Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-01-13
AWHEEL m SIBERIA,
lhe Village Boys Had Never Before
seen BicSc'~

bpS5 IaU y ever Before
seen BicSr'o,
During bicycle journey through ST.
Derla one summer | had occasion tn
travel several hundred miles along
what Is called the Great Siberian High
way. You will see by glancing at the
map that this road connects the Sibe-
ran capital, lrkutsk, with European
Russia. The distance is some three
thousand miles, and along its course
nave 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 bows
ana yelping dogs as my escort; for a
bicycle was as yet a novelty in that
part or the world, and in some of the
more remote districts even a thing un-
known. l remember, on entering q
certain village just at dusk, when the
streets were quite deserted. | came
suddenly upon two village boys walk
Ing IN the street. They did not see me
uhtll flashed abruptly past them.
Ihey threw up their hands in bewilder-
ment and shrieked out, "Chort eediottw
CIhe devils comingD and fled in terror
10 their homes. l 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
llre through the village, and the post
yard was soon swarming with village
boys, pestering the station master to
let them have a 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 unnoticed 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 endeavorlng to etilighten 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 inquisitive chap raised the ques-
tion of balanclng-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 mettle. 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 sprawlng on the ground.
This was the signal for shout of deri-
sive laughter from the crowd; but the
little fellow was not to be defeated so
! ignominiously. He picked himself up,
rubbed his head for moment and med
itated. Finally happy thought struck
him. "Oh. know how it is!' he eX-
claimed, as he picked up the bicycle.
"You see, when 1t falls over this way
he puts down the prop" pointing to the
right pedaD, "and when it falls that
way he puts down the other" Then the
self-appointed lecturer upon bicycles
looked proudly around for approval.
"Why, Of course" they all murmur-
ed, and in tone of self-reproof that
they had not thought of 1t before.
And so the little village wiseacre at
once maintained his reputation and i'm
pressed upon his associates how stupid
they were not to have solved the prob
lem for themselves.-St Nicholas.