Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-01-18
AWHeEl IN SIBERIA.
he Village Boys Had Never Before
Seen q Bicycle.

! ne SuIo9e Boys Had Never Before
; eeen q Bicycle.
During q bicycle journey through 81.
beria one summer l had occasion to
i travel several hundred miles along
what is called the Great Siberian High.
way. You will see by glanclng at the
map that this road connects the Sibe-
rian capital. Irkutsk, with European
/ Russia. The distance Is some three
. thousand miles. and along lts 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 n yet q novelty In that
part Of the world. and in some Of the
more remote districts even q thing un-
known. l remember. on entering a
| 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
until l flashed abruptly past them.
They threw up their hands in bewilder-
ment and shrieked out. "Chort eediottr'
The devils comingD and ned 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
tho travellers ROOM"
In the meantime, the news Of the
devils" arrival had spread like wild
are 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 l had finished my meal
l stole out unnoticed to observe the
group OF eager urchins 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 enlighten 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, aud the seat was
to sit on. but he did not exactly know
how 1t was propelled.
An inQuisitive chap raised the ques-
tiOn 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 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 bis 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
ignominiOusly. He picked himself up.
rubbed his head for a moment and med
itated. Finally happy thought struck
him. "Oh. know how 1t isy he ex-
claimed. as he picked ur the bicycle.
You see. when 1t falls over this way
he puts down the prop" tpointing to the
right pedaD. land 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 it before.
And so the little village wiseacre at
once maintained his reputation and In
pressed upon his associates how stupid
lem for themselves-St. Nicholas.