Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-03-18

lieVed In the bicycle and thought III
had other uses than a mere means OF
getting about the country and riding
TO and from work Their faith has
been justified by the healthy revival
of which | have spoken, a revival that
has been helped on by the sensible ut
teranccs of physicians on the subject.
when one well known doctor says, u
have often given bicycling the prefer
ence as a mode of exercise above
horseback riding and boating, with an
early start In childhood II might take
the place of gymnastics through lie,
the parent who has thought serious
| ~ of the physical development OF his
sons and daughters feels that II IL per-
haps well TO look into this matter OF
/ bicycling In some other light than that
| Of an amusement,
TO get the fun benefit from a bicycle
/ for growing boy or girl, the wheel
should not be bought at random Al
one time the acquisition of bicycle
sank 10 pretty much the same stand
ing as one OF the "given-aw with-a-
| pound Of tea" prizes. The market was
flooded with cheap wheels and the get
ting one was n sort Of catch-as- catch
can business. But we have changed
Ian that. Now when a boy or girl
Is to have a wheel, II Is selected TO iit
what win do for one VIII not answer
/ for another and the makers Of wheels
have learned that the worst service
they can do their products Is to send
out one that Is not entirely satisfac-
tory No longer can one buy n bicycle
from a responsible firm on the hit-or-
miss plan.
Here some one win rise with tale
Of how ~ bought q wheel for his boy
and Il dd not last him any length OF
time at H. erie gave u no more wear
than I gave HiBe but lt was so poor
" built that II went to pieces before he
had had II a month. That cured me
Of high priced wheels! Get a boy
cheap one and let him use that up and
then get him another"
That principle may have applied
once. but its day is over. The modern
juvenile bicycles produced by a first
class house are strongly built, to meet
the oek-about usage OF the younger
generation. They are made OF the
same high grade material and receive
the same care In the making as the
adult models As a matter OF course,
n a hoy is absolutely reckless with
them he Is able 10 ruin them-as ne
would anything else of value,-but in
siruction in taking decent care OF his
goods and chattels IS or should he,
part Of his training,
The wheel purchased. the boy
should be taught few things about 1t
For one thing that 1t Is not necessary
for him to ride doubled M over his
handle bars when ne is making an or
binary trip for business or for pleas
ure. II is entirely possible for him 10
get over the ground at a good rate
while he IL in an absolute upright posi-
ton and II this Is impressed upon MIN
and he follows rules he will grow
straighter because of his bicycle rid
ing. I have seen this successfully
tried with more than one boy. Next,
he should be taught that If he wishes
70 bend over in scorching he does not
iniure himself so long as he leans
straight forward, bending at the waist.
IL IL the crouching position that stoops
and rounds the shoulders.
Moderation In the use of the wheel
should be enforced Like every other
good thing Il is possible to have too
much OF II If II is taken at the wrong
time. The lad who starts out on
ride the moment he has finished a meal
and scorches across the country on
hot day with fun stomach has him
self to blame and not the wheel II ne
upsets his digestion. II would be for
tunate IL It We're only the boys VINO
did this, There are men anu WuHleIii /
too. who have no better sense than 70
follow this course,
All that has been said OF the value
Of the physical training gained by the
boys who use the wheel applies with
equal force 10 girls Of the same age
IT ii n mistake to think that what
heirs the boy to develop his body VIII
he Of no use to the girl in the improve
ment Of hers I often question II the
girl does not perhaps need II more
even than the boy. While she Is still
a child the best thing that can be
done for her Is to encourage her in the
fomboy life. so far as 1t leads her into
the fresh air and vigorous exercise I
II she has the right kind of mother /
she will have all the refining and fem
inizing influence she needs TO make /
her the sort of gentlewoman one 1
wishes a young girl TO become,
OF course. there is such thing as
OVERRIDING the out door life and the /
physical side. just as there Is a possi- I
bilitv of excess on the other side. But +
the evenly balanced man or woman
must have plenty Of both sorts OF 4
training. There has never yet been
found better combination than a 4
healthy mind in a healthy body.