Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-06-29

tracted so many Of the more well-tO-dO
cyclists. Even those who cannot
afford a motor carriage. or shrink
from the responsibility and risk of
running an engine. have felt the de-
pressing effects of the competition.
The sCOrcher, in particular. is quite
withered. He who was once the
terror of the highway is now quite
cast down. OF what avail 10 kink
himself into an Interrogation point
and risk heart failure or a sUnstrOke
to do his 20 miles an hour, when a
ponderOus French racing machine
loaded with people can slip past him
as though he were standing still. The
prime attraction of the bicycle TO
many people was its speed. and when
II became a secOnd-rater in this
respect II was cOntemptuously thrown
aside. Ii is to be noted that a large
proportion of the bicycles now to be
seen on the country roads have
motors, thus coming abreast of the
motor carriages in velocity If not in
comfort. But the motorcycle is a
poor compromise, and Will never be
come popular as the bicycle was
popular. One might as well journey
on the "cow-catcher" of an engine
with the added responsibility of the
engineer. Once discard pedaling, and
one may more nationally travel in
comfort in the most luxurious motor
car that can be had.
All these causes have co-operated
to bring the bicycle into disfavOr as
an instrument of pleasure, but behind
all these is the American weakness
for OVERRIDING q new thing and then
dropping it. The deadly seriousness
with which the American takes
athletics, as compared with the Eng
lishman. has often been commented
upon, and the same thing applies to
all amusements. The craze sits us
harder, and the reaction is proper
tionately greater. When a new sport
has been run into the ground-and
the process does not take long it
is viewed with unanimous contempt
as poor thing unworthy of the atten-
ton of any self-respecting person.
in England the bicycle is still used to
= considerable extent as a pleasure
vehicle. which shows the greater
of the British character.
and the independence which defies
fashion. Fashion, indeed presses
upon the individual more severely in
a democracy than anywhere else. be
cause the rule of the majority is law.
and il has been held by competent
observers that Americans are more
sensitive than most people to ridicule
for individual peculiarities. Thus
when a fashion passes, it is apt to
pass utterly and with a sudjenness
which would be amazing if it were
not so frequent a phenomenon.
Yet it is to be hoped that the day of
the bicycle will return, for it played a
beneicent part in our life for which
no adequate substitute has been found.
Golf. its aristocratic successor, is
available for only a small part of the
public. 1t was the great merit of the
bicycle that it was within the means
Of every one who could spend a few
dollars on a secondhand wheel. 1t
took out into the open air many
thousands of people who had led a
sedentary life, and who, it is to be
feared, are relapsing into their old
indoor habits. IL made city people
familiar with the country they lived
in, and brought them health and
vigor by their excursions. The motor
car gives the fresh air, but it does
not give the exercise, which, while by
no means complete, was most val
liable, and superior to that afforded
by most kinds of sport. Why look
upon the bicycle with scorn, or con-
denim it to the thunderstorm? Cycling
was good sport in 1S93,-it is exactly
as good in 1903, and it is likely that
many people secretly think so. who
do not ride simply because it is not
the fashion. It would be well if the
fashion could be revived.