Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-19


SAy lowers Of bicycle riding have been rel
egated to the limbo of sportsmen. but
thirty years ago bike rider was one Of the worlds
wonders and was marveled at by as large follow
ing as a circus gathers or the home team COM
mands There were less than fifty bicycle riders In
Omaha in the early SOS and they were looked upon
as venturesome souls who cared for neither life,
liberty nor the pursuit of happiness.
1t was just thirty years ago last Sunday, ON
May IA. 1882. that Emmett @. Solomon. Is years
old, and his friend John @. Hitchcock. a lad Of is
years. stirred up the residents Of peaceful, Law
abiding city and created aisensation talked OF not
only in Omaha, but In all eastern Nebraska for
many days. The newspapers called It wonderful
feat People said 1t meant an awakening to the
possibilities Of the bike and ceased not In their
prophesies until the fall harvest demanded un-
divided attention Even the city council Of Omaha
awoke to the possibilities and the dangers and
forthwith attempted to curtal the growth Of an In.
FAINT industry. In this attempt the council was
supported by the conservative and the cautions,
but youth rebelled and was aided and sbsttsd in
rebellion by progressive corporation.
Farmers Wonder. ~
This wonderful feat consisted Of a Sunday trip
bicycle. The machines were the Columbia. manu-
featured by the Pope company Of Boston, with
fifty-four-inch wheel, and they were neither COM
Portable nor safe. Early in the morning the two
Adventures rolled their bikes into the street. gave
them a mighty shove and swinging into the seat
over the big front wheel headed southwest. They
arrived In Lincoln that day. visited the state ins
tutions the next day and the third day returned
to Omaha. Farmers had heard rumors Of the trip
and turned out everywhere along the route to
watch the passing Of the cyclists.
Lincoln banqueted them and otherwise made
quite fuss about the wonderful feat. Citizens OF
the capital city hailed their coming with delight
Hotels, business houses and soda fountains were
for time emptied. for the two young omahans
had broken records for speed and distance. The
Lincoln Wheel club, consisting of half dozen
members was elated and gave the two travellers
an enthusiastic reception. Solomon and Hitchcock
would have been feted for week, but on the
morning OF the third day they agreed they had
seen the sights that to remain would be waste OF
time. Also, they were eager for the labor Of the
return journey.
Riders Of the Early Days
Solomon and Hitchcock were members of the
Of about fifty practically every bicycle rider in the
city at the time. Among the deyotees Of the bike,
each of whom was the proud possessor Of an ice
wagon" were Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock, Emmett G..
Solomon, John C. Hitchcock, Thomas Mccague. X.
c. Barton. Thomas Kimball. Richard Kimball. Tom
Z, Parmele, w. A. Paxton, jr; Lyse Dickey, W. A.
Pixley C. J. Canaan, Gus Epeneter. Glen Livesey,
Tom Nickel. Thomas McCague and 7. W. Nc
Cullough. They were the pioneers, but ten or
twelve years later when the safety bike came
into general use and hundreds were sold they lost
their identity as pioneers and became one Of many
riders Of the less dangerous machine.
Many other residents Of the city now recall with
satisfaction that they used to ride 'the high boy
and live to tell the tale He was hero indeed who
bestrode one Of those old-time "bone-shakers" as
the wheel came afterward to be called in derison.
but the young fellows of thirty years ago didn't
mind It so very much. They were adventurous.
even foolhardy and several now look back upon
escapades undertaken IN reckless spirit they
would not again try for any inducement, even II
they might roll off the accumulated years. The
wheel Of that day was for the boy whose only out
look upon life was the Immediate present, and
whose cheerful confidence IN his own ability sur
passed the wisdom of all the sages.
We're Considered Dare Devfls.
Hitchcock, Solomon, Canaan and Frank Schneider
vera four of Onsskas dare-deyfls In thu bicyclinz