The Breckenridge news., 1905-09-20

PALATIAL STEAM YACHT. MOTOR
pictured by many AIS being driven
speedily along the Roman roads,
crushing beneath them th. forms OF
the common and loWiy subjects of the
Empire. II remained for the rich Of
the modern world, however. TO
develop great speed. ana still greater
speed from some ~Dlf-urupcllrd vehicle.
While to som" poor inventor might be
ascribei the origin 0f our "Spcod-toy>."
still the world owes To the rich every
advance made, through their financial
encouragement.
The Earliest Bicycle.
At about the time when the Thirteen
Original Colonies were ringing with
shouts of freedom. French ballooniSt,
named blanchard, invented what was
known as a "Straddlc-whcel' for his
own amusement This WAS nothing
more than two wheels connected 10y Il
simple framework, with no pedals. The
rider straddlcd the machine and
pushed it along with his feet. or
coasted down grade. The dandicS of
Paris and London took up this toy and
had great sport with it. but it was too
hard work and the speed was not great
enough
Following this, in about 1898. Cug-
not. 4 Freuchman. ana Irrvithick. an
EngliShman. and Oliver Evans. an
American. experimental with a sort
Of carriage propelled by steam. Noth-
ing so fast had ever been seen. and the
carriage became quite the fashion with
gentlemen who had money TO spend
and whose aim I'm life was enjoyment
But these carriages were noisy, clumsy
and very dirty affairs and were dis
carded.
The Wheel OF the Last Century.
The bicycle with the high wheel in
front and little wheel behind came
next, and being fairly comfortable,
speedy. clean and creating no noise,
quickly sprang into fashion, but there
was always an element Of danger to
the "speedScckerS' through concealed
stones in the path. which meant Il
header So that something even more
speedy and safe was called for.
The safety bicycle WAS an evolution
coming some twenty years later,
whose high price at first placed it as a
luxury much to be desired. Bicycles
were for % long time placed i'm the
same category aS pianos and carriages.
though they were of little use other
than for pleasure. The safety was.
as its name implied. safe. swift and
nOiScleSS. by 1879 the bicycle boom
rose beyond any proportions assumed
by the previously demanded snecd
toys. In the United States four hun
dred factories representing capital
OF something like S7JO0OOOO. turned
out nearly million machines year.
Half a Mile Minute too Slow.
The fad lasted five years. when n
demand arose for something even
faster than the speed Of "a milo i'm two
minutes or so. attained 10y the bicy-
Gle. and n more comfortable seat than
that afforded on the bicycle frame.
Inventors were already at work. and
while it may not be true that out of
the bicycle developed the automobile, !
vet the twO-wheelcd conveyance. with
its pneumatic tires. created the
demand for something better.
Men ike W. K. Vanderbilt. Jr., |
Ioln Jacob AStor. and Albert G. !
Bostwict were among the pioneers
In America TO bring over from Europe
the speed TOYS Of the rich. ana their
machines were the targets for thou
sands Of pairs Of eyes in the streets
o. New York.
a Mile in Thirty Seconds.
When one Of these men made a |
record of a mile iu SOmetling like rs |