474 
FOREST AND STREAM^ 
[Deo. la, 18«6. 
NOVICE AND EXPERT. 
The first five miles that a man rides on a bicycle is 
frequently the hardest ride he ever takes. This is espe- 
cially true of the man who teaches himself, though the 
man who receives instruction rarely fails to get as much 
exercise as is good for him in covering that distance for 
the first time. Five miles without previous experience is 
equal to fifty after the average wheelman has ridden 500 
miles, or equal to a century when he has with reasonable 
regularity recorded 1,000 miles. 
This does not of course apply to people who take a 
number of short lessons, and who stop at the first sign of 
fatigue, but to those who learn in a single lesson, and 
who do not give in until they have mastered the art. 
"Practice makes perfect" is a maxim that must con- 
stantly recur to the cyclist. With experience he finds all 
the hard things become easy. The hill that a few months 
before he strained every nerve to surmount becomes of 
trifling consequence, and he hardly notices it as he covers 
the miles with even pace; and when he comes to the 
down grade on the other side and back pedals or coasts 
it makes him smile to think how scared he was the first 
time he descended it. 
Riders vary in talents, and some men learn in half or 
quarter the time of others. It is not possible, therefore, 
in anything but a Very general way to mark the line be- 
tween novice and expert. We should say, though, that 
the man who has ridden a thousand miles over all kinds 
of roads, including hilly country, and who has covered in 
single rides distances of fifty, seventy -five or a hundred 
miles, has, as a rule, pretty near, if not quite, graduated 
into the expert class. 
There are clearly defined periods of progress. At first 
the rider toils laboriously, and gets more sweat to the 
square inch than pleasure out "of cycling. He has a ter- 
ror of approaching vehicles that is only rivaled by his joy 
when he succeeds in safely passing them; and a hundred- 
foot boulevard set aside for his uses alone would not give 
him more space than he would like to have. At this 
period every mole hill is a mountain, and moimtains 
themselves have no interest for him. 
He runs into every rut and stone and ditch he comes 
across, and the number of narrow escapes he has would 
fill a book. At this period he is a "wabbler," physically 
and mentally. 
But he is learning all the while, and presently there 
comes a time when on good roads his apprehensions dis- 
appear and he becomes aware that he is looking at the 
landscape instead of his front wheel, and thinking about 
subjects that would interest him under ordinary circum- 
stances, instead of the old bugbears of collisions and sud- 
den death. 
This change frequently occurs as early as the comple- 
tion of the first 100 miles. 
At 500 miles he can ride the cable slot fairly well or a 
narrow wheel track in a country road, or easier still one 
of the footpaths that run beside, and he has learned the 
command of his bicycle on most hills and on bad roads. 
His muscles are hardening, and rides of twenty-five or 
even fifty miles over good roads do not bother him. The 
real pleasure of cycling is beginning to dawn on him, and 
he is also learning to make his bicycle of practical use in 
his affairs. 
Then before he knows it he becomes aware that the in- 
dustrious little cyclometer shows four figures on its open 
face, and if he is of the right kind of stuff at this stage of 
the game the wheel will have become a part of himself. 
Without being conscious of the fact the two have grown 
together, like the man and horse combination of the old 
centaur, and strangely enough it seems as though it was 
the bicycle that had learned and not the man. For the 
expert the steed of steel answers each little whim without 
the need of the rider's effort, here just missing that stone 
and there picking out the only smooth inch of road in 40ft. 
When the rider wishes to dismount it takes him to the 
exact spot and the pedal comes just right, and when he 
gets on again things adjust themselves just as nicely. 
Nothing feazes the trusty wheel, and the rider thinks to 
himself "How well trained it has become!" He does not 
take the credit to himself that he has at last learned the 
art of riding. 
A Natural Trap. 
New York, Nov. 13. — Editor Forest and Stream: A 
strange accident happened to me the other day, and I am 
sending an account of it to your wheeling department, 
because it occurred while I was out with my bicycle. 
I was riding along a very lonely road past a piece of 
woodland, when I heard a hound persistently baying in 
one particular place. Thinking that he had possibly treed 
a coon, I left my wheel in some bushes by the side of the 
road and went over to investigate. 
When I reached the spot I found that the dog was work- 
ing at the base of a large rock 8 or 10ft. high, and perhaps 
20ft. across in any direction. Upon examination I dis- 
covered that there was quite a cavity under this rock, 
and that by removing one or two small fragments I could 
make an entrance for the dog. Accordingly I set to work 
and raised several stones. One large stone was wedged 
in tightly nearly 3ft. below the surface of the surrounding 
ground, and I worked away at this for some time without 
success. Finally, however, on getting pretty well down 
into the opening I had made, and rocking it by purchase 
on one end, I loosened the stone. The same instant, to 
my surprise and alarm, a large fragment of the main 
rock, weighing perhaps two tons, slipped down several 
inches and pinioned one of my feet. The fact that it 
rested on some elastic leaf mold alone saved the foot from 
being crushed. 
Realizing the danger of any movement on my part, I 
stood perfectly still and looked upward to ascertain the 
situation. 
The loosened fragment of rock that held me fast 
reached a foot or more above my head and leaned over 
me threateningly, being plainly out of the perpen- 
dicular. 
It had evidently been dislodged from the main rock by 
the action of the frost, water having collected in some 
internal fissure. 
In shape it was like an immense tombstone, and I 
thought at tha time that it might be my burial slab. 
The weight of the rock pinched my foot in a very pain- 
ful way, but it was evident that any ill-advised attempt 
to dig it out would bring the great mass over on my 
body, so I went at the task of releasing myself in a very 
leisurely way. 
NEW YACHTS, 1897-SAIL, 
Rio- 
LN fi 111 C • 
< 
Yawl... 
Sloop . „ 
Sloop , , 
Sloop,, 
36 
36 
Knock. 
24 
Oliver Adams, 
A. Carj' Smith. 
Builder 
Reed Bros,... 
T. R. Webber. 
W.P. Kirk.... 
J.F. Ackerman 
.v.iT |[i.'£riu«ion 
.1 R. Fu-don.. 
RNun'emiGher 
Builder 
E. tSorgeson... 
Lawley & Son. 
H. & S. Davis.. 
Owner 
Lawley & Sm. 
Herreshoff Co. 
Owner 
Sloop . , 
Knock. 
Geo. Lawley. . 
Ildo Eatnsdell. 
vVm.Hiridshaw 
F 0, Nartn,.., 
H. M. Sears..,, 
H. H. Liunell.. 
P. in. Hoyc ... 
J. B. Mill-* 
Sloop.. 
Ploop. . 
Sloop.. 
Cutter. 
Cutter 
Knock. 
Knock, 
51 
51 
&eo, Lawley.. . 
(Jardner & Cox 
Type. 
K.,., 
K.... 
C. B.. 
C. B . 
K,.,. 
C. B.. 
K . . . . 
Fiu... 
C, B.. 
K ,,, 
K ... 
C. B.. 
Con- 
s' rue 
tion. 
Wood. 
Wood.. 
Wood . . 
Wood. 
Wood. . 
Wood . 
Wood.. 
Wrod. 
Wood. 
Wood. 
Wood. 
Wood., 
Length 
O. A. 
46 
35 
32 
36 
35 
23 
Length 
L.W.L 
39 
30 
25 
24 
24 
24 
30 
25 
15 
Beam 
IS 
18 
11 
8 6 
6 6 
Draft 
6 6 
3 
7 
5 6 
Built at.. 
Fall River. 
New Roehelle. 
Tom's River. 
Pine Lake, Minn. 
South Boston. 
Chicago. I 
Chicago. 
South Boston. 
Bristol. 
Dorchester. 
NEW YACHTS, 1897— PO'^ER 
Name, 
• 
Owner. 
Designer. 
Builler. 
Motor. 
Rig. 
Mate- 
rial, 
Ovrr 
a'l. 
L.W .L. 
Beam 
Draft 
Bvi\-. at. 
J. E. Broohs,.. . 
J, Q, Cassaft.... 
0. E. Flint 
G. W. C. Drexel. 
G L. Watson . . 
Ail.sa Co 
180 
TrcoD. 
G. L. Watson . . 
Ramage & Fer.. 
Leith, 
122 
12 6 
4 
A. Chtsebrough. 
H. & H 
Steam.. 
Steel. . . 
no 8 
350 8 
24 
11 
Wilmington. 
F. E. Brush.... 
F. L. Masury. . . 
E. S. Woodward 
G. Kortright 
C. Fit Uchmann.. 
J.A.Mollenhauer 
F. E. Kirby ... 
Steam. 
1 
t 
Seabury & Co,,. 
S earn. 
Wood . 
85 
73 
13 
5 
Morris Heights. 
Seabury & po... 
Steam. 
85 
90 
78 
Seabury & Go. .. 
Steam. 
Sehr... 
Steel... 
170 
138 
21 
8 
Morris Heights. 
S earn.. 
Schr... 
Comp.. 
80 
75 
9 6 
2 
H. Wintringbam 
Steam. . 
125 
116 
30 
5 
Newburgh, 
First I carefully drew some of the small boulders I had 
taken from the hole toward me. Then I wedged several 
of these under projecting irregularities in the lower sur- 
face of the large boulder till I had it propped in a way 
that I thought would keep it from rolling forward. 
Finally, with fingers and a bent stick, I loosened the 
earth beneath my foot and carefully dragged it free. 
I was safe, but to guard against any one else being 
trapped as I had been I drove the dog to a safe distance, 
and climbing to the top of the rock mass braced my feet 
against the treacherous fragment and gave it a heave 
that sent it over with a rumble and crash, 
the stones on which it fell and filling the 
smell of brimstone. 
splintering 
air with a 
J. A. O. 
Cycle liocks. 
A GREAT many varieties of locks have been devised to 
prevent cycles from being ridden off by thieves; but in 
our opinion nothing is better than a small padlock and 
chain, which enables the owner not only to make the 
machine unrideable, but to secure it to a gate or railing, 
so that it cannot even be carried away. The chain, how- 
ever, should be a special one made for the purpose, and 
should consist of properly tempered steel. If it is com- 
posed of any soft metal, a large pair of scissors will be 
sufficient to cut it through, unless it is very heavy and 
cumbersome. — Scottish Cyclist. 
The PoBBST AND STREAM 19 put to pTesB eooft. weefc on Tue$day 
Correspondmee intended for publication should reach, us at the 
latest by Monday, and as much earlier oa prcusticabU. 
PUBLISHERS' DEPARTMENT. 
Map of the United States. 
A LARQK, handsome map of the United States, moimted and suitable 
for office or home use, is issued by the Burlington Route, Copies wUl 
be mailed to any address on receipt of 15 cents in postage by P. S. 
Eustis, Genu Pass. Agent, C, B. & Q. R. R , Chicago, 111.— ^dv. 
A meeting of the council of the Sound Y. R U. was held 
on Dec. 7 at the Seawanhaka Corinthiaa Y. C. house, at 
which were pre.sent by invitation W. A. C. Hamilton, of 
the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. ; L M. Clark, of Boston, 
president of the Massachusetts Y. R. A., and A. J Prime, 
of Yonkers, president of the New York Y. R. A. Certain 
changes were proposed and discussed, which, if made, will 
bring the Sound and the Massachusetts associations more 
closely in harmony. 
NEW YACHTS. 
The accompanying list of proposed yachts for 1897 is by 
no means complete or correct, but is compiled from the best 
available sources, and we publish it thus early in the hope 
that it may bring out further information byway of addition 
and correction. 
In sailing yachts but little has been done thus far. There 
are not even rumors of any new racing schooners, and the 
news of tke possible alterations to Emerald closes one source 
of conjecture that always serves to make news in the dull 
season, the plans and intentions of her owner. The extreme 
improbability of a challenge for the America's Cap leaves 
the largest cutter class just where it has been for a year past, 
with Defender safely laid up in New Roehelle Harbor and 
no prospect of a new vessel to contest the honors of the big 
class with her. The next class, 70ft., has thus far progressed 
no further than a vague rumor that it will be built up this 
year. We wish that we could announce that this was more 
than the most indefinite rumor. 
The prospects for the 51ft. class are much brighter. One 
order has already been placed by F. M, Hoyt, owner of 
Korota, with her designers, Gardner & Cox. The owner of 
the 30-footer Infanta, J. B. Mills, has been in correspondence 
with her designer, Will Fife, Jr , concerning a racing 51- 
footer, and several other recruits to the class are rumored. 
It is very probable that this will be the particular racing 
class of 1897. 
The number of smaller yachts as yet reported is quite 
small, and many more may be looked for after the first of 
the year. A. Gary Smith has designed for Oliver Adams, of 
the Larchmont Y. C, former owner of the yawl Kwasind, a 
keel yacht of the same class, a cruising yawl with good 
accommodation ; not a racing boat, but good enough for the 
races of her rig about the Sound. The order is not yet 
placed, but the yacht will probably be built by Reed Bros., 
of Fall River, who built both Kwasind and Audax. Another 
somewhat similar craft is now building from his own design 
by T. R. Webber, of New Roehelle, for a Philadelphia 
yachtsman. She will have 6ft. 3in. headioom and the in- 
terior will be very roomy and well arranged. At Tom's 
River, on the Jersey coast, W. P. Kirke is at work on a 
cruising craft of his own design for J. F. Ackerman, of the 
Atlantic Y. C, former owner of the yawl Fidelio. In Bos- 
ton, J. R. Purdon has ready the design for a racing jib and 
mainsail boat for the 24ft. l.w.l. class of the Massacnusfetts 
Y. R. A., a very shoal hull with a 4001b. board and moderate 
sail plan, and also a keel cruiser of the same waterline. 
Lawley & Co. have underway a knockabout for sale, and 
also an order for a knockabout from F. O. North. The 
Herreshoffs have an order for a racing knockabout for H. M. 
Sears, of Boston, and several others aie rumored for the 
same class from the Bristol shops. 
About New York the interest in the smaller classes will 
be concentrated on the 30ft. class, but no boats have yet 
been ordered except one for Philip T. Dodge, owner of the 
2O-fo0ter Eos, to be designed by Chas. Olmstead, designer of 
Eos and the successful 15 footer Riverside, Building has 
already begun on some of the smaller Western lakes, where 
the local builders have made reputations in their successful 
competition with the Herreshoffs, which they will work 
hard to maintain. The only boat yet reported is for Pine 
Lake, to the order of Com. Nunnemacher, one of the most 
active patrons of the small racing classes. 
The steam hst is but a brief one as yet, the principal ves- 
sels being on foreign stocks; for reasons which are perfectly 
obvious when one compares the latest productions of the 
Clyde and the Delaware. The largest of these is a seagoing 
steamer for John E. Brooks, of the New York Y. C, a sea- 
going craft intended for long voyages. Her ■ dimen- 
sions are not yet made known, but she is trom the drawing 
board of Mr. Watson, as is another new craft recently 
ordered for J. Gardner Cassatt, of Philadephia. The former 
will be built by the Ailsa Ship Building Co., of Troon, N. 
B., and the latter by Ramage & Ferguson, of Leith. 
The home orders include several yachts for coasting ser- 
vice, of about 150ft. 1 w.l. Of these, one, Hiawatha II., is 
building at the new works of C. L Seabury & Co., ad- 
joining the Gas Engine and Power Co., at Morris Docks, 
New York, for Chas. Fleischmann, of Cincinnati, owner of 
Hiawatha I., built by the same firm last year. The new 
yacht, of steel throughout, is larger, and will be most com- 
fortable and elegantly ari^anged, with all the luxuries now 
found in this class of vessel. The other large yacht is for 
G. W. Child s-Drexel, owner of the steam yacht Alcedo; the 
design is by A. S. Chesebrough, of Boston, and she will be 
built by Harlan & HoUingsworth, at Wilmington. 
The most interesting novelty among the new steam craft is 
a high-speed yacht of a larger size than has yet been at- 
tempted— 132ft. l.w.l.— designed by Chas. D. Mosher for 
Chas. R Flint, an old New York yachtsman. This boat will 
be of composite build, with double skin, with wry power- 
