoring multitude of shouting boys
and yelping dogs as my escort; for a
bicycle was as yet a novelty In that
part of the world and in some of the
more remote districts even a thing I'M
known. | remember, on entering a
certain village just at dusk, when the
streets were quite deserted, l came
suddenly upon two village boys walk
ing In the street. They did not see me
until | flashed abruptly past them.
They threw up their hands in bewllder-
ment and shrieked out, "Chort eediottv
(The devils comingD and fed in terror
to their homes. | rode on to the regu-
lar post station, ordered a frugal sup
per and prepared to pass the night in
the travellers room"
In the meantime, the news OF the
devils" arrival had spread like wild
fire through the village, and the post
yard was soon swarmng with village
boys, Fostering the station master TO
let them have peep at the marvellous
devils carriage" With the devils"
permission, the carriage was finally
taken out to exhibit to the wondering
crowd. When | had finished my meal
l stole out unnOtlced to observe the
group of eager urchlns gathered round
the object of their curiosity. One of
their number, more presumptuouS than
the rest, had taken hold of the wheel,
and was endeavoring to enlghten his
young congregation on bicycle philos-
Ophy in general, and this wheel in par
ticular. The handle bars, he knew,
were to catch hold of, and the seat was
to sit on, but he did not exactly know
how 1t was propelled.
An lnquisitiye chap raised the Ques-
ton of balancing-how the bicycle
could stand up without being held. This
question was Immediately seconded by
the rest of the assembly, and put the
self-elected teacher on his mettIe. He
asserted at once that that feat was easy
enough to perform; but the more he
| tried to show them how, the more he
realized its difficulty, until finally the
bicycle got tangled up with his legs,
and both went sprawling on the ground.
This was the signal for a shout of deri-
sive laughter from the crowd: but the
little fellow was not to be defeated so
ANONYMOUSLY. He picked himself up,
rubbed his head for a moment and med
itated. Finally happy thought struck
him. "Oh, | know how it isl he ex-
claimed, as he picked up the bicycle.
You see, when it falls over this way
he puts down the prop" pointing to the
right pedal, land when 1t falls that
way he puts down the other" Then the
self-appOlnted lecturer upon bicycles
looked proudly around for approval.
why, of course they all murmur-
ed, and in a tone of self-reproof that
they had not thought of it before.
And so the little village wseacre at
once maintained his reputation and i'm
pressed upon his associates how stupid
they were not to have solved the prob
lem for themselyes.-St Nicholas.