Evening star., 1942-08-09
Bicycles Brought Washingtons First Traffic Problems

visitors enjoyed themselves so much that
they were back here again In 1892.
Women Riders.
BY this time the women had become
a considerable factor in bicycle riding,
were admitted to membership in the
LAW, and made a good turnout wher-
ever it met An of1icial in speaking Of
the fair sex in attendance at Washing
ton that year said: Il never saw so many
charming ladies on cycles before" and
the account goes on to say: THE ladies
are here in large numbers and they are
attracting just share Of attention and
admiration. More than 100 ladies with
their cycles are in the city from a dis
tance, and yesterday was spent in short
runs in and about the city and the
adjacent country"
At this time The Star also made ref
erence to Mrs. William F. Smith, wife
of Washington bicycle dealer Of that
name, saying: Mrs. Smith shook hands
with and received the congratulations
of numerous wheelmen yesterday. She
was the first lady to ride a bicycle in
the United States, and her frst wheel
was made by her husband in this city,
he being the patentee. Being the first
of her sex to muster up courage and
appear on the road on bike she is
the pioneer cyclist and she distributed
pioneer badges Her badges were diff
ferent from all others, each one con-
tanning a good likeness of herself. The
pictures were on pretty strips of green
silk and the lettering on the badge gave
a history of her wheeling. The badges
were in greater demand than most of
tn club emblems, and many wheelmen
were willing to sacrifice half dozen
other badges for one of them.
The ladies' run to Soldiers Home and
Takoma Park was largely participated
in and the affair was an enjoyable one.
Over the Fourteenth street hill through
Mount Pleasant the road was in perfect
condition The numerous trees along
the Piney Branch road shaded the path
for the cyclers and protected them from
the suns rays. The weather, however,
was all that could be expected and when
Takoma was reached the party assem-
bled around the large spring, where the
water is claimed by the residents to have
no equal in this vicinity.
With few exceptions, Of course, the
men who rode wheels saw no reason why
women should not do likewise with per-
feet propriety. But with those who did
not ride there was decided opposition
to women indulging in this sort of sport.
Some looked upon it as immodest and
as lowering of womanly dignity, and
when bloomers and divided skirts were
talked of they fairly frothed at the
mouth.
But withall, woman came, she saw
and she conquered and in 1897 the
writer-just to show that his heart was
in the right place-bought his wife new
at Philadelphia that year and, after
riding up the Wissihickon and out to
Willow Grove Park (wfere he heard for
the first time that stirring march, THE
Soldiers in the Park') concluded his part
of the meet by riding more than 60 miles
over the White Horse pike to Atlantic
City, where both arrived the same day.
Ed Hay, who attended the 1892 meet
ing in Washington and who had the
habit of saying lot of good things at
the right time, upon this occasion told
the visitors that they owned the city for
which the residents had to pay all the
taxes. "but they are allowed by this gen.
=
no representation, to bear the burden
and the expense attached to the pres
ence OF large bodies Of people who may