Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31

have 1t used in lacking through CITY streets
against the wind, and has arranged matters
SO that the boom ana mast fold together
win the sail when riding against the wind.
ne cohiriyance takes up comparatively lit
'le "lhH, but II Is a question II one could
rae as steadily with the sail drawing in a
sun breeze aud whether a cheap motor woull
DC as reliable for those riders who do not
ike the exercise Of plugging into the wind"
a few years ago the legislature OF Con-
hetlcut passed a good roads, law. This
law provided for the giving Of state aid to
such towns as desired to improve their
ChleI highways. As a result cf this law 500
miles. OF roads have been directly or indl-
ieeIiy improved by hardening, graveling or
regarding and several hundred miles more
are in process Of being improved. Since
good roads legislation began, 1873 towns out
OF a total Of l6S in the state have received
ald, ana the Indirect effect Of the legisla-
tIon IN encouraging towns to improve the
highways has been marked. This year lis
towns have made application for state as
ISSUANCE. These applications call for a state
expenditure Of over 1910, 600, and the cntirc
amount to be expended on road Improve
ments will be, approximately, $i33,oOo
Applications for dates en- the grand circuit
OF the National Cycling association for 1890
are already being received, which indicates
that the new organization attends to con-
tinuc in business. As the circuit lasts only
three months and a race meet listed on 1t is
assured Of the presence Of all the star riders
who seek the championship, the promoters
are not wasting time wondering what the
League Of American Wheelmon will do. A
new idea will be put into force next year. A
percentage Ct the sanction fee on the circuit
viii be set aside to constitute a purse for the
rider who at the seasons end shall have
competed at the greatest number of cham
pionship meets and won at them the great
est number of points. Such a purse will be
in the neighborhood of $1,000, and it is apt
to keep all the leaders in full attendance on
the circuit.
A distinct novelty has made its appear
anCe in response to the desires of those who
use wheels fitted with a coaster brake de-
vice. The new idea is a cyclometer that
measures the distance a rider does not pedal.
The cyclometor is so arranged that as long
as the feet are in action, travelling around
with the pedals, it is imperative, but just
as soon as the coaster is called into requis-
ition and the feet are at rest on the pedals
the cyclometer begins to tick off the revolu-
tons and the mileage. Thus with an ordi-
/ nary cyclometer in the accustomed place a
rider can tell on returning from a trip the
total distance traversed and what part of 1t
was pedaled, by deducting the C~oasting rec
ord from the total,
Jimmy Michael has as yet shown nothing
J that would indicate that he will ever make
a success as a jockey, although he is now
| riding at New Orleans, and if he continues
in this line OF work may show up more
| favorably. Michael has, so far, finished in
tie "also rams in the few races in which
he has taken part. His first attempt at
riding the "bangtails" seems to have been
a very unfortunate affair for him, as he
lost his speed as a bicycle rider and did
not amount to anything as a jockey. The
only course open to him now is to stick to
the horses for awhile, in the hope that he
mag develop in this line.
Patent Office returns show that inventors
are giving the subject of brakes that are
net wanted a rest and turning their atten-
ton to coaster and two-speed devices. One
bic-cle concern that has been making wheels
for more than a decade has discontinued its
bicycle production and will henceforth put