BICYCLING. 



149 



crossing to the opposite side of the street. 

 " The result may be guessed," says the 

 " Cycling Gazette." ' The aged pedestrian 

 got it where the mule usually gets the whip. 

 The injuries, however, were not at all 

 serious, and in a few seconds the veteran 

 arose and began to curse like a sea pirate. 

 But this was not all he did. He walked 

 right into the cyclist and hit him between 

 the eyes. At this the cyclist attempted to 

 explain and finally turned back the lapel 

 of his coat and showed his badge. He was 

 a policeman and had been chasing a 

 ' scorcher,' not considering that he was just 

 as dangerous on his speedy wheel as the 

 man he was after." 



Muddy crossroads- 

 Man in hurry — 



Slow descent — 

 Obituary. 



This year, for the first time in the his- 

 tory of American racing, the L. A. W. is 

 to determine positively who is the cham- 

 pion at the end of the National Circuit 

 season. A complete table of winnings is 

 to be compiled and the rider who has the 

 largest number of points to his credit will 

 be declared champion. By the rules of the 

 racing board one championship race at 

 either one-quarter, one-third, one-half, one 

 mile, 2 miles or 5 miles, must be run at 

 each National Circuit meet. These must be 

 run off in trial heats until only 5 competi- 

 tors are left for the final. The winner of 

 the final scores 6 points; the second man, 

 4 points; the third man, 3 points; the fourth 

 man, 2 points, and the fifth man, one point. 

 The championship races at the National 

 Meet championships for each of the dis- 

 tances will be run in the same manner, ex- 

 cept that the winner will score just 10 

 times as many points; that is, 60 points for 

 first, etc. The percentage of points won 

 to starts made is not figured out or taken 

 into consideration. 



" I'm afraid the bicycle corps won't be 

 a success in the army." 

 "Why?" 

 '" Because they'll always fear a tack." 



A small hubbub has been raised in Bos- 

 ton by the request of the wheelmen that a 

 bicycle path be laid through the historical 

 Boston Common, where, as everybody is 

 supposed to know, the schoolboys met the 

 British soldiers just before the battle of 

 Bunker Hill, and which was once the train- 

 ing ground of the militia. This Common, 

 which is opposite the State House, has 

 through all these many years been jealously 

 guarded from encroachments by descend- 

 ants of worthy ancestors who lie buried 

 there, or who took part in the stirring 

 events which occurred there. The Com- 



mon is a rectangular tract of 50 acres lying 

 in the heart of the city, and to go around it 

 on a bicycle means not only a long ride 

 but the climbing of Beacon Hill or a trip 

 around by way of Tremont and Boylston 

 streets, where traffic is heavy and the riding 

 dangerous. So the wheelmen, who are 

 usually in a hurry to get home or to get 

 out into the country jn pleasant evenings, 

 want a path cut through the enclosure. 

 This has raised a storm of protest, how- 

 ever, from the defenders of the Common, 

 and the cyclists will have to present some 

 strong arguments and use all their influence 

 with the common council if they would 

 realize their desire. 



The racing season of 1898 is peculiar for 

 the number of records that were broken 

 during the spring months. Usually the best 

 times of the previous fall stand until the 

 riders have had a summer of riding to de- 

 velop their greatest speed and the warm 

 dry weather of autumn limbers up the mus- 

 cles. But everything is changed this year 

 in racing matters and the season seems to 

 have started in wrong end first. During 

 May all the world's competition records 

 from 3 to 58 miles were lowered in the 

 United States, and in England the world's 

 records for the quarter, half, three-quarters 

 and one mile were broken. 



Fisher — " What do you think makes the 

 best sinker? " 



Friend — " Dewey's fleet." 



The world's mile record, which was held 

 jointly through last winter by E. A. Mc- 

 Duffie, of this country, and J. W. Stocks, 

 of England, at one minute 35 2-5 seconds, 

 was broken on May 9th last by J. Platt- 

 Betts, of England, who placed the figures 

 • at 1.35 flat. 



" Bird Neighbors " is one of the best 

 books on Ornithology published since the 

 days of Audubon. $2 gets a copy of that 

 book and a yearly subscription to Recrea- 

 tion. How can anybody afford to be with- 

 out that book, when it can be had at ^2 

 the publishers' price? 



Helen — Don't you think my new bonnet 

 is a perfect dream? 



Mattie — It's more than a dream, dear; 

 it's a genuine nightmare. — Tid-Bits. 



A " Vaux " canoe, made by J. H. Rush- 

 ton, retail price $37.50, for 60 yearly sub- 

 scriptions to Recreation. Who will be 

 the first -to earn it? 



A high grade bicycle for 75 subscriptions 

 to Recreation. Write for particulars. 



