Evening star., 1935-04-21

line. Recently the writer, when
travelling over this road. tried to pick
out the site of the old race track,
but Is not positive he did so, for the
many improvements and building
operations in that locality in the last
decade have practically obliterated
every trace or landmark by which the
location might be positively identified.
But the races themselves are mat
ters of record, as we'll as are the names
of the boys who participated in those
exciting events, never to be forgotten
by those who witnessed them. Nor
does 40 years or even more seem to
be a very long time, and yet today
many of these same boys are now
bald-headed grandfathers, and those
who have continued to reside in the
District of Columbia are easily eligible
for membership in the Association Of
the Oldest Inhabitants.
Fred Schade has been spoken of be-
fore in these columns. He was good
looking boy Of blond complexion. the
son of Louis Schade, lawyer and editor
and proprietor of the Washington
Sentinel, who defended Capt. WirZ, in
charge of Andersonville Prison during
the Civil War. The senior Schade's
office was in the building in which
Lincoln died, SIG Tenth street north
west. Schade was a great amateur
and in reputation, locally at least. was
only exceeded in prominence by Eugene
Crist, whose best days were when he
rode high wheel, a decade before
Schade began his racing career, when
high-wheel racing had ceased.
Prince, the American pro" cham
pion, who beat Higham, the British
champion, and Crist, both rode dur
ing the early 80s at Athletic Park,
which occupied the block between
Ninth. Tenth, S and T streets, and
here also came the circuses of that
period, as we'll as Buffalo Bill and
other attractions.
IN WASHINGTON, the velocipede-
L which later became the bicycle
got an early start, and as early as
February 20, 1869, The Star prints
the following news item regarding the
opening Of the Exhibition and Riding
School by the Hamilton brothers on
February II Of that year. 1t said:
"A Velocipede Riding School has
been established at Carusi's Hall by
the Hamilton brothers Of this city, who
have secured the services Of Mr.. c. B.
Demorest of New York as instructor.
The whole building is devoted to the
purposes of the school, and although
it has been established but three days,
already Is scholars are booked, with
daily accessions.
Their exhibition last evening was
witnessed by large crowd Of spec
tators, among whom were many ladies.
The exercises commenced with prac-
tice by the scholars of two days tut
ton, followed by those who commenced
only yesterday, and then the perfect
mastery of the bicycle was illustrated
by the Hamilton brothers and Mr..
Demorest, the instructor, who exc
cuted the most difficult evolutions, and
at times went around the room at
lightning speed with man aStraddle
shoulders.
1.-The velocipedes were then placed
at the disposal of such Of the spec
tators as wished to try their hand
or feet rather-and the scenes which
enSued were rather comical. Collisions,
and as q consequence general upSets,
we're numerous, and the bicycle showed
It's usual inclination to lie down. A
stove in the corner of the room, but
for the size OF its door, would have
been the receptacle Of one ambitious
youth, whose velocipede got the best Of
him, and on many occasions the ease
with which the velocipede curled itself
up on Its fallen rider gave rise to con-
siderable merriment.
There was no little genuine wit
and some stupidity in the remarks
Of bystanders, who wondered at the
ease with which the animals came
to grass; how easily they could be
turned in after exercise, without food
or water; and one was heard to
express the opinion that the crops
might all be brought to town with
those things yet Altogether the
velocipede riding school is an insti-
ton and the proprietors propose to
make it q permanent one, as they
have leased Carusrs Hall for one
year."
However, 1t is probable the riding
school did not remain on this spot
as long as intended, for that same
year a plank roadway was built on
the grounds where is now the base
ball park, and instructions on the
velocipede were given there for
while, and about this time similar
school was opened in the hall over
Clement Woodward's hardware store,
most likely the building now occu-
pied by D. j. Kaufman, which then
had a balcony in front.
The wheel demonstrated at Carusis
Hall was evidently what was known
as the American velocipede, which
was patented that year by Pierre
a French mechanic, who
had been engaged in making chill
dren's carriages and the variety Of
velocipedes then in use, before he
came to this country in 1866 and
settled in New Haven, Conn, where
he made and used this machine, the
first two-wheel velocipede or bicycle
to be operated by pedals, as was the
one introduced here in 1869, and the
principles of which were used in de-
veloping the bicycle to the perfection
we knew 1t in the eighties.
pERHAPS the father of all bicycles
was the Speed Maker" invented
by Baron Won Drais Of Mannheim,
on the Rhine, about 1916. Then, two
years later, came the Pedestrian Car
ricle," invented by Denis johnson Of
and introduced into America
in 1919. But, we are told, Its popu-
larity waned as soon as It's novelty
wore OF, due to the physical effort
required to propel such a cInber.