BICYCLING. 



ALICE AWHEEL. 



ISAAC M LELLAN. 



Dear, lovely woman! I rejoice to view 

 The roseate beauties of thy lovely face, 

 Thy peerless action, thy consummate skill, 

 Thy bird-like swiftness, thy enchanting 



grace ! 

 This healthful exercise of shapely limb 

 Adds a fresh charm" to cheeks of perfect 



bloom; 

 Kindles fresh brightness in thy beaming 



eyes, 

 Which like stars the heavenly realms il- 

 lume. 



I wonder as I view the matchless speed, 

 Of the sweet damsel skimming thro' the 



air; 

 As without effort, fairy-like she moves, 

 A pure, seraphic phantom, 'passing fair! 

 I see thee flitting on thy airy course, 

 While vain the lover seeks his vows to pay; 

 Thy agile fleetness oft defies his skill, 

 And only thy light laughter soothes his 



way! 

 And yet I view thee on the tandem wheel 

 Skimming beside the chosen of thy soul; 

 But then his whispers of adoring love, 

 Charm the fond couple as the swift wheels 



roll. 



What wondrous charms of Nature ye be- 

 hold, 

 'Mid shimmering scenes that flit along the 



ways 



Ye cast swift glances o'er the bowery 

 woods 



And pierce their shady depths with glanc- 

 ing gaze. 



Your glances sweep the wide-extended 

 bay; 



The fair Peconic, beauteous as a dream. 



Ye view the dashing yachts, the steamers 



The rippling circles of the azure stream; 

 Ye see the verdurous shores of Shelter Isle, 

 Fring'd with palatial Manhanset domes, 

 The spires of Prospect, and the shining 



roofs 

 Where city denizens find such pleasant 



homes. 



Ye skim the sandy borders of the deep 

 By bay and sound, where frothy billows 



flow, 

 While high above the clouds in glory 



sweep, 

 Their shadows imaged in the waves below. 

 All the rare scenes of earth and wave and 



air, 

 The fertile fields, the orchards rich with 



fruit, 

 The shaded lanes, the valley realms serene. 



Gladden your eyes in your supreme pur- 

 suit. 



With speechless ecstasy, with rapturous 

 zeal 



Ye view fair scenes from your revolving 

 wheel; 



By country roads, and by the woodland 

 side 



All Nature opes her treasures to your gaze, 



And welcomes all who bicycles may ride. 



The horse is swift, the carriage fair to see, 



But nothing swift or gorgeous may com- 

 pare, 



With the bicycle, by beauty ridden, 



By graceful matron or by maiden fair! 



" We've got up a new wheel club." 



" What do you call it? " 



" The Gump club." 



" Who belong? " 



" People who couldn't learn to ride." 



PNEUMATIC HUBS. 



H. R. Collins, South Bethlehem, Pa., has 

 been granted a patent for a new kind of 

 bicycle. The device does away with pneu- 

 matic tires and substitutes the solid tires 

 which were in use before the pneumatic 

 tubes were invented. 



A pneumatic tube is used in the con- 

 struction of the new wheel, and plays an 

 important part therein. This tube is fitted 

 around the hub of the wheel, and is en- 

 cased in a nickel frame, in such a manner 

 as to prevent any wear and tear on the 

 rubber. 



This pneumatic tube is blown up, the 

 same as pneumatic tires, and the frame 

 bearing on these inflated tubes does away 

 with all jarring and jolting. 



The pneumatic tube in the hub is so well 

 protected by the nickel casing that there 

 is absolutely no wear on it; hence it can- 

 not get out of order. 



The wheel tires, as stated above, are 

 solid, and are not cemented to the rim, but 

 are sliced on the inside so that they fit 

 snugly in the grooves cut in the wooden 

 rim; and once on will stay on until worn 

 o'ut. The wooden rim is made of 3 kinds 

 of wood, in 3 sections. 



No repair kit is necessary with this wheel 

 and punctures can never occur. 



The spokes are attached to the steel rim, 

 around the pneumatic tube, and are made 

 of a material that can be bent and twisted. 

 They are so strung to the rim as to throw 

 the whole weight of the wheel and rider 

 on 4 of them, which is an innovation in 

 itself. 



Mr. Collins has had a machine of this 

 pattern built and recently gave it a thor- 



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