BICYCLING. 



327 



— When will the}'' build a board walk across 

 the Atlantic, from Boston to Halifax, so 

 girls can come here without being sea sick? 

 Dear me! how I dread the trip back! Tell 

 the girls who are in camp I think a wet 

 camp must be a lot better than a sick ocean 

 trip. Jean Chapman, Bethune. 



THE SCORCHER. 

 STANLEY WATERLOO. 



Of callow and cheap ambition full, 

 He lowered his head like a charging bull, 

 And, bending over his handle-bar, 

 Left a trail amazing of bruise and scar. 

 He " scorched." 



Terror on avenue, road and mall, 

 Hated by wheelmen the worst of all, 

 He chanced on a trolley, and then he died 

 As fast as he'd ridden — and nobody cried — 

 He'd " scorched." 



And his soul went well and his soul went ill 

 Till it found a path and it climbed a hill 

 Where a saint named Peter it met, who said: 

 " You were better alive than to be now 

 dead. 



"You scorched!'" 



And he heaved the soul, with an easy grace, 

 As one's starter heaves in a cycling race, 

 And the soul went down, in a coasting way, 

 To a place where such as it go to stay 

 And scorch! 



BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS. 



To what limit the inventing of bicycle im- 

 provements has gone is shown by the Pat- 

 ent-office records in the United States. Up 

 to 1876, only 300 patents for cycles had been 

 issued from that office. In '76, invention re- 

 vived on account of the excellent exhibit of 

 English cycles at the Centennial Exhibi- 

 tion. Since '76, over 4,000 cycle patents 

 have been granted and nearly or quite one- 

 half of this number have been issued since 

 1890. In '90, one assistant examiner was 

 able to dispose of all applications that were 

 filed. In November, '96, it required 8 ex- 

 pert assistants to handle the applications for 

 cycles; and even with this force there have 

 been lately 1,000 applications constantly on 

 hand awaiting action. At the present time, 

 it is said, no country in the world is grant- 

 ing so many patents, for cycles and cycle 

 improvements, as the United States. — Cas- 

 sier's Mag. 



A scorcher scorched on a scorching day, 

 He scorched down the street pell mell; 

 He scorched right into a trolley-car, 



And he's scorching now in well, 



he isn't scorching any more in Illinois, any- 

 how. — Chicago Record. 



CYCLING NOTES. 



During these glorious September days 

 we begin to have hints of Autumn, and to 

 revel in golden rod and all the other good 

 things the month has to offer wheelmen. 

 The honey crop, of New England, largely 

 depends on golden rod, which is more than 

 ever bountiful this year, owing to the fre- 

 quent rains. 



What wheelman, touring, or otherwise, 

 but delights in bread and milk and honey, 

 a combination I can live on, and ride on, to 

 good purpose. 



And say, lets have a few big, baked sweet 

 apples to go along with the aforesaid. 



Of course a tender broiled venison steak 

 should be " applied at breakfast time," and 

 grouse pot-pie at eventide does not meet 

 with much adverse criticism. 



How general a custom it has become 

 for city people to take their wheels with 

 them when they go to the country, for the 

 summer! And how the wheels do glide 

 through Brookhouse valley, in the cool of 

 the mornings and evenings, all through the 

 summer! 



More and more, each season, they multi- 

 ply on our reads. And at least one motor 

 carriage is owned here, that charms all who 

 see it. 



How free from dust, and dirt, and ex- 

 creta our roads would be if horses were en- 

 tirely replaced by these delightfully smooth 

 running and much less costly motor ve- 

 hicles! 



This blessed state of affairs will some day 

 be a matter of fact, I hope; for it does not 

 cost a fraction to run the motor, that it 

 does to feed a pair of horses, not to mention 

 the dangerous and unpleasant habits and 

 freaks of the latter. 



Will any Recreation reader, who has 

 been to Jamaica, W. I., kindly send his ad- 

 dress to Arthur Munson, Stamford, Ct.? 



Stam. 



The new girl came half way up the front 

 stairs, in the early morn, and vigorously 

 tinkled the breakfast-bell. Instantly Mr. 

 Pemberton squirmed to one side and fell 

 out of bed with a dull thud. " Close 

 shave," he muttered, as he rolled over on 

 to his hands and knees. " What's the mat- 

 ter with you, Thomas?" cried his startled 

 wife. ;< Eh — oh — where am I? Why, con- 

 found it all! I thought I heard a scorcher 

 right behind me." 



Arthur Munson, the Stamford. Ct., L. A. 

 W., Veteran, whose broken hip last season 

 was due to Connecticut's bad roads, is 

 painting several hundred L. A. W. guide- 

 boards to put up all over the Nutmeg State. 

 Its new law calls for them at every cross 

 roads. They are good things for all road 

 users. 



