Evening star., 1938-03-27

30, yet he looks good for many more
years, though he probably would not
care to make bicycle trip to Boston
and return, a thing he and DR..
Schooley did in record time in 1879.
Indeed, Mr.. Hansmann says it was
the longest trip made up to that time
on wheel. DR.. Schooley and another
veteran member of the club, J. Allen,
Boteler, are residents of the John
Dickson Home, and Mr.. Boteler and
Mr.. Hansmann helped the writer to
identify the members Of the club ap-
pearlng in the pictures.
Some of the members Of the Capital
Bicycle Club were "hends' for taking
long runs in the country, and when
one considers the proclivity of the
high wheel to buck like broncho,
and add to this the terrible roads the
bicyclist had to ride over in those early
day, he will realize that it took the
skill OF a cowboy to master one, and
the longer the ride, the greater was
the strain and tension. Nevertheless,
in 1882, We find Mr.. Hansmann, Mr..
Allen and L. Warren Seely taking q
three-Week tour in the Shenandoah
Valley, going by way of Harper's
Ferry as far as the Natural Bridge,
in a territory where the bicycle had
never been seen before.
| IPON one occasion, in 1882, DR..
Schooley before mentioned, started
of dpChrooH hic uyha
ford, Va, to spend few days at his
old home there. The distance We
are told was As miles, which was made
In six hours. With all these diff
cultiess however, runs to such COM
paratively nearby places as Rockville,
Sandy Spring, Sugar Loaf Mountain
and Frederick, in Maryland, were con-
sidered just all in days work, and
when the boys were resting up they
would go on a water melon hunt, or
pick out some easy hill to climb.
such as Sixteenth street hill, north
OF Florida avenue, used to be before
1t was graded to its present lines.
In this connection an item of May.
1882. says
ITO climb the Stand Pipe hill (head
OF Sixteenth street, is now the height
OF ambition of the enterprising bickler.
1t is undoubtedly the steepest hill In
the immediate vicinity of the city, and
the great number of loose stones make
1t all the worse. The average grade
has been accurately estimated at foot
in Z, and the distance up measures
almost an eighth of a mile. Warren
Seely has ridden up several times on
his Sc Royal Challenge. Max Hans
mann and Mac Borden have also been
up on 'hoppers.' A number of others
have made the attempt, but been
obliged to dismount before reaching
the summit"
THE Capital Club was the pioneer in
bicycle racing here, holding its
hrst annual race in June, 1880, at Iowa
Circle (now Logan Circle, the quarter
mile marked 1912 feet from the inner
curb, and we are told that with police
assistance and fine weather, the event
was very successful and drew large
crowd Of spectators The quarter mile
was won by Will Chester. The mile
and smile races were won by ]. NICK.
Borden"
Races were held again at Iowa Cir
Gle in 1881 and 1882, and in 1883 the
races were transferred to Athletic
Park. at Ninth and S streets, where q
circular track had been laid at a cost
Of $4,000. This year the 2-mile race
was won by Frank Howard, a brother
to DR.. Leland o. Howard, who was for
many years the chief entomologist In
the Department of Agriculture. and
now retired. The writer recalls DR..
Howards wheeling days very well. and
has passed him many times on the
Conduit road. Indeed, the doctor gen.
orally travelled alone. and did not care
who passed him. He had one steady
gait and did not seem to get out Of it.
He was never seen to scorch. The
writer met him at his home Q few
days ago, and found him to be the
same intellectual and polished gentle
man as Of yore.
About this time there was also Q
track on Analostan Island, and In
(f3Ae CYCrE DAYS. Paxe C.50