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Title: The Velocipede
Its History, Varieties, and Practice
Author: Anonymous
Release Date: November 13, 2021 [eBook #66727]
Language: English
Produced by: deaurider, sf2001, and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VELOCIPEDE ***
[Illustration]
THE
VELOCIPEDE;
ITS
HISTORY, VARIETIES, AND PRACTICE
_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS._
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY HURD AND HOUGHTON.
Cambridge: Riverside Press.
1869.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
J. T. Goddard,
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for
the District of Massachusetts.
RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:
STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY
H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.
PREFACE
When the rumor first came across the water, a few years ago, of that
wonderful and fascinating little two-wheeled machine, upon which one
could so gracefully annihilate time and space, the author of this
little book was seized with his first attack of Velocipede Fever.
When, in the spring of 1868, we heard how popular this invention was
becoming in France, how much it was ridden in Paris; in its Boulevards,
its Bois de Boulogne, and on the smooth paths of the Champs Elysées;
how it was employed for amusement in the Garden of the Tuileries, and
by the laborer in the suburbs going to his daily toil; how exhilarating
to the gentleman, how useful to the messenger and post-boy, we were
again seized with the disease with renewed virulence.
We could hardly delay for one from across the Atlantic, and embraced
the first opportunity to learn the art of riding. While learning, with
bruised elbows and scraped knees, with the bicycle more of the time on
us than we on it, we felt how usefully we could employ a few hints of
instruction, and how invaluable we should find some little book that
would tell us all about the machine.
After we were somewhat proficient, we were amazed that we had not
learned before, and saw how easily we could have done so, if we had
only been a little informed of the method of procedure.
When we proposed purchasing, we were all adrift, as likely to buy a
poor machine as a good one, and anxiously scanned the papers, and
inquired of friends concerning the merits and demerits of each patent
and make.
So far as we can learn, there has been no book written upon the
Velocipede, either abroad or in this country.
It is the design of this little work, not only to give a few simple
directions to guide the beginner, but to give the history of the
machine from its first origin, to treat accurately and impartially of
the strength, lightness, superiority, and inferiority of each important
machine and patent, and to collect such facts, statistics, and items,
as may be of use and information to any one interested in the subject.
We think it an invention which will not have an ephemeral popularity,
but which will, in its way, revolutionize travel for all time. We love
the velocipede, and can truly quote, “Amor jussit scribere.”
We wish to thank the various manufacturers for their kindness in
giving us information, and to acknowledge our indebtedness to various
newspapers that have fallen in our way, to the “Scientific American,”
to the “Galaxy,” and to the “Velocipedist,” and its genial and
accomplished young editor.
Cambridge, _March 20, 1869_.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
The Velocipede: its History and Origin 7
The Bicycle 17
Patents and the Rights of Manufacturers 27
Hints to Purchasers 35
Advice to the Beginner 39
Construction of the Bicycle 45
Varieties of the Bicycle:
Wood Brothers’ Velocipede 48
The Monod Velocipede 50
Witty’s Velocipede 51
Pickering’s American Velocipede 52
Sargent Velocipede 55
Kimball’s Velocipede 57
The Dexter Bicycle 61
The Chicago Velocipede 62
Four-wheeled Velocipedes:
Bradford’s Velocipede 64
Callahan’s Velocipede 67
The Tricycle 70
Hemming’s Unicycle, or “Flying Yankee Velocipede” 76
Velocipedes for Ladies 85
Velocipede Schools and Rinks 90
“Where shall we ride?” 97
Velocipede Racing 99
Velocipede Literature 103
Velocipathy. The Velocipede from a Medical Point of View 104
THE VELOCIPEDE:
ITS HISTORY AND ORIGIN.
We have spent much time in fruitless and weary researches over old
French books and musty journals, and have found that there is but very
little about the Velocipede, in the literature, or dictionaries and
encyclopedias of ancient or modern times.
In the “Journal de Paris” of July 27, 1779, there is a description of
a vehicle invented by Messrs. Blanchard and Mesurier, the former the
celebrated aeronaut, which was exhibited on the Place Louis XV., named
to-day Place de Concorde, in the presence of many members of the French
Academy and a large concourse of spectators. At the head of the machine
was the figure of an eagle, with outspread wings, to which was attached
the apparatus with which the driver directed its movements. Behind it
was seated an individual who propelled the machine. At a subsequent
date, the inventor transported the vehicle to Versailles, and exhibited
its capabilities, in the presence of Louis XVI., Marie Antoinette, and
their effeminate court. At a later date M. Dreuze made an improvement
on this invention, which met with some success as a toy. A number of
these machines were constructed after his model, and distributed among
country postmen, who used the novelty for a time, until a heavy fall of
snow rendered them unserviceable, when they were abandoned, greatly to
the gratification of a conservative class, who, detesting anything in
the way of innovation, had prophesied their failure.
The article upon the Velocipede in the “American Encyclopedia,”
commences by giving the well-known derivation of the word from the
Latin _velox_, swift, and _pes_, a foot, and defines it as a carriage,
by means of which the rider propels himself along the ground, and
states that it was invented at Manheim.
In a little old French book called “Dictionnaire de Conversation,”
under the word _Velocipede_, we are referred to the word _Drasienne_,
on turning to which, we find a description of the three-wheeled arm
movement Velocipede, and the credit of its invention ascribed to Baron
Charles Drais de Saverbrun, at Manheim, at the early commencement of
the nineteenth century. The Drasienne, though a decidedly crude idea,
differed very materially from the clumsy structure of Messrs. Blanchard
and Mesurier.
Baron Drais de Saverbrun seems to be universally considered the
inventor of the germ, which has developed into the present improved
Velocipede. He was a man of considerable scientific attainments, and
author of several works; son of a lawyer, himself a landscape gardener;
and died at Carlsruhe, December 12, 1851. He was master of the woods
and forests of the Grand Duke of Baden, and rode about upon the
Drasienne, while performing his official duties.
This invention made its _début_ in 1816, in the garden of Tivoli, which
was at that time the favorite resort of the _crême de la crême_ of
Parisian society. As originally constructed it appears to have been of
the most simple kind. It consisted of a bar five feet long, supported
at each end upon a single wheel, that designed for the front being
so arranged as to turn obliquely to the line of the carriage. The
rider sat astride the bar, and propelled the machine by the action of
the feet upon the ground. The motion was much like walking upon the
heels; as the feet were brought down flat, the heels were the first
to touch. The vehicle was never generally patronized, because the
pleasure of riding it was counterbalanced by the labor of propelling
it. It was called the “Célérifère,” or “makespeed,” and many shafts
of ridicule were leveled mercilessly at it. The mode of propelling
it was not graceful, and this ridicule was not without foundation.
It disappeared from view in France almost as rapidly as its inventor
expected it to roll into public favor. This novel vehicle, under the
name of “Drasina” was introduced into England in 1818, and, at first,
the greatest possible expectations were created, with regard to its
usefulness and speed. It was maintained, that it would travel up-hill
on a post-road as fast as a man could walk; that on a level, even after
a heavy rain, it would average six or seven miles an hour; and that, on
a descent, it would equal a horse at full speed. It was described in
the advertisements of the day as “consisting of two wheels, one behind
the other, connected by a perch, on which a saddle is placed as a seat.
The front wheel is made to turn on a pivot, guided by a circular lever
or rudder, which comes up to the hand; _the fore-arms rest on a cushion
in front_; in this position, both hands holding the rudder firmly, the
machine and traveller are preserved _in equilibrio_.”
In 1821 Lewis Gompertz of Surrey, introduced some decided improvements
upon the Drasina, as will be seen from the accompanying engraving,
extracted from the 39th volume of the English “Repertory of Arts.”
[Illustration]
The object of the improvement of Gompertz was to bring the arms of
the rider into action, in assistance to his legs. It consisted “in
the application of a handle, C, which is to be worked backwards and
forwards, to which is attached a circular rack, D G, which works in
a pinion, E, with ratch wheel on the front wheel of the velocipede,
and which, on being pulled by the rider with both hands, sends the
machine forward; and when thrust from him does not send it back again,
on account of the ratch, which allows the pinion to turn in that
direction, free of the wheel. H is the saddle, and the rest, B is so
made that the breast of the rider bears against it, while the sides
come around him at some distance below the arms, and is stuffed.” The
rider could with this machine either propel it entirely without the
feet, or he could use the feet, while the arms were free. The beam, A,
was made of beech wood, and a pivot at F, allowed the front wheel to be
turned to the right or left at the will of the rider. This must have
been, although somewhat clumsily shaped, quite an efficient machine,
good for the times--forty-eight years ago. It will be seen that it
has many features in common with the one now in vogue, though the
difference in the manner of propelling completely changes the character
of the vehicle.
Among those who distinguished themselves on the velocipede in England
was Michael Faraday the chemist, who frequently drove his machine
through the suburbs of London.
The velocipede was cultivated most assiduously for some little time
by the sporting gentry of England; but Lord George Bentinck and other
persons of fashion finally pronounced so decidedly against it, that
it descended to the vulgar level of a plaything for young people, and
ceased to be regarded in any other light than that of a toy or hobby.
While the fever lasted, a shoemaker of London made much money by the
manufacture of a strong shoe, soled with iron, which greatly aided the
feet of the “Velocipeders,” as they went over the ground.
William Howitt, in his “Visits to Remarkable Places,” a book published
in 1841, makes mention of the velocipede as follows--the passage
is taken from a description of Alnwick Castle, the ancient seat of
the Percy family: “Among the curiosities laid up here, are also two
velocipedes, machines which twenty years ago were for a short period
much in vogue. One young man of my acquaintance rode on one of these
wooden horses all the way from London to Falkirk in Scotland, and was
requested at various towns to exhibit his management of it to the
ladies and gentlemen of the place. He afterward made a long excursion
to France upon it. He was a very adroit velocipedean, and was very
much amused with the circumstance of a gentleman meeting him by the
river side, who, requesting to be allowed to try it, and being shown
how he must turn the handle in order to guide it, set off with great
spirit, but turning the wrong way, soon found himself hurrying to the
edge of the river, where in his flurry, instead of turning the handle
the other way, he began lustily shouting ‘Woh!’ ‘woh!’ and so crying
plunged headlong into the stream. The Duke’s horse, which is laid up
here for the gratification of posterity, was, I believe, not so unruly;
yet I was told its pranks caused it to be disused and here stabled.
It is said that the duke and his physicians used to amuse themselves
with careering about the grounds on these steeds; but one day being
somewhere on the terrace, his grace’s Trojan steed capsized, and rolled
over and over with him down the green bank, much to the amusement of
a troop of urchins who were mounted on a wall by the road to witness
this novel kind of racing. On this accident the velocipede was laid up
in lavender, and a fine specimen of the breed it is. I asked the old
porter if the story was true, but he only said, ‘Mind! I did not tell
you that. Don’t pretend to say, if you write any account of this place,
that you had that from me.’”
The machine was introduced into New York in 1819, where it was given
the English name of “Hobby-horse” or “Dandy-horse.” The excitable
citizens went into an ecstasy of astonishment and delight, and the
manufacturers found it impossible to meet the demand. A place was
opened for their exhibition near Bowling Green, and people used
to run on them up and down the Bowery, and the hill that led from
Chatham Street to the City Hall Park. The rage for them soon extended
throughout the country; and we hear of them in Philadelphia, Yonkers,
Troy, Saratoga, and Boston. At Troy in the fall of 1819, a firm, Davis
and Rogers, manufactured a number of machines, and used to let them to
the young bloods about town, at twenty-five cents an hour. In Boston
they became quite common, and, moonlight nights, students from the
classic shades of Old Harvard could be seen running them across the
long bridge into the city.
In a New York paper of those days we find an interesting account of a
newly invented velocipede for ladies then building “by a distinguished
artist.” “It is to have beams, or bodies on springs, and four wheels
which will insure its safety. It is to quarter on the road like other
carriages; and with four _impellers_ it is supposed it will proceed
with astonishing rapidity; but its peculiar recommendation is to be
conveyance of two ladies and two _impellers_ at the rate of six miles
an hour.”
The “Ladies Literary Cabinet” (published corner Chatham and Duane
streets), of Saturday, August 9, 1819, gives a very amusing account
of a hoax which seems to have completely deceived the citizens:
“VELOCIPEDE HOAX. Some mischievous wag on Saturday last, caused printed
hand-bills to be distributed, announcing that on Monday at five o’clock
precisely, a velocipede would start from the head of Chatham Square,
and proceed to St. Paul’s Church in less than two minutes, and that it
would afterward be exhibited in the Park, etc. Notwithstanding the rain
on Monday, the people began to collect at an early hour, so that before
five o’clock Chatham Street was literally crowded from one end to the
other. Every window from the basement to the attic was thrown open, and
filled with the beautiful heads of ladies and children, exposed to the
incessant searching mist, which robbed their lovely tresses of every
curl which the morning’s industry had created. But female fortitude
and curiosity combined, are not to be shaken by wind and weather. For
more than an hour did the throng continue to increase, until it was
almost impossible to pass the street with or without a velocipede. In
the mean time, the Park was also crowded, and the City Hall exhibited
the appearance of a gala-day. It is needless to say that no velocipede
appeared.”
Since that time down to a recent day, when M. Lallement, of France,
took it in hand, all experiments to render the machine subservient
to practical purposes appear to have been unsatisfactory, and it has
only been used as a toy, with the modification of a third wheel. M.
Lallement succeeded in affixing to the front wheel of the two-wheeled
machine, treadles which should be acted upon by the feet. His success
attending his endeavors to ride it, was beyond his most sanguine
expectations. After becoming a thorough master of the tandem team,
he appeared upon the Champs Elysées, and created a genuine _furore_.
People not only wondered that such a strange machine should run so
swiftly, but that it should run at all upon two wheels in a line. He
obtained a patent upon his velocipede, and sold it to Messrs. Michaux &
Co., of Paris, who have since improved much upon it. M. Lallement, with
James Carroll, of New Haven, Conn., obtained a patent in this country
in 1866.
The machines now in use are so radically different from those of fifty
years ago, so perfect in propelling power, so easy to ride, so swift of
motion, so useful as a means of conveyance, that it seems impossible
for history to repeat itself with regard to the present mania.
[Illustration]
THE BICYCLE.
Of the various kinds of velocipedes, four, three, two, and one wheeled,
the bicycle seems to be considered the most artistic, is altogether
the most in favor, and steadily maintains its ground against all
rivals. Whether it will be the model velocipede of the future remains
to be seen. The various experiments now being tried will, no doubt,
eventually result in a nearly perfect machine, but it will require
a season’s experience fully to develop the ingenuity of our American
artisans.
Many have expressed doubts as to the real utility of the velocipede,
and the permanency of its use. They seem to think it a frivolous
invention only calculated to serve purposes of amusement, and soon
to be superseded by some other ephemeral claimant for popularity.
Most of these have based their opinions upon the disuse into which
rude machines have fallen in former times. But the difference in the
construction of the modern velocipede from the primitive one has
entirely changed the character of the vehicle. It is no longer a draft
vehicle, but a locomotive, and as much superior to the original bar on
wheels, as the improved steam locomotive is to the old time stage-coach.
We believe in the utility, convenience, and economy of the innovation,
as well as in its capacity for affording amusement, and developing
strength and skill; and believe as now improved, it is destined to mark
an era in the history of vehicles. It has passed the period of being
a mere toy, and although as the novelty wears away, there may be less
enthusiasm, it will continue to be used, and in an increasing degree,
for street locomotion. With those who live in the cities and require
a daily exercise, exhilarating, pleasant, healthful, and free from
expense; with those who reside in the country and have long distances
to traverse daily in reaching the scene of their labors, or with those
who have leisure and wealth at their command, but love such exercises
as afford an opportunity for the display of grace, agility, and skill,
the velocipede has already become as great a favorite in this country
as it is in France and England.
Its want of adaptability to the roughly paved road-ways of our cities,
is already, in a great measure, overcome, and experience has proved its
facility _in rure_. We have seen the bicycle run with ease on country
roads, and dashing with full speed through city streets, totally
regardless of curbstones or crossings. In New York, no matter where
you go, a velocipede is sure to whiz past you. The school-boy rides up
Fifth Avenue in the morning, with his books strapped before him. In
Broadway, where stages, wagons, carts, trucks, and carriages, clog the
street from morning till night, the iron steed may be seen gracefully
cutting its way among the larger vehicles.
The exercise is not tiresome, except to the beginner. We have found
twelve miles on a country road no more fatiguing than a brisk walk of
two. We believe a man may ride and drive one at the rate of ten miles
an hour, with less fatigue than he could walk one quarter of that
distance. Some people ride easier than others, as some skate easier.
Some people make hard work of anything. Lazy people will never fall in
love with the bicycle, because to ride one requires all the faculties
to be alive and in action. To keep one’s balance, however, does not
require that constant labor and exertion which novices suppose.
“Familiarity breeds contempt,” the old adage says. Familiarity with the
bicycle becomes a sort of second nature, and a velocipedean, after a
fair amount of experience, finds himself almost as perfectly at home
astride his two-wheeler, as he does on his feet.
When John Brent rode his horse across the plains in search of
adventure, the era of the two-wheeled velocipede had not come upon
us. We think the bicycle an animal, which will, in a great measure,
supersede the horse. It does not cost as much; it will not eat, kick,
bite, get sick, or die. It requires no stabling, no feed, no water, no
curry-comb. It never “balks,” or “rares up.” It never needs a halter
or a harness. It is light, and little, and leans lovingly against you
for support. Its gait is uniform and easy, beautiful and exhilarating
to see, and simple to analyze. It glides along with smooth grace, as
though it were alive.
Young America is pictured coming in on a velocipede. Henry Ward Beecher
thinks the coming man will ride one, and we shall not be surprised
to see his prediction fulfilled, and devout worshippers propelling
themselves to church on Sunday with all due gravity and decorum.
Velocipeding is a hopeful sign of progress. If that man is a benefactor
who makes two blades of grass grow where but one grew before, he should
come in for a share of praise, who teaches a man to go ten miles as
easily and as quickly as he previously went one. “Time is money;” and
whatever of it is saved is often so much cash. As the velocipede serves
its purpose in this direction, it may be regarded as a good savings
institution.
We think that decided good will grow out of this invention. Riding
the velocipede affords pleasurable excitement, which is what most men
drink liquor for, and it leaves no sting behind. It takes men from the
bar-rooms out into the pure air, into God’s light and sunshine, and
braces their lungs with the very breath of Heaven. It stimulates them
to save what they would otherwise spend foolishly, that they may invest
it in a machine which is a source of health and pleasure, as well as of
utility. It is an inducement to young men who work in close apartments
to spend more time in the open air, and furnishes them a means of
healthful, invigorating, and, at the same time, pleasant exercise, such
as nothing else can possibly afford.
Serious accidents on the velocipede are almost unheard of, and the
predictions that these machines would prove dangerous have not been
verified. It will fall down, but the rider need not fall with it
unless he chooses. It is no more dangerous than a horse and carriage,
under any circumstances, and not nearly so much so, with ordinary
caution.
The speed attained by the swifter kind of velocipede on the roads,
averages from twelve to thirteen miles an hour. On a smooth, level
floor, such a speed can be maintained with but little effort on almost
any machine. It is safe to say that a good velocipede rider can travel
a hundred miles as quickly as an ordinary horse with an ordinary load.
Of course, the more a person rides, the easier it becomes, and the less
the fatigue.
In impelling a velocipede, the limbs are not constantly in motion;
for on level ground, when the impetus is at the average rate, or when
the machine is descending an incline, the feet may be removed from
the pedals, and the legs be placed on the bar, fixed in front of the
machine for that purpose. A slight impulsion to the vehicle from time
to time suffices to keep up the speed. When a rider encounters a
formidable hill, he can dismount and lead his bicycle by the hand. He
can do this with almost the same ease that he can carry an ordinary
walking-stick. A hill, to be insurmountable, has to be, however, of
more than average steepness. Though Massachusetts is proverbially
hilly, there is no ascent between Boston and Worcester, a distance
of thirty miles, that cannot be ridden over with the bicycle.
The best speed thus far attained on the road is a mile in a few
seconds over three minutes. A gentleman in New Jersey, a few weeks
since, travelled fifty miles in four hours and a half. A gentleman
residing in 22d Street, New York, goes down town to his business on
his velocipede in twelve minutes. Adepts abroad find no difficulty
whatever in accomplishing fully fifty miles in five hours, without
once alighting from their vehicles. A few months ago, a couple of
amateurs, making a tour through a part of France, challenged each other
as to which could perform the greatest distance in four and twenty
hours. One accomplished eighty-seven miles, the other one hundred and
twenty-three. A party of nine quitted Rouen early in the morning on
their velocipedes, and arrived in Paris in time for dinner the same
evening; having performed the distance of eighty-five miles, exclusive
of stoppages, and at a rate of speed averaging between ten and twelve
miles an hour. An English gentleman travelled the distance from London
to Bristol, one hundred and thirty-five miles, between the hours of
three o’clock, P. M., one day, and ten A. M. the next, stopping some
hours in Reading.
In Paris, the Americans carry off the prizes for slow as well as fast
riding. The slow riding is much the more difficult. It is much easier
for the rider to keep his equilibrium while riding swiftly.
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes once published an article in the “Atlantic
Monthly,” entitled “The Human Wheel; its Spokes and Felloes;” in which
he treated the act of walking as analagous to the movement of a wheel:
the legs being the spokes and the feet the felloes. Had he postponed
his humorous and instructive essay a year or two, he would have found
himself behind the age.
It is perhaps not generally known to what an extent the bicycle mania
prevails, and how rapidly the idea has germinated, budded, and bloomed,
not only throughout our own country, but in various parts of the world.
In New York some ten thousand pupils are ready to graduate from the
schools and appear upon the roads. In Boston there will soon be nearly
as many more; while Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco
count their experts by the hundred and their novices by the thousand.
We hear of the bicycle in the far West and in Texas. We read that New
Orleans proposes to purchase velocipedes for its fire companies, and
hear of a velocipede military company in Louisville. We play velocipede
music, and in our walks velocipede “Livery Stables” and “Velocipedes to
Let,” greet our eyes. The shop-windows on our fashionable thoroughfares
display Velocipede Hats, Velocipede Gloves, and Velocipede Shoes.
The machines have become so numerous on the sidewalks of Providence,
New Bedford, and other New England towns, that the stunned authorities
contemplated prohibiting their use, as a nuisance. The various merits
of various machines are discussed on the street corners with as much
zeal as were ever the diversified merits of horse-flesh; and experts
are to be heard talking of these new substitutes for legs as jockeys
are wont to talk of the wind, strength, bottom, gait, and “go” of
Eclipses, Dexters, and Ethan Allens.
In France, fashion writers and fashion leaders rack their brains for
the contrivance of velocipede costumes; velocipede clubs are formed;
velocipede championships contested for at velocipede tournaments.
There are not less than ten thousand machines running in the streets
of Paris. They are used by postmen, government employees, students,
messengers, and peddlers; and shopmen send their clerks about on
machines covered with flashy advertisements. All velocipedes there are
required to carry lanterns in the evening, and though we have no such
regulations here, young gentlemen may be seen almost every night, in
our cities, riding their velocipedes with head-lights attached.
In Paris they can be seen driving at break-neck speed along the narrow
stone parapet beside the Seine, and even down the hundred steps of the
Trocadéro, their riders all the time indulging in gymnastic feats that
would seem to invite certain destruction. At Rome, gentlemen practice
the bicycle in the court-yards, and are seen riding on the Piazza de
Spagna. Country trips are taken upon them in Japan, and they are no
longer a novelty in the streets of the larger Chinese cities.
PATENTS AND THE RIGHTS OF MANUFACTURERS.
Early in last winter, a great rivalry began to develop itself in the
business of manufacturing velocipedes; and the demand became so large,
as to lead the principal carriage-makers of the country into making it
an important branch of their business. At that time it was generally
understood that any manufacturer was at liberty to make the two-wheeled
velocipede, in any way he deemed most profitable.
When the _furore_ first manifested itself, Mr. Calvin Witty of
Broadway, New York, saw it would be a “big thing,” and very quietly
went to work to find out in what way the business of making the machine
could be controlled. He ascertained, by careful investigation, that
a patent had been recorded, covering the principal features of the
bicycle, now in such popular use. He sought out the owners of the
patent, found them in moderate circumstances, eager to turn to account
rights which had heretofore been of but little avail, and purchased of
them for a comparatively small sum. He now claims to hold the right
to the exclusive use of the two-wheeled velocipede, with treadle and
guiding arms. This patent, however, does not cover the idea of making a
two-wheeled machine, or of applying a propelling power.
As soon as Mr. Witty had completed his arrangements, he ascertained the
names of parties engaged in manufacturing velocipedes throughout the
country, and the majority of them were the astonished recipients of the
following notification:--
“No. 638 Broadway, N. Y., _Feb. 3d, 1869_.
“You are hereby notified, that Letter Patent No. 59,915, granted Nov.
20th, 1866, secures a velocipede with the two wheels, treadle, and
guiding arms; and that the velocipede you are manufacturing is an
infringement upon said patent. The present is to require you to cease
the further manufacture of said velocipede, and to settle with me for
all past infringements of the rights under said patent.
(Signed)
“CALVIN WITTY.”
The following is a copy of the record of the patent, registered at the
Patent Office in Washington:--
“Patent No. 59,915. Pierre Lallement, Paris, France, assignor to
himself and James Carroll, New Haven, Conn. Velocipede. Nov. 20th,
1866.
“The fore wheel is axled in the jaws of a depending bar which is
riveted in the frame, and turned by a horizontal lever bar. This
wheel is revolved by a treadle crank. Claim: The combination and
arrangement of the two wheels, provided with the treadles and the
guiding arms, so as to operate substantially, and for the purpose,
herein set forth.”
Some manufacturers were nonplused by Mr. Witty’s warning, and
stopped their work entirely. Others paid no attention to the demand,
considering the royalty required worthy of a trial; for if it could
be proved that a similarly constructed velocipede had been introduced
into the country before the date of application, the inventor being an
alien, the patent would be void; or it would be rendered null also, if
the patentee had neglected to put into market and continue the sale of
the invention, within eighteen months after the date of patent. Others
still, including most of the carriage-makers and machinists of note in
the country, who had gone into this business, took pains to have legal
advice upon the subject. A meeting was finally held by them; and the
result was a determination to purchase State and city rights, for the
use of his patent, of Mr. Witty.
We give the names of the prominent firms and parties who have received
licenses for the manufacture and sale of velocipedes, under Patent No.
59,915:--
Wm. P. Sargent & Co., and John P. Whittier, Boston, Mass.,
Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, excepting the cities of New
Bedford, Taunton, Fall River, and Fair Haven, Mass.; Kimball Bros.,
Boston, for the State of Maine; Wood Bros., Connecticut, excepting one
shop right; Pickering & Davis, New York City, one shop right; Mercer &
Monod, New York City, one shop right; C. Merrill and Sons, Brooklyn,
one shop right. G. L. Brownell, New Bedford, Mass., New Bedford
exclusive; G. C. Elliott, Providence, R. I., Rhode Island exclusive. J.
M. Quimby, Newark, N. J., New Jersey exclusive.
Mr. Witty now has his hands full of business; employs three clerks to
write for him constantly, and has fallen upon a mine of wealth, if
he succeeds in maintaining the validity of his claim. He charges the
manufacturers ten dollars apiece, royalty, for every machine turned
out. If a maker, however, obtains a license to manufacture less than a
hundred, he pays fifteen dollars royalty; if under twenty, twenty-five
dollars apiece.
Sargent and Whittier, of Boston, and many others of the manufacturers,
who have purchased State and town rights, have sent out within their
limits circulars similar to those of Mr. Witty, but with the following
N. B. attached:--
“Those using the two-wheeled velocipedes, not manufactured under
a license, and not having the proper stamp, are also liable for
infringement upon said letter patent.”
We present an engraving taken from the Patent Office Reports, showing
the Lallement patent of 1866. In this _veloce_ the cranks, F, are
points of great interest, as the claim is for the combination of
these treadle cranks with the two wheels A and B, reach C, guiding
arms D, and the fork in which the front wheel is hung. We attribute
the unpopularity of the old dandy-horse to its lack of these cranks,
while the great success of the modern _veloce_ is due to the crank
application. In this _veloce_ it will be noticed that the reach, C,
extends over the rear wheel, and a V brace on each side of the wheel
connects the axle to the reach. With this style of reach or frame, it
was found very difficult to construct a _veloce_ sufficiently steady to
run with any degree of satisfaction.
[Illustration]
There is still another New York patentee, Stephen W. Smith, who
claims that the so-called French Velocipede is an American invention,
perfected in this country, and introduced into France by patent,
and personally by himself; and that the idea was stolen from him
by the French manufacturers. He obtained his patent in 1862, for a
“cantering propeller” for children, or hobby-horse mounted on wheels;
and considers his patent to include the combinations used upon all
velocipedes, and threatens to prosecute infringements.
This patent has lately been reissued for the purpose of widening the
claims and to attempt to cover the whole ground occupied by the patent
bicycle of M. Lallement. The reissued claim is as follows:--
“1st claim, in combination with a saddle-seat for the rider, the
employment and use of a cranked axle, arms, and foot-rest, so arranged
that the power applied by the feet of the rider shall give motion to
the vehicle, substantially as described and specified.
“2. The combination of the following elements, namely, a saddle-seat
for the rider, a cranked axle, for propelling the vehicle by power
applied by the feet of the rider, and a steering mechanism so
constructed that the direction of travel of the vehicle may be
governed by the rider, substantially as described and specified.
“3. The universal joint, in combination with the fulcrum of
the vehicle, and the steering wheel, constructed and operating
substantially as, and for, the purposes specified.
“4. The hinged legs in combination with the body of the horse, and
with the cranks substantially as and for the purposes specified.
“5. The foot-rests upon the arms, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
“6. The double-armed levers, and diagonal cords, in combination
with the handle and steering wheel, substantially as described and
specified.”
The first and second claims are intended to embrace, and do embrace,
as far as words can accomplish it, the essential elements of the
velocipede now in use. It remains to be determined by the courts how
far the rival claimants clash with each other. The manufacturers have
as yet paid but very little attention to the demands of Mr. Smith.
In 1867, the Hanlon Brothers devised an improved style of reach,
consisting of a bifurcated bar, or fork, in the jaws of which the hind
wheel is allowed to revolve; while the single end of this fork forms
part of the swivel, over the front wheel. Not yet satisfied with this
_veloce_, on account of the difficulty they found in using the same
machine for their in-door performances, and out-door exhibitions,
they had the saddle arranged so as to be enabled to vary its position
nearer to, or farther from, the front wheel, and at the same time had
slots made in the cranks, so that the treadle might be adjusted to
various lengths. The alterations were found to be of such benefit,
that application for a patent covering these improvements was made by
them, and granted by the Patent Office. We know of no velocipedes now
being made in this country, which do not include in their construction
all these late improvements, and the Hanlons are also notifying
manufacturers of the existence of their claims.
The Patent powers in Washington are literally overwhelmed with
applications for patents of different models of these articles. In a
large room in the Patent Office, there are some four hundred of these
models awaiting investigation. Over eighty models have already been
examined and patents for them issued; others are now under examination.
Some hundred caveats or notices that patents will be applied for have
been lately filed. In one week eighty applications and caveats were
received. One single agency in New York city has lately prepared
seventy patents for improvements.
HINTS TO PURCHASERS.
There is a very general complaint of the high prices maintained by the
manufacturers of velocipedes, and it is claimed that they are pocketing
immense receipts, at the expense of an excited and incautious public.
Though there is no doubt that they can be manufactured at prices much
below those at which the best machines are now held, and still yield
a handsome profit, a reduction in price will not be probable so long
as the demand so far exceeds the supply. And now that it is found that
the machine is patented, we will not have the so much wished for cheap
velocipede, which would assuredly have followed the competition that
had commenced, before it was known that one man only held the exclusive
right to their manufacture.
But it must be remembered that as long as materials and labor are so
dear, the cost of manufacture must necessarily be great. A manufacturer
requires draughtsmen to design his improvements, pattern-makers
to prepare models for the foundry, blacksmiths to do the forging,
wheelwrights for the wheels, machinists to turn and fit the work,
foundry-men to cast the pedals and braces, bolt-makers to make the
rivets and bolts, saddlers to prepare the seats, and painters and
varnishers to finish the machine for the wareroom. The wear and tear
in the ordinary use of the velocipede is so great as to require the
very best of material in its construction. There is no other kind of
vehicle which receives such severe usage. The weight of the rider and
the concussions of the road are not only borne by two wheels, but
the necessity of giving the fore wheel a sidewise motion, render it
indispensable to connect the two by a frame, whose peculiar form and
character make it exceedingly liable to be deranged and broken. This
frame and its appendages must be of wrought iron, steel, and brass, and
all its work must be of the best quality, or else the machine will soon
get out of order and become useless. The fittings of the two wheels,
their axles and their journals, must also be of the best workmanship.
The same is true of the wheels themselves. No wood that is not
perfectly seasoned should be used for them; and the hubs, spokes, and
felloes must be built with the utmost care and thoroughness; otherwise
they will soon become wabbling and unsteady, so that speed and comfort
will be out of the question.
The price of a good machine will not fall much below a hundred
dollars, until there is a general decline in the price of all sorts of
commodities.
We advise the purchaser, by all means, to get a _good machine_. It is
now possible to buy cheap velocipedes; and they will, no doubt, be
manufactured much cheaper, and yet be dear at any price. The best are
none too good, and are certainly worth more than the difference.
The hall velocipedes are, for the most part, slim affairs; the frame
made entirely of cast iron, without metal gearings, brakes, or springs,
and useful only for floors. It is uncomfortable for the rider to go
over roughnesses without springs, and a well-built machine is required
to stand the jar of uneven roads.
It is no better policy to purchase a cheap velocipede, than a cheap
ready-made shoe or other article of clothing.
It is a prevalent but erroneous idea, that the larger the bicycle, the
greater the beauty and the greater the speed. A machine with a front
wheel of a diameter of forty inches, is the largest that can possibly
be rendered practicable. Thirty-eight inches is much better; and good
riders prefer that of but thirty-six or thirty-seven inches diameter
for the road.
Before purchasing any machine, especially the cheaper ones, examine
them thoroughly; or if not a judge of good mechanical workmanship, ask
a friend to do it for you. Many defects are concealed by the coatings
of paint, particularly in the castings and forgings; and a machine that
is weak in any point, is a dangerous one in fast riding. Be sure that
every bolt is properly secured by nuts that cannot be shaken off; they
should be riveted into the bolt, as they will soon work loose if not so
fastened. The crank should never be keyed into the shaft, but fastened
on to a square head; or, what is better, shrunk into the shaft.
The ingenious way of supporting lanterns on the machine, is a waste
of time and expense; better some kind of clamps to secure a light
umbrella in front, when the sun shines hot, or it rains; and clamps for
fastening a travelling bag or shawl in the rear, particularly if one
looks forward to country excursions and summer trips.
ADVICE TO THE BEGINNER.
To those who have never seen the two-wheeled velocipede in use, it
seems surprising that the rider can keep his equilibrium. The principle
of the thing is the same as that of the movement of a boy’s hoop. As
long as the hoop revolves rapidly, its tendency to any lateral movement
is almost suspended, and the greater the speed the less the difficulty
in maintaining the upright position.
At first sight one supposes it to be a formidable undertaking to mount
and steer the bicycle. To learn to manage it, however, requires no more
skill, courage, or patience, than to learn the art of skating; and
when the art is once acquired, it provides a means of locomotion and a
source of enjoyment as much more available than skating, as the number
of days in the year is greater than the few bright mornings when one
can find a smooth, glassy, and well-frozen skating ground.
“Velocipedestrianism” is fully the equal of skating and horseback
riding, in its invigorating and exhilarating effects. The velocipede
bears young and old, light and heavy, easily and pleasantly and with
equal facility.
In learning the velocipede, it is advisable to use a machine of only
moderate height, so that the soles of the feet can readily touch the
ground. At the best school we know, where the pupils graduate experts,
six different sizes of machines are used. The beginner is put upon one
with a guiding wheel of a diameter of only thirty-four inches, and is
promoted from one to another, according to progress.
At first start, run beside the iron horse, leading it by the hand, so
as to familiarize yourself with its movements, and to master well in
your mind the idea of the fore wheel, upon which all depends. This will
be an affair of but a few moments only. You will very readily perceive
that it will be impossible to balance upon the machine, while it is
standing still. You will also see that, without practice, it will be
an impossibility to mount the iron horse, and balance yourself upon
the seat, while it is in motion. Both these facts lead you to perceive
that motion is the first requisite. To get that, and at the same time
maintain equilibrium, you must first use your feet on the floor or
ground as a means of progression, learning, as you move, to balance
yourself by the motion of the guide wheel, to the right or left,
whichever way you may lean.
If out-of-doors, it is as well to practice on a slope; and after
mounting, let the machine move forward of its own accord, while you
occupy yourself studying the effect produced by the inclination which
you give to the balancing pole or handle. After you have practiced
enough to admit of your going some little way without touching your
feet, learn to go the same distance with your legs raised, so as
to bring the centre of gravity higher from the base. When you have
overcome this difficulty and thoroughly understand the action of the
balancing pole, place one foot on the pedal, and follow its movements,
without assisting them. Then try the other foot, and accustom yourself
to the movement of turning the wheels with your feet. Next, put both
feet upon the pedals, and work them alternately with scrupulous
regularity. Speed is attained by simply accelerating this movement.
You will be surprised to find that you can, all at once, ride your
velocipede. After a couple of hours of proper practice, you will be
able to accomplish a distance of thirty or forty yards, without running
the risk of an upset.
In learning, be careful to keep the shoulders straight and the head
back. An erect position upon the bicycle is as necessary for grace and
ease, as upon the horse. Avoid looking at the wheels, but accustom
yourself to look ahead.
Confidence in your own ability is required, without rashness. If
you practice in a public hall, pay no attention to the laughter of
spectators, and avoid self-consciousness. If you feel that no one was
ever so clumsy before, the feeling itself will be sure to increase
your awkwardness. Remember that all good riders have necessarily been
through the same experience. It is no disgrace to upset your vehicle.
Molière says: “_On peut être honnête homme et faire mal des vers._”
Take things as easy as possible. The greatest difficulty with beginners
is to restrain the unnecessary expenditure of muscular power. They
ordinarily perform ten times the amount of labor requisite. They use
all the force they can, in pressing upon the pedals, and clasp the
handle in front, as if hanging on for dear life. Do not strain the
muscles of the arms. There is no necessity for it, or for any violent
muscular effort. A good rider can obtain the greatest speed upon the
road with half the exertion used by the novice in learning the first
movements.
If the day after your first attempt you feel a little lame and sore,
remember that it is nothing more than you would feel after riding
horseback for the first time, or after taking gentle but unaccustomed
exercise in a gymnasium.
If you finish your first trial covered with dust and perspiration,
with a bumped head, jammed feet, tired arms, and sore muscles, let
your faith remain triumphant, and your determination and expectation
to master the vehicle increased. But with proper caution there is no
danger either of falls or hurt in using the velocipede in the way we
have advised. The pedal is constructed so that the foot of the rider
can at once leave it; and should the machine incline to one side, it
is only necessary to remove the foot from the same side, and place it
on the ground. One must not let the handles go; they seem to restore
and maintain the balance of the machine after the rider is off it.
In alighting, both feet should be raised from the pedal at the same
instant, which slackens the speed of the machine, and placed upon the
ground simultaneously.
If you learn in a school or rink, you will find a rough pine floor
much the best for practice. Floors that are sprinkled with sawdust, or
sanded, are apt to cause the machine to slip in turning.
In your first practice, avoid trying experiments, or doing too much;
but watch your position in the saddle, and perfect yourself in the
balance movement. After that is perfectly learned, try to ride slowly,
and practice with your feet upon the rest in front. It will of course
require much experience before you are able to dash along the paved
streets or country roads, or to try the tricks and fancy movements of
an expert. Perseverance, however, makes perfect; and if you persist,
you will be able, in due time, to ride side-saddle fashion, to pick
up your hat from the floor, to take off your coat while going at full
speed, and even to stand upon the saddle. Some learn to ride in three
hours, some in three days, and occasionally we hear of a timid and
stupid scholar, for whom three months will scarcely suffice. It depends
upon the machine, the method of going to work, and the quickness and
adaptability of the rider. The knowledge often comes suddenly. We have
seen those who have tried to learn for days without success, suddenly
mount their veloces and start around a hall, astonished at the ease
with which they maintained their balance, and looking as pleased as
if they had accomplished the object of their existence. A few hours’
practice usually makes a student quite the master of ceremonies.
As soon as you have acquired the knowledge, you will wonder how
amateurs can be so awkward, and be surprised that you found it so
difficult.
Should the velocipede upon which you learn be too high to practice in
the way we have indicated, you should have some one hold the machine
for the first trial, the hands upon the back extremity of the bar upon
which you sit, so as to in no way impede the action of the fore wheel.
To those who wish to learn, we would especially suggest the spring,
fall, and winter months. It is too warm to learn in summer, that being
the season to reap the reward of early exertion. Velocipede riding is
the easiest thing imaginable when one knows how to ride properly.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE BICYCLE.
The accompanying engraving will convey to the mind of the reader a
correct idea of the French two-wheeled velocipede. The majority of
makers in this country fashion their machine upon this pattern in every
essential respect. We append a full technical description.
[Illustration] A is the front wheel. This is the steering wheel,
and upon its axis the power is applied. B is the hind wheel; C, the
treadles or foot-pieces; D, the treadle cranks; E, slots in cranks,
by which to adjust the foot-pieces and accommodate the length to the
legs of the rider; F, bifurcated jaw, the lower part of which forms the
bearing for the axle of the front wheel. From the upper part of this
jaw a rod or pivot extends, to which is attached the steering arm or
handle F; G, the reach or perch, extending from the jaw of the front
wheel to the rear or hind wheel. This reach is bifurcated, forming
jaws for the hind wheel. H, “rests” on the front part of the reach.
The rider puts one leg on the rest and works one of the cranks with
the other leg while riding “side-saddle,” or a leg may be placed upon
each rest when the velocipede has acquired sufficient momentum, and the
rider does not wish to keep his feet upon the treadles. I, the saddle
or seat, which is adjustable on the seat-spring L, by the thumb-screw
K. The seat-spring L, is attached at M to the reach G, which, at the
other end, is fastened to the spring-struts N, that rise from the
reach G; O, the brake-lever, on the fulcrum P; Q, the “shoe” of the
brake that acts against the periphery of the hind wheel. The brake is
operated by means of the cord S, one end of which is attached to the
steering handle F, and the other end to the reach at 3. A cord passes
from the steering handle under the pulley or roller 4, thence over the
pulley 5, on the brake-lever O, and from there to the point 3, where it
is attached to the reach G. The brake is operated by giving a slight
turning motion to the handle F, thus winding a small sheave upon the
axis of the handle, and bringing the shoe Q, of the brake-lever O, in
contact with the surface of the wheel B.
VARIETIES OF THE BICYCLE.
The best two-wheeled velocipedes manufactured in this country, are
those of Messrs. Pickering & Davis, Wood Brothers, Mercer & Monod, and
Calvin Witty, New York City; and William P. Sargent & Co., and Kimball
Brothers, Boston, Mass.
[Illustration]
WOOD BROTHERS’ VELOCIPEDE.
The Wood Brothers, of 596 Broadway, New York, decided at the
commencement of the _furore_ in this country, to make the manufacture
of velocipedes an important branch of their business. They made
thorough and personal investigation of the many styles used abroad, and
selected the patents of Messrs. Michaux & Co., as being the one most
in favor with experts there.
The Wood Brothers’ velocipede, though very similar to the French
machine, is made of better material, with steel tires and axles, and
with gun-metal gearings upon the rear wheel. This machine combines
in a great degree lightness and durability. It weighs from fifty to
fifty-eight pounds, and if required, can easily be led, lifted, or even
carried by the rider. The seat is fixed more directly over the stirrups
than in some machines, and at such a height above the wheels as to
avoid wear and tear of the clothing from contact with mud and dirt,
and the driving wheel in turning. The stirrups are attached in such a
manner to the crank, that they can be adjusted near the hub or axle,
giving speed on level roads; or they can be placed at the end of the
crank, giving power and ease for rough roads and ascending grades. Two
kinds of stirrups are used; the “spool pattern,” entirely round, and
covered with leather, making it easy for the beginner to keep his foot
in place; and the French swing stirrup, which is for proficient riders
and general use. This latter style has a very long bearing, relieving
the strain on the ankle joint, and making it easy to ride a distance
without fatigue.
This bicycle has a brake, rests for the feet in front, and a handsomely
finished saddle, supported by steel springs. It will ascend a grade of
one foot in twenty. The price is $135.
The Wood Brothers have in their possession the first velocipede ever
brought into this country. When first exhibited on the sidewalk in
front of their warerooms, it attracted such attention that the police
requested them to remove it. They have just completed for a New York
gentleman, at a price of $300, one of the most completely finished
velocipedes yet manufactured in America.
THE MONOD VELOCIPEDE.
Messrs. Mercer & Monod, of 54 William Street, New York, manufacture
their velocipedes after a model of their own, which has its advantages,
and embraces many of the best points of the French machine.
The steering post is inclined backward, which brings the handle within
easy reach of the body, and the whole machine under perfect control;
and gives it a particularly rakish and natty appearance upon the road.
The saddle can be adjusted backward or forward, according to the length
of limb of the rider.
Messrs. Mercer & Monod use the triangular beveled treadle and an
improved brake. The defect of this machine is its weight, which is
about seventy pounds. Some riders, however, prefer a heavier machine
than others, and recommend the Monod velocipede on this account.
A good rider on this machine can obtain a speed of ten or twelve miles
an hour. It varies in price from $110 to $150, according to finish.
These gentlemen have lately manufactured some very complete machines
for country use, with shawl rack, mud dasher, etc.
WITTY’S VELOCIPEDE.
Calvin Witty, of 638 Broadway, New York, models his velocipedes almost
entirely after those of Messrs. Michaux & Co. When he commenced their
manufacture, he tried by various experiments to improve upon the
original patent. Most of his attempts proved unsuccessful. Among other
proposed improvements, he endeavored to apply the brake to the front
wheel, but found that it would stop the machine on the instant, and
throw the rider headlong; and that such a brake, though suitable for a
steam-engine, could not be rendered practicable upon a velocipede.
These machines are made of wrought iron, with brakes, springs, improved
saddle, and gun-metal bearings. As Mr. Witty has the exclusive right
of M. Lallement’s patent upon the two-wheeled velocipede, he can
afford to manufacture at a somewhat cheaper rate than those who are
obliged to pay a royalty. His bicycles range in price from $90 to $130.
Mr. Witty’s first machines were not so good as some of other
manufacturers, but he has lately improved upon them. They are a little
heavier than those of Messrs. Sargent & Co., Pickering & Davis, and
Wood Brothers, but equal to any in durability and finish.
Mr. Witty is at present constructing a velocipede which he anticipates
will run a mile in one minute and twenty seconds, or faster than any
trotting-horse can ever be expected to go; the driving wheel is to be
so constructed that it will revolve three times while the treadles are
once making their circuit.
PICKERING’S AMERICAN VELOCIPEDE.
As will be seen from the accompanying engraving, “Pickering’s American
Velocipede,” manufactured by Messrs. Pickering & Davis, 144 Greene
Street, New York, differs very materially from the French model, so
generally used by other manufacturers. It is claimed that it is more
simple and durable, lighter and stronger. [Illustration]
The reach or frame of this velocipede is made of hydraulic tubing.
The gun-metal bearings are so attached that, when worn, they may
be replaced by others, which are interchangeable like the parts of
sewing-machines and fire-arms. The axle is so constructed as to
constitute, in itself, an oil box. It is made tubular, and closed at
either end with a screw, on the removal of which it is filled with lard
oil. Cotton lamp-wick is placed loosely in the tubular axle and the
oil is by this means fed to the bearing, as fast as required, through
the small holes made for the purpose in the centre of the axle. The
saddle is supported on a spiral spring, giving an elastic seat; it
is brought well back, so that the rider maintains an erect position,
and is adjustable to suit the length of limb of the rider. The tiller
or steering handle is constructed with a spring, so that the hands
are relieved from the jolting that they would otherwise receive
while running over rough ground. The stirrups or crank pedals, are
three-sided, with circular flanges at each end, fitted to turn on the
crank pins, so that the pressure of the foot will always bring one of
the three sides into proper position. They are so shaped as to allow
of the use of the fore part of the foot, bringing the ankle joint into
play, relieving the knee, and rendering propulsion easier than when the
shank of the foot alone is used. The connecting apparatus differs from
that of the French vehicle in that the saddle bar serves only as a seat
and brake, and is not attached to the rear wheel. By a simple pressure
forward against the tiller, and a backward pressure against the tail of
the saddle, the saddle spring is compressed, and the brake attached to
it brought firmly down against the wheel.
Messrs. Pickering & Davis have a large manufactory, and are the
constant recipients of orders from all parts of the country. Mr.
Pickering has always been a practical machinist, and personally
superintends the structure of each machine turned out.
A rider upon the Pickering velocipede can average ten or twelve miles
an hour. On good roads they have been ridden, for short distances,
at the rate of eighteen miles an hour. It is claimed that they will
easily ascend a grade of from one foot in twenty to one in fifteen.
The price varies from $110 to $155. A very complete, finely finished
one, can be bought for $150. This is an expensive machine; but many
_connoisseurs_ think its advantages over other bicycles fully merit the
small difference in price. Many experts use it altogether for fancy
riding, and many who have tried all kinds upon the road, think this
much to be preferred.
SARGENT VELOCIPEDE.
Wm. P. Sargent & Co., of 155 Tremont Street, Boston, have many
excellent facilities, in connection with their extensive works for the
construction of pleasure carriages, for the manufacture of velocipedes.
They foresaw the _furore_ that would arise in this country before its
commencement, and made early preparations to engage largely in the
manufacture of the Parisian novelty.
Their machines are made upon the French plan, with all the American
improvements, in form, material, and thoroughness of construction. They
are very similar to those made by the Wood Brothers, but have important
merits of their own. The hind wheel turns on the axle bar, preventing
the friction upon the bearing, as in other machines in which the axle
turns with the wheel. The neck of the machine is wrought in one piece,
and the head of the swivel in the neck is of wrought iron, square in
shape. The fork of the steering bar is of wrought iron also, instead
of the cast brass usually used. This makes a delicate part of the
machine very durable, for it is a rule in mechanics that one metal will
act upon itself with less friction than upon another kind of metal.
The best workmen are employed and the best material used. The tires
and axles are of the finest steel, and the bearings of the finest
gun-metal. The saddle is adjustable and can be readily moved backward
or forward.
Messrs. Sargent & Co. use both the three-sided beveled and the swing
treadle, either of which always present a surface to the foot, so that
after mounting or removing the foot temporarily, no time is lost in
replacing it.
They have made every effort to construct a light, noiseless,
steady-running, completely-finished, and perfect machine. Their price
is from $110 to $150.
Messrs. Sargent & Co. also manufacture a cheaper machine, without
springs, much like those manufactured by Mr. Brownell of New Bedford.
This machine is sold for $55, and is used with satisfaction in halls
and rinks.
Mr. Sargent has on hand in his warerooms a large assortment of
machines of other manufacturers, including those of Wood Brothers,
Mercer & Monod, and Pickering & Davis.
KIMBALL’S VELOCIPEDE.
Messrs. Kimball Brothers & Co., of 110, 112, and 114 Sudbury Street,
Boston, secured the first license granted in this country under the
Lallement patent, giving them the exclusive right to manufacture in
Maine, and the liberty of selling throughout the United States. They
have long enjoyed a high reputation for elegant sleighs and carriages,
and at their commencement of the manufacture of velocipedes, determined
to maintain their reputation in this new and important branch of their
business. Their velocipedes are also patterned from those of Messrs.
Michaux & Co., with such improvements as are in use with the best
manufacturers.
The frames of these machines are of wrought iron and steel, with
composition and gun-metal bearings, steel levers, and axles, and
superior saddles. Even into the lowest priced machines, they put the
best stock in every part. Messrs. Kimball Brothers’ velocipedes vary
in price from $75 to $175, according to style and finish. The most
expensive are furnished with mud fenders, lamps, and silver-plated
brakes. A very fine one can be obtained for $135. Their cheaper
bicycles are, without doubt, as good as any in the market. They are
light, durable, built of wrought iron, and _furnished with springs_.
The New England manufacturers of two-wheeled velocipedes, next in
prominence to Messrs. Sargent & Kimball, are William H. Brownell & Co.,
of New Bedford, George E. Elliott, of Providence, and Messrs. Dalzell &
Sons, of South Egremont.
William H. Brownell & Co., of New Bedford, manufacture only the cheaper
kind of velocipedes. The frame or reach, which curves over the rear
wheel, is built of wrought iron. The machine is without springs or
metal gearings. This is used almost exclusively in the New England
schools and rinks; and for the use of the beginner, or on smooth
floors, gives merited satisfaction. It is not as suitable for the road,
or as easy for the rider, as the more expensive machines, which are
furnished with springs, brakes, and rests for the feet. But for those
who wish to have a bicycle, with as small an expenditure as possible,
this machine will answer as well as any that we know. It is firm and
durable, moderately light, and does not get easily out of repair.
Messrs. Brownell & Co. have sold $40,000 worth of machines in the last
three months, and the demand is far greater than the supply. They are
as heavily engaged in the business as any manufacturers in the country.
The price varies from $70 to $90. A good machine of Mr. Brownell’s make
can be obtained for $75.
* * * * *
George C. Elliott, of Providence, has purchased a license under the
Lallement patent, for the exclusive manufacture of the two-wheeled
velocipede in Rhode Island. He combines the French machine with the
usual American improvements. The prices are the same as are demanded
for other good machines.
Those who have used Mr. Elliott’s bicycles claim that they are the
equal of any manufactured.
* * * * *
Messrs. Dalzell & Sons, of South Egremont, Massachusetts, manufacture a
velocipede which has many of the merits of that of the Wood Brothers.
Their velocipede works are at Hudson, N. Y., and there is a steadily
increasing demand for their machines. The prices vary from $125 to $150.
* * * * *
G. F. Perkins & Co., of Haydenville, Mass., advertise to furnish a
velocipede with steel springs for $40. We do not know that their
machine has been fairly tested. We have never seen it in use, and are
unable to speak of its merits. Among the latest improved machines,
is one manufactured by Messrs. Tomlinson, Demarest, & Co., No. 620
Broadway, New York. It is called the “Improved American Velocipede,”
and differs from styles best known to the public in important respects.
It is the recipient of many encomiums from those who have learned to
ride it.
The iron arms, between which the front wheel is held, are inclined
back at an angle of forty-five degrees from the perpendicular, which
inclination brings the seat in such a relative position to the fore
wheel, that a man of medium height can, with his feet, reach the
treadles of one of these velocipedes, the front wheel of which is
forty-five inches in diameter, with as much ease as he can those of the
ordinary velocipede, the fore wheel of which is of a diameter seven or
eight inches smaller. This peculiarity gives likewise great facility
in describing sharp curves and circles of small diameter, the body
being inclined in the direction in which the rider wishes to propel
himself, and in the direction in which the driving wheel is inclined.
Those who have become expert in the use of this new machine, claim that
the movement of the body in propelling and guiding it, is more nearly
analogous to that of skating, than is employed in controlling the
ordinary bicycle. Indeed, they claim that it can be guided by the mere
inclination of the body without perceptibly varying the pressure upon
the handles to the one side or the other.
The peculiar rakish arrangement of the standard, prevents the usual
jar to the guiding arms in going over rough ground and pavements, and
allows the wheel to turn without soiling the pantaloons. It is claimed
that this machine can be driven at great speed, and up steep grades.
* * * * *
Messrs. Pearsall Brothers, of New York, have patented a bicycle which
is so constructed that the rear wheel is used as a guiding wheel. This
machine will turn a quick corner, and can be ridden rapidly. Its price
is $125.
* * * * *
Stephen W. Smith, of 90 William Street, New York, manufactures a
velocipede for boys, with a guiding wheel twenty inches in diameter,
for $25. The saddle of this machine is so wide that but little
balancing power is requisite, and any child can easily learn to ride it.
THE DEXTER BICYCLE.
The Dexter bicycle only differs from other two-wheeled machines in one
respect. This, however, is quite important. By a simple and effective
device, it admits of an instantaneous connection and disconnection
of the crank with the axle of the driving wheel, keeping the treadles
stationary or in motion, at the will of the rider, while the wheel
continues to revolve. Ordinarily, in obtaining a high rate of speed
on a velocipede, the rapidity of the revolution of the crank becomes
too great to be followed by the movement of the feet, except at the
expenditure of too much exertion. This difficulty is wholly obviated by
Mr. Dexter. A continuous and uniform rate of speed may be kept up with
his machine without fatiguing the rider.
THE CHICAGO VELOCIPEDE.
This velocipede is manufactured by Messrs. Loring & Keene, of Chicago,
Illinois, and has become very popular in that city and throughout the
West. It is a light machine, somewhat similar to that of Pickering &
Davis. The saddle is upon a spiral spring, is not connected with the
rear wheel, and serves as a seat and brake. The manufacturers claim
that it will ascend a grade of one foot in eighteen, and that it
can be driven at great speed. Its price is $130. D. W. Gosling, of
Cincinnati, Ohio, has been engaged for some months in the manufacture
of a velocipede upon the Franco-American plan. He claims that his
bicycle is equal to any other, both in durability and fine workmanship.
There is another manufactory in Cincinnati, which turns out sixteen
hundred velocipedes per week, that are sold at $35 each. These machines
are of the poorest possible workmanship and material.
There are large numbers of bicycles in the market which are both
unsafe and dangerous, and which the makers push into unsuspecting
hands by offering them at much reduced rates. Many portions of these
which should be of wrought iron, are made of cast iron, of course
attractively painted. Nothing should be cast about the metal works of a
velocipede except the brasses.
A bad machine carefully kept, may, perhaps, last longer than a good
machine very badly managed. It should be the ambition of a good rider,
however, to have a good machine, kept in good order. There is danger
to the velocipedist in pushing ahead with speed, when the slightest
collision, or the giving way of some minute portion of the machine, may
smash the whole affair.
[Illustration]
FOUR-WHEELED VELOCIPEDES.
BRADFORD’S VELOCIPEDE.
If any of our readers desire the luxury of a ride on a velocipede
without the necessity of taking lessons, or the danger of getting a
fall, they will find “Bradford’s Four-Wheeled Velocipede” ready and
able to afford them the pleasure.
The inventor of this vehicle, Mr. C. K. Bradford, has devoted the
greater part of the last five years to experiments upon the velocipede,
and took out his first patent three years and a half ago. The machine,
as now constructed and improved, obtained its American patent October
13th, 1868. It has since been patented in England, France, and Belgium.
It is made of the best material, and finished like a gentleman’s
trotting wagon. It weighs but sixty-five pounds, and combines in a
high degree both lightness and strength. Any man, woman or child, can
learn to guide it easily with but a few moments practice.
The inventor claims that it is able to maintain a speed of a mile in
three minutes, and that the extraordinary time of a half mile in one
minute and forty-five seconds, has been made upon a country road. It
can be driven by almost any man, at the rate of a mile in four minutes,
on almost any road, without greater exertion than is ordinarily used in
walking. This velocipede, unlike all others, is seen to best advantage
on the street. In Mr. Bradford’s tasteful little curricle, the rider
can sit at ease as carelessly as in a carriage, giving himself up
wholly to the exhilaration of the rapid movement, and the pleasurable
exercise of the muscles, which is just enough to make the machine skim
over the ground, and give an enjoyable sense of power. The increase of
friction, which would naturally result from the additional number of
wheels, is prevented by an application of anti-friction rollers, which
reduce the labor of propelling the machine to a minimum, a requisite of
the highest importance to a person seeking either recreation or utility.
This velocipede has an adjustable seat, which may be placed nearer or
further from the pedal crank, to suit the rider’s length of limb. The
seat is furnished with a high, strong back, which, besides adding
materially to the rider’s comfort, serves him as a _point d’appui_, a
firm base from which he can exert a powerful force in propelling.
The steering device is simple and complete, and is the same principle
upon which one guides the horse. It is guided by the hands, and the
large rear wheels are operated upon by means of a wheel and cord
arrangement, conveniently placed beside the seat. It is claimed that
the machine can be steered almost to a hair’s breadth. It is used by
many city firms for the purpose of carrying messages and parcels, and
can be seen upon Broadway in the thickest part of the travel. It does
not hesitate at curb-stones, and will run over most roads as easily
as any light wagon. It can be ridden up almost any hill without a
fatiguing expenditure of force. It offers excellent advantages for
carrying refreshments and various articles of light baggage, necessary
in a flying trip or excursion.
Though this machine requires more room for its accommodation than the
bicycle, and cannot be stored against any wall; and though it does not
give the peculiar and fascinating kind of exhilaration which balancing
upon the bicycle affords, it will be seen to have many advantages over
the two-wheeled vehicle.
This velocipede is especially adapted to ladies, and allows the rider
to sit as becomingly and gracefully as she would in her carriage or her
parlor chair. The proprietors have a very ingenious device which can
be attached to the machine for ladies, which completely conceals all
points of motion.
The Bradford Brothers have a large manufactory in Newark, N. J. Mr.
J. W. Thorp is their agent, and is rapidly selling State and county
rights. This velocipede is sold at $150.
The Messrs. Bradford also manufacture a smaller size for boys, complete
in every particular, for $75.
CALLAHAN’S VELOCIPEDE.
This velocipede was patented January 5th, 1869, and is on exhibition
at 17 State Street, Boston. It has been thoroughly tested and is
pronounced a complete success. It will be seen that it is very
different from Bradford’s machine. The front wheels are used as guiding
wheels, the rear as the driving ones. It is propelled by both hands and
feet, acting together or separately. The propelling power is almost
unlimited, and is furnished by cranks in the hind axles, with lever
attachments. It has three different steering arrangements, either of
which can be applied, according to the taste of the purchaser. In all
these, the forward wheel and axle are turned with a lever arrangement,
operated upon by the hand.
[Illustration]
The machine develops both chest and limbs, and can be readily used by
ladies and children. A little girl of six years has ridden it for an
hour without fatigue. It is so constructed, that scruples of delicacy
need prevent no lady from driving it. It can be driven either backwards
or forwards, will run upon the road, at the rate of fifteen miles an
hour, and will ascend any ordinary hill with ease. It is claimed, that
it is the only machine made that can be checked in going down hill, or
that can be stopped instantly. The machine varies in size and weight.
That most in favor, has a wheel of three feet and a half in diameter,
and a weight of about one hundred pounds. It is constructed of the best
material, and is neat and nobby in appearance. Its price is $125.
THE TRICYCLE.
The generic tricycle, or three-wheeled velocipede, as used abroad, is
not likely to meet with general favor in this country.
In its steering arrangements and mode of propulsion, its construction
is similar to that of the bicycle. The rear wheels are large and light;
the fore wheel is smaller, and serves to guide the machine, being acted
upon by means of the steering bar or handle, which causes it to bend
in the direction indicated by the rider. The pedals are attached to
the front wheel, and are shaped like slippers, which facilitates the
movement of the legs, and at the same time admits of the feet being
disengaged simultaneously. The movement required to propel this machine
is a natural one, does not produce unusual fatigue, and is analogous to
that of walking.
The larger three-wheeled velocipedes have a lever which follows the
line of the eccentrics attached to the pedals, and fits on to the
axles. By assisting the movement of this lever, the speed of the
vehicle is considerably increased, and a simple pressure against it
checks the rotary motion of the wheel, and stops the progress of the
machine. This lever is, in fact, both a means of impulsion and a brake.
As this vehicle is chiefly patronized by the fair sex, the seat is more
commodious than that of the bicycle; having sides and back of wicker,
and a horse-hair cushion.
The tricycle is simply a hack, while the bicycle is a blooded horse
that fully demonstrates the “poetry of motion.” The tricycle is easier
to guide, and safer to ride than the two-wheeled machine; there is
however more friction, and its speed is much less rapid. It has, thus
far, been found impossible to construct a three-wheeler with the pedal
method of propulsion, that could compete with the bicycle in speed or
pleasure of driving. Large wheels are necessary for speed. If a guiding
wheel be applied to a tricycle of this kind large enough to run rapidly
on the road, and to counterbalance the size of the other wheels, it
would be unsteady of motion; the rider would be apt to be thrown
headlong at any jar, and the whole machine would be rendered unsafe.
Many of the larger manufacturers have built the tricycle to some
extent. Most of them have discontinued their make, finding it
unprofitable, and that the machine gave but little satisfaction.
The Bradford Brothers of New York City obtained a patent, and entered
largely into the business, at considerable expense. They, however,
soon stopped the manufacture, and gave exclusive attention to their
four-wheeled machines. The three-wheeled velocipedes of Messrs. Kimball
Brothers, Boston, seem to be as popular as any in the market; but the
sale is mostly local, and but few of them are manufactured.
Various inventors have endeavored to obtain power, by additions to the
gearings, in the shape of spring wheels and levers, but with little
success. Others have applied the principle of the crank to be turned by
the hand, using the hand for steering purposes.
Mr. Wm. H. Hall, of Boston, Mass., has invented a tricycle, which is
impelled by a crank, acting upon a small wheel, connected to another by
an endless pulley. Every revolution of the crank turns the wheels of
the machine once. This machine has not yet been fairly tested.
A mechanic in Indiana also claims to have invented a machine very
similar in construction to this of Mr. Hall’s.
Messrs. Forbes & Sears of New Bedford, Mass., have invented a machine
with two hind wheels running only about five inches apart. It is
claimed that the hind wheels are so near together as to run practically
as one wheel; and yet the rider can stop the vehicle and maintain his
equilibrium.
Messrs. Topliff & Ely of Eleria, Ohio, patented February 23d, 1869, a
tricycle, in which, by a simple movement of a lever, the rear wheels
can be run into one, and the vehicle instantaneously changed into a
bicycle.
A gentleman of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., has invented a machine, in which
both the hind wheels are drivers instead of the forward one. They
are fastened on independent axles meeting in the centre, connected
by a novel arrangement of gearing, so that either wheel can stand
as a pivotal point, and the other be driven round it very swiftly.
The inventor states that it will turn in less space than any other
velocipede.
Mr. John Tremper, of Wilmington, Del., has designed and patented a
tricycle in which the front wheel is the driver as usual; but placed so
closely to the axle of the hind wheels, as to give almost as complete
command over the motions of the machine, in turning corners, as the
two-wheeled velocipede.
“The Bennet Velocipede” is characterized by a driving wheel four feet
in diameter, and two guiding wheels behind, each about a foot in
diameter.
“Samuels’ Velocipede” has also a large driving wheel, with small
guiding wheels behind. This machine is propelled by hand cranks,
connected with corresponding cranks in the driving wheel shaft. The
feet are used for steering. The inventor claims that this machine
will run twenty-five miles an hour on a level road. A New Yorker has
invented a machine for ladies, which he has placed on exhibition at
Pearsall Riding School. The pedals are applied to the rear wheels, and
the small wheel in front is guided by a rod, passing back to the hand
of the lady occupying the seat.
One or two of the novel tricycles, modeled upon new principles, have
proved decided successes.
A gentleman of Ypsilanti, Mich., has invented one that he claims to
have ridden from that place to Detroit, a distance of twenty-eight
miles, in two hours and forty-eight minutes; and to have made a mile
in Ypsilanti in two minutes and thirty seconds. The wheels of this
machine are forty-two inches in diameter, and are propelled by means of
a double hand crank, no treadles being used. On each side of the hub of
the forward wheel, is a grooved pulley; and attached to the straight
portion of the crank are two more pulleys, the four being connected by
belts. At each revolution of the pulleys, the vehicle is propelled a
distance of sixteen and a half feet; and when an ordinary rate of speed
is attained, it runs quite easily. Its weight is forty-nine pounds, and
the inventor claims that it will sustain two hundred pounds without
danger of collapsing. It can be run on ordinary carriage roads, with
comparative ease.
Samuel Marden of Newton Corner, Mass., has lately commenced the
manufacture of a three-wheeled velocipede for which he obtained a
patent in February, 1868. He calls his machine “a mechanical horse;”
it is propelled _by the weight of the rider_, and by friction. It
has neither treadles, cranks, or guiding arms. The rider rises in
his stirrups as on a trotting horse. The saddle is so arranged that
the pressure upon it revolves a gearing wheel, which acts upon a
small one connected with the axle of the rear wheel; these wheels are
thus made to turn very rapidly. It will be seen that this velocipede
is constructed upon an entirely new principle. It is claimed that
it can be driven upon the road, at the rate of from ten to fifteen
miles an hour. This machine can be used by ladies, with a side-saddle
arrangement. Its price is $125. Mr. Marden’s velocipede has been
tested, and we think he has a fortune in his invention. He has more
orders than he can fill, and is prepared to sell State, county, and
town rights.
HEMMING’S UNICYCLE, OR “FLYING YANKEE VELOCIPEDE.”
The single-wheeled velocipede has at length received a palpable body,
and “a local habitation and a name.”
[Illustration]
Richard C. Hemming of New Haven, Conn., invented the machine herewith
represented, two years ago; but has only recently brought it into the
market and applied it to practical purposes. The main wheel has a
double rim, or has two concentric rims, the inner face of the inner
one having a projecting lip for keeping the friction rollers and the
friction driver in place; each of these being correspondingly grooved
on their peripheries. The frame on which the rider sits, sustains these
friction wheels in double parallel arms, on the front one of which is
mounted a double pulley, with belts passing to small pulleys on the
axis of the driving wheel. This double wheel is driven, as seen, by
cranks turned by the hands. The friction of the lower wheel on the
surface of the inner rim of the main wheel, is the immediate means of
propulsion. A small binding wheel, seen between the rider’s legs,
serves to keep the bands or belts tight. The steering is effected
either by inclining the body to one side or the other, or by the foot
impinging on the ground, the stirrups being hung low for this purpose.
By throwing the weight on these stirrups, the binding wheel may be
brought more powerfully down on the belts. Over the rider’s head is
an awning, and there is also a shield in front of his body to keep
the clothes from being soiled by mud and wet. When going forward, the
driving wheel is kept slightly forward of the centre of gravity by the
position of the rider. By this means the power exerted is comparatively
small. Every turn of the crank is equivalent to a rotation of the great
wheel.
Mr. Hemming says that this machine can be manufactured for fifty
dollars, of a weight of only thirty pounds; that it will ascend
steep grades, and that it can be driven on the roads with but little
exertion, at the rate of twenty or even twenty-five miles an hour. This
wheel is of a diameter of from six to eight feet.
Mr. Hemming’s boy of thirteen has one five feet in diameter, the first
manufactured, crude in construction, and heavier than necessary, which
he propels at the rate of a mile in three minutes.
* * * * *
A mechanic of Dubuque, Iowa, has invented a one-wheeled machine, which
he calls a velocycle or velocyde. This velocipede is not ridden upon,
but transports its rider into the position of “walkist.” It is a large
wheel or double wheel, made a unit by a light rim of five feet one inch
in diameter. The operator steps upon the rim and commences to ascend an
endless ladder. It being movable, of course he does not ascend but sets
the wheel in motion. The inventor claims that the effort is not greater
than the force of muscle required in ordinary locomotion, and that by
his arrangement of pulleys, each step gives a complete revolution of
the wheel and is equivalent to a stride of eighteen feet. He claims
that it will ascend steep grades, will run at the rate of twenty
miles an hour, will not weigh over twenty pounds, and that it can be
manufactured for $40.
* * * * *
The single wheeled velocipede was perhaps predicted in Ezekiel i.
15-21. A gentleman in Pittsburg, Pa., claims to have invented one,
which can be propelled by the combined force of five men, who occupy
comfortable seats in the automatic horse. This wheel is ten feet in
diameter, and the inventor thinks it can be driven at the rate of
twenty miles an hour.
* * * * *
A New York mechanic has devised a monocycle or single machine, which
consists of a wheel eight feet in diameter, with a tire six inches
wide, or two narrow tires on its outer edges, with two sets of spokes
connecting with a double centre, which fills the place of a hub, the
two sides of which are two feet and a half apart. The operator is in
the middle, and propels the wheel by an apparatus, in which both his
weight and his muscles are brought into play.
[Illustration]
We present an engraving of an English one-wheeled velocipede. The feet
are placed on short stilts, connected with the cranks, one on either
side of the rim, while the rider sits upon a steel spring saddle over
the whole wheel. The inventor modestly limits the diameter of the wheel
to twelve feet, and the number of revolutions to fifty per minute.
Twenty-five miles per hour is the speed expected to be reached. The
riders of this machine, without the ability to overcome the laws of
gravity, would be very likely to get broken bones and noses. It is not
likely to come into general use.
* * * * *
Captain Du Boisson, a Frenchman and captain of Prince Napoleon’s yacht,
“Jerome Napoleon,” has invented a velocipede which runs upon water
with great facility. It is composed of two parallel tubes of cast
iron, cigar-shaped, connected by iron cross-pieces. In the centre is
a propelling wheel, covered by a house or drum, on the top of which
the person using the vessel sits comfortably in a sort of saddle, with
stirrups. By means of these stirrups and a hand crank upon each side,
he gives the wheel its motion, precisely as it is given to a velocipede
on shore. The novel craft is easily propelled at the rate of six miles
an hour.
* * * * *
A gentleman of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., has invented and uses an Ice
Velocipede, which he propels with astonishing rapidity. The frame of
this velocipede is built like those which are commonly used in this
city. It has but one wheel, steered with a bar as in the land machine,
but armed with sharp points to prevent its slipping. Instead of the
wheel behind are two sharp runners, like those attached to the ice
boats.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
A Steam Velocipede has also been invented, from which great speed
is expected. The cylinders and their attachments to the two driving
wheels are not shown. They are placed vertically in front of the
boiler, between it and the seat, and connect with cranks on the shaft
of the driving wheels. The engraving shows the position of the boiler
relatively to the other parts of the machine. The engine is a direct
acting compound engine of two cylinders, each cylinder two and a half
inches diameter, and five inches stroke. The steering gear consists of
an endless chain over a grooved wheel on the engine shaft, and passing
over a corresponding wheel fixed between the forked shaft just over
the front. The latter grooved wheel is a wide one, and over it passes
another chain. This latter chain works round the boss of the front
wheel. This arrangement gives power to the front wheel, so that in
turning a corner, this wheel takes a wider sweep than the two driving
wheels, which go first. In travelling on a straight road (backwards)
the machine is turned to either side by turning the steering wheel to
the opposite side. The boiler is a vertical one, with four tubes, one
and a half inches internal diameter, hanging down by the side of the
fire-box. The fire-grate is cast with four holes in it to receive the
bottom ends of the tubes so as to hold them firmly. Height of boiler,
two feet six inches; height of fire-box, fifteen inches; diameter
of fire-box, eleven inches; diameter of boiler, fourteen inches.
The fire-box and tubes are copper, pressure two hundred pounds; but
twenty-five pounds of steam will be equal to a velocipede propelled by
the feet.
* * * * *
Philadelphia has recently produced a velocipede of an entirely new
style. There are but two wheels, the seat sitting quite low between
them. The novelty consists in a cog attached to the guiding-post, by
means of which the rear wheel is made to follow directly in the track
of the forward wheel. No matter how short the turn, both wheels make it
at the same time, and the seat always remains parallel with the driving
wheel. In other machines there is no guide to the rear wheel, and
consequently the machine cannot be turned so readily when a collision
is threatened. The new machine, which is called the “Keystone,” in
honor of its native State, is substantially built, and so far as it has
been tested in the riding school, is pronounced a success.
There is an ingenious gentleman in Cincinnati, who is at work
constructing a velocipede to be propelled by a spring, on the principle
of a watch. After winding it up, he calculates that it will move two
miles before it will require winding.
A gentleman in Albany has arranged a velocipede to run on railroad
tracks. The wheels have flanges to them, so that they cannot leave
the rails. The flanges are so arranged as to be removed when occasion
requires, so as to make the machine available on ordinary roads. The
inventor claims fifty miles an hour.
An expert velocipedestrian in the West, has had rubber tires put upon
the wheels of his vehicle; and finds by their use, he can ride in
winter over snow and ice without slipping, and that in summer he is
much relieved of the jar from roughnesses of roads.
The vast majority of the new velocipedes of which we hear daily, prove
total failures on trial. Most of their inventors proceed upon abstract
principles, and fall into absurdities, from which previous practical
knowledge would have saved them.
[Illustration]
VELOCIPEDES FOR LADIES.
We present a bicycle for ladies, lately invented and patented by
Messrs. Pickering & Davis of New York City. It will be seen that the
reach or frame, instead of forming a nearly straight line from the
front swivel to the hind axle, follows the curve of the front wheel
until it reaches a line nearly as low as the hind axle, when it runs
horizontally to that point of the hind wheel. The two wheels being
separated three or four inches, allow of an upright rod being secured
to the reach; around this is a spiral spring, on which a comfortable,
cane-seated, willow-backed chair is placed. This machine, with a
moderate sized wheel (of thirty to thirty-three inches), will allow
being driven with a great deal of comfort and all the advantages of the
two-wheel _veloce_. In mounting, a lady has to step over the reach, at
a point only twelve inches from the floor, the height of an ordinary
step in a flight of stairs.
A machine for ladies has also been invented by S. T. Derry of Boston,
and patented by Messrs. Sargent and Derry, which in construction and
appearance is very similar to the one just described. Its saddle is of
velvet on springs, giving a perfectly elastic seat; it is furnished
with mud fenders in front and behind, and is complete in every respect.
Both these machines have been examined by experts and pronounced
satisfactory. It will be readily seen that they obviate many of the
difficulties, embarrassments, and objectionable features of the
bicycle. They will, doubtless, become popular. While young men have
been dashing about on velocipedes, many young women have looked on with
envy and emulation. They have not been satisfied with the tricycle
designed for their especial use; and have felt it hard that they
should be denied the exercise, amusement, risk, dash, and delightful
independence, which the bicycle so abundantly affords.
It is possible that our young ladies will rush into velocipeding as
they have into skating, and other athletic amusements. It would be
a substitute, in many cases, for the expensive luxury of horseback
exercise, and has the advantages over it, of convenience and pleasure
as well as cost. Velocipeding will be particularly nice for suburban
ladies, who have smooth roads around them, over which they may bowl
to their hearts’ content, and drive themselves from house to house on
morning calls. It will not be necessary to keep an ostler, nor to have
an attendant to assist in mounting and to accompany the rider. When
ready for her ride, a lady may take her horse from the front hall,
clean and fresh, mount, and be off. It would be a bright and beautiful
day for our land, should a laudable and reasonable ambition once fairly
get possession of our young women, to cultivate and develop their
physical natures, and to become strong, healthy, robust, and enduring.
A short time since, “The Revolution” published an able article
recommending the use of the bicycle to ladies. It has been used by them
for some time in a quiet way, and to a much greater extent than is
generally supposed. There are classes for ladies in almost every large
city; and many are waiting for fine weather, to enjoy the art in the
open air, instead of a closely confined room; and to “Witch the world
with noble horsemanship.”
The idea has been conceived from seeing experts ride side-saddle
fashion, and drive the machine with one foot, that ladies might begin
by learning the art in that way. This would be well nigh impossible,
though it is easy enough after one is proficient. But with a proper
teacher of their own sex, and with suitable dresses for preliminary
practice, ladies can soon obtain such a command over the vehicle, that
they can ride side-saddle wise with perfect ease.
A lady must begin with great moderation, and train her muscles to the
work of propulsion, or they will cry out vehemently at first. Above
all, she must avoid getting cold, rheumatism, and neuralgia, after
being heated by the exercise.
The best school for ladies is established in Boston, and is conducted
in a properly private and exclusive manner. It is supplied with a
number of lady teachers and assistants, all under the direction of
the best “velocipedagogue” in the city. It is in a large hall in
a good locality, and is provided with the best French machines,
dressing-rooms, and other conveniences. Many good old Boston names
are to be found upon the list of pupils. The lessons are twenty-five
dollars for a course of instruction, with a guarantee of proficiency.
There is also a school especially designed for ladies, at the corner of
Fifth Avenue and Fourteenth Street, New York, at what is known as the
Somerville Art Gallery. This has two halls of an area of 3,000 square
feet. One of the halls is set apart for beginners, and the other for
those more advanced.
Ladies, in riding the bicycle, commonly use the modest and appropriate
costume worn by them in calisthenic exercises and in the gymnasium.
Another very suitable dress for the _velocipedestrienne_ has been thus
described:--
“Let the outer dress skirt be made so as to button its entire length
in front; the back part should be made to button from the bottom, to a
point about three-eighths of a yard up the skirt. This arrangement does
not detract at all from the appearance of an ordinary walking costume.
When the wearer wishes to prepare for a drive, she simply loosens
two or three of the lower buttons at the front and back and bringing
together the two ends of each side, separately, buttons them in this
way around each ankle. This gives a full skirt around each ankle, and,
when mounted, the dress falls gracefully at each side of the front
wheel.”
Miss Carrie Augusta Moore, well-known in amusement circles as “The
Skatorial Queen,” has been riding the bicycle in public in Washington,
Boston, and the Western cities, with much success. Her riding is
described as finished and graceful, and her costume as neat and modest.
VELOCIPEDE SCHOOLS AND RINKS.
Those who have thought the rage for velocipedes would be fleeting and
evanescent, have found themselves much mistaken. Velocipede “Schools,”
“Halls,” “Rinks,” “Institutes,” and “Academies,” have sprung into
existence with mushroom rapidity. There are scores in our large cities,
and one or more in almost every country town. They secure a patronage
which is not only surprising, as indicating the extent to which the
enthusiasm prevails; but also as showing that the desire to ride is
not confined to any particular age, or to any class of persons. We
have seen astride the bicycle in the same rink, the old and the young,
the fat man and the lean, the doctor, who does not believe that the
fashionable exercise develops one set of muscles to the detriment of
others; the clergyman, a regular muscular Christian; and the newsboy
who has sold his papers in the cold and rain to accumulate the funds
to make him as much the privileged character as any nabob. We have
witnessed the lawyer, the tradesman, and the mechanic, spinning with
ease and grace. We have watched the lounger who fringes the edge of
society with his delicate moustache, making his languid attempt;
we have seen the artist mount his Pegasus, and the professor of
literature, striving with noble persistency to emulate his much envied
tutor. There is a marked fascination in the exercise which affects
alike the spectators and the participants. Those who come to look,
remain to ride; and those, who once bestride “the wheeled Rosinante,”
refuse to quit until they have tamed the unaccustomed steed.
It is very amusing to watch the eager pupils, going through their
novitiate. The beginners mount, struggle, perspire, and tumble in all
directions and shapes; and blunders, awkward movements, collisions, and
shipwrecks follow each other in constant succession. The more advanced
ride with “This one thing I do,” manifest upon every feature; and one
would suppose, from looking at their compressed lips, knit brows, and
fixed eyes, that they felt they were guiding, like Phaëton, the horses
of the Sun. The graduates and proficients ride with charming ease,
carelessness, and control.
“The early bird catches the worm,” is a proverb particularly applicable
to those who first started velocipede schools. All the rinks, schools,
academies, and “velocipedagogues,” do a large business; and their
machines pay for themselves in a short time.
The fever is not confined to the Eastern and Middle States, but rages
throughout the South and West. In some of the velocipede riding halls,
a charge is made for a series of ten lessons; at others, there is an
admittance fee, and a certain price per hour for using the machine. In
our cities, we have them to suit all classes and conditions of people.
They range from the rinks in common localities, with their sawdust
floors, cheap machines, and nominal admission fees, where the “timid
toddlers” go it alone, to the schools in the marble blocks, with their
French machines and experienced teachers.
As our knowledge increases, our tastes become more luxurious. The
plebeian is content with his wagon, but the patrician must have his
_coupé_. The beginner asks no better accommodation than is afforded by
the New Bedford machine; but one of the “do it gracefuls,” or one of
the “fancy few” must have spring work, ornamental mountings, bright
varnish, and no sawdust under him; else he fails to experience the acme
of bicycular enjoyment.
Among the most popular velocipede schools in New York city, are those
of the Pearsall Brothers, corner of Broadway and Twenty-second Street;
Hanlon Brothers, corner of Broadway and Tenth Street; Calvin Witty,
638 Broadway; Mercer & Monod, No. 3 Williams Street; and Barber &
Pendleton, corner of Broadway and Forty-seventh Street.
The Pearsall Brothers formerly occupied prominent and lucrative
positions with Messrs. Gurney & Son, photographers. They foresaw the
future popularity of the velocipede, and abandoned photography for
velocipeding with immediate success. They opened the first school in
New York, and have the names of some five hundred or more pupils on
their lists. They have a velocipede ware-room under their hall.
The Hanlon Brothers, well-known as gymnasts, have the reputation of
being the best riders in the country. Their hall is the largest in
New York, and is furnished with twenty-five first-class machines.
They lately gave a “Velocipede Reception and Hop;” and exhibited many
graceful and daring feats upon the bicycle; afterwards other gentlemen
also gave proof of their skill, among them, Charles A. Dana, Editor of
the “New York Sun,” who is an expert rider.
The largest and most popular school in Brooklyn is under the direction
of Mr. A. C. Burnham. At all these schools, velocipede receptions and
exhibitions are of almost nightly occurrence, and create much interest.
Messrs. Crawford & Co., of Philadelphia, have a large school, corner of
Eighth and Callowhill Streets, where they use a velocipede of their own
construction, in which the rear wheel is used as the guiding wheel.
Messrs. Mercer & Monod, of New York, have a flourishing branch school
in Philadelphia.
The Pearsall Brothers have one in Detroit, Mich., and another in
Chicago, Ill. The large Zouave Hall in Chicago, under the direction of
Geo. D. Miles, has become a noted velocipede academy. The Nicholson
pavement, much used in Chicago, is admirably adapted to this kind
of propulsion, and the riders soon leave the rinks for the streets.
Chicago hails any invention of a fast nature, and the velocipede has
already become a practical institution there.
There is no place where the velocipede _furore_ has developed more
rapidly or to a greater extent than in Boston. There are over twenty
schools and rinks in the city; and no less than eleven on Washington
Street, between the Old South Church and Chester Square. The first
school in Boston was opened by S. T. Derry of the firm of Wm. H.
Sargent & Co., at 155 Tremont Street. At this school the course of
instruction is thorough and complete, and all pupils graduate experts.
Six different sizes of French pattern velocipedes are used, and the
scholar is advanced from one to the other, according to progress.
Though this is a private school, there are the names of hundreds of
graduates upon its lists. Mr. Derry is an accomplished teacher. He has
several other schools under his charge, and has made arrangements to
lease the Skating Rink for the same purpose.
The first public rink opened in Boston, was near Bowdoin Square (No. 7
Greene Street), and has been deservedly popular. The proprietors have
had branch rinks in Cambridgeport, Brighton, and other neighboring
towns.
The fashionable Horticultural Hall was transformed into a first-class
velocipede academy for a limited time. This academy was provided with
coat rooms, dressing rooms, and other conveniences; and with seats and
accommodations for ladies. Tournaments and races here followed each
other in rapid succession.
Among the other popular rinks in Boston, are those of Kimball
Brothers, 113 Court Street; Walter Brown, 179 Court Street; Horace M.
Sargent, Boylston Hall; Macy & Butler, 90 and 92 Tremont Street; at
334 Washington Street; at Arlington Hall; and at Riddle’s Carriage
Repository, Haymarket Square.
The two best and largest rinks in the United States are to be found at
Harvard Square, Cambridge. One of them has twelve thousand square feet
of floor, and twenty-five good machines. The other, built by Mr. John
C. Stiles, is in the form of an amphitheatre, and has a circular course
of a little less than an eighth of a mile in length. Only part of the
track is under cover. At night, this rink is brilliantly lighted, and
the scene is at once novel and inspiring. Scores of riders rush madly
after each other at break-neck speed, round and round the arena.
We have seen an expert whirl over the course in seventeen seconds,
which is nearly as good time as any recorded abroad, and better than
any heretofore made in this country. The students of “Old Harvard”
crowd these rinks; the billiard halls and other places of resort are
deserted, and all are eager votaries of the fascinating art.
“WHERE SHALL WE RIDE?”
But one thing is likely to interfere with the bicycle campaign in our
large cities and towns; and that is the difficulty of finding suitable
places to ride in. Our latest hobby is already ridden with remarkable
fury in the streets, and will continue to be so, by those who make
the machine a means of utility. Foot passengers, however, claim the
sidewalks as their exclusive rights; and will hardly be pleased to feel
in perpetual terror of--
Bicycles right of them,
Bicycles left of them,
Bicycles front of them,
Rolling and tumbling;
and those who ride for amusement, are anxiously looking for suitable
places, where they can do so without annoyance to passers, or being
interfered with by them; where they can see and be seen; and where
their skill can be admired.
But velocipede tracks are now in preparation. Race-courses will be
free to the bicycle, velocipede stables will open in their vicinity,
and the proprietors will rapidly line their pockets. All the skating
ponds will be metamorphosed into velocipedariums and velocipede rinks.
These will make capital exercise grounds, where numberless riders can
make their graceful curves to the music of a good band; and where, in
hot summer weather, they can be protected from the sun by awnings. The
large parks will be open to velocipedestrians.
It has been currently reported that the Commissioners of Central Park,
New York, have prohibited the driving of the bicycle there; but the
rumor is without foundation. No such interdict will be issued, unless
the blooded horses object to the novel machine, by running away.
Well-bred horses, whether thorough-bred or not, already manifest no
emotion at the sight of the vehicle. Without doubt, the Commissioners
will yield gracefully to the public demand.
In New York, a project has been advocated of building an elevated
railway, from Harlem to the Battery, to be used only by velocipede
riders. On such a railway, thirty feet wide, and with a flooring
of hard pine, it would be possible to go from one end of Manhattan
Island to the other in about an hour, making allowance for delays,
from stoppages and accidents. A good rider, with a clear track,
could easily accomplish the distance in half an hour; but, with a
well-filled road, progress would necessarily be slower. In Prospect
and Washington Parks, Brooklyn, the bicycle votaries are allowed the
same privileges as equestrians. Many of the level streets of that city,
with the Nicholson and concrete pavements, furnish a capital surface
for the velocipedestrians, and are great resorts. It is even said,
that the benign City Fathers propose to bridge the gutters for their
accommodation.
The residents of Boston will find good riding grounds, easy of access
to the city, on many of the smooth roads of its beautiful suburbs.
Philadelphians can ride the velocipede on their straight, level
streets. We know of no place so admirably adapted to the bicycle, as
Broad Street, Philadelphia, with its miles of Nicholson pavement.
VELOCIPEDE RACING.
Another feature of the velocipede campaign, will be races against time,
and contests of rival riders. Fast and slow races for money, silver
cups, and other prizes, follow each other night after night in most
of our rinks. All the race-courses will be used for this purpose. A
provision for this sort of sport is in progress, at the Capitoline
Ball-ground, Brooklyn, where in May a half-mile track of smooth hard
road-way will be ready. The managers of the Prospect Park Association,
of the same place, have made arrangements to signalize their first
spring meeting for 1869, with a grand velocipede tournament; at which
prizes amounting to $1,500 will be given for the best time, to the
winners of a series of races. These races will be governed by a special
code of rules, which will include handicapping for weight of machines
and riders, diameter of driving wheel, and extent of treadles. There
will be first, second, and third prizes for the greatest speed; prizes
for the best time made; and prizes for slow riding. This tournament
will afford, not only an excellent opportunity for the display of
skill in American velocipede riding, but also a fair chance to show
off the merits of the different styles of machines. It will create an
excitement, and it is anticipated that many thousand people will be
present.
The proprietors of Riverside Park, near Boston, also intend to
inaugurate a series of bicycle contests on their course during the
ensuing summer.
At the last annual meeting of the Housatonic Agricultural Society of
Berkshire County, Mass., a vote was passed, offering premiums for
bicycle races, at the next exhibition and fair.
Velocipede races are now a feature of the French turf meetings. These
are less cruel, and more attractive and exciting, than running horses
under whip and spur. In the suburbs of Paris, a race of this kind
is especially interesting. The village in which it takes place is in
holiday guise; banners flaunt gaily, and eagles, wreaths, and flowers
are to be seen in every direction. The mayor is usually present, with
a red, white, and blue scarf, his badge of office. The riders wear
jockey caps and silk jackets, and at the moment of starting are drawn
up abreast. The fair sex mount their chairs, wave their hands, flourish
their handkerchiefs, laugh, and scream with delight as their favorites
start at the signal. In spite of the exertions of the _gendarmes_, the
crowd closes in behind the contestants, who are soon lost to sight. In
a few moments, however, distant shouts and cheers announce the return;
and the crowd opens, to allow the passage of the victor, who passes the
winning-post amidst great applause.
The fastest time which has thus far been made in France, was one mile
in two minutes and fourteen seconds. There is a record also, of two
miles having been made in four minutes and fifty-six seconds. This
extraordinary speed was attained on a perfect track, with large-wheeled
machines.
Among the velocipede wagers which have had place in our newspapers,
we mention one or two of the more remarkable. It is said that a
Providence pedestrian and rope-walker is to commence, on the first day
of June next, the unparalleled feat of propelling a velocipede of his
own manufacture, a distance of three thousand miles in thirty days,
averaging one hundred miles per day, for a wager of $5,000. During
the trip, he is to ride the velocipede one hundred and fifty miles in
twenty-four hours, and one trial only will be allowed.
Two New York gentlemen have wagered $1,500 a side to ride from New York
to Chicago. Articles of agreement have been drawn up and signed with a
forfeit of $250 each.
VELOCIPEDE LITERATURE.
Until very recently, velocipede literature has been confined to some
few magazine articles, editorials in scientific, illustrated, and other
newspapers, and various and constant newspaper squibs.
Now, however, the velocipedestrians have a novelty in a paper of their
own, which has made its appearance in New York. It is to be published
monthly by Messrs. Pickering & Davis. It is a quarto of eight pages,
and is entitled “The Velocipedist.” “The object this paper has in view,
is to record everything of interest in the velocipede world.” It is
edited by W. Chester King, late of Athens, Greece, whom Horace Greeley,
in the “Tribune” of February 1st, 1869, justly styles a “brilliant and
accomplished young litterateur.” This young gentleman has distinguished
himself, in a marked manner, in various branches of journalism; and “in
velocipede literature he is as far ahead of his contemporaries as, in
Virgil, Tityrus tells us, Rome was in advance of other cities.
‘Verum hæc centum alias inter caput extulit urbes
Quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi.’”
VELOCIPATHY.
THE VELOCIPEDE FROM A MEDICAL STAND-POINT.
The vast majority of people are almost wholly responsible for their
physical condition. Bodily strength and sound health, like mental
accomplishments, are the results of cultivation; and the greater part
of mankind can as easily obtain them, as they can acquire a knowledge
of Mathematics in school or college.
Let any one place, side by side, the closely confined student or clerk,
and the man who has paid special attention to his physical culture.
Compare the pale or sallow face, the flat chest, the narrow, stooping
shoulders of the former, with the development of the latter, whose
vigorous frame defies disease, whose strength gives a consciousness
of power that makes him fearless of danger, and who can exult in that
greatest earthly possession, exuberant health. These two classes of men
will be the fathers of the next generation. The great disparity between
them can be obviated by physical training on the part of the former. If
not, then, merely as a means of happiness to ourselves, is it not a
duty we owe to succeeding generations, that we cultivate these means of
raising man to the summit of his nature, physically as well as mentally?
The condition of civilization (if one avoids its vices), does not
weaken bodily vigor, provided the locomotive system is kept in thorough
activity. The masses should not only have the necessary amount of
exercise in the open air, but a perfect exercise of every muscle in the
body.
A neglect of the powers with which our Creator has endowed us, is
punished by their withdrawal. Allow the intellect to remain idle and it
will become sluggish. All parts of the human organism not sufficiently
worked, are liable to degenerate; the nerve force which should guide
and govern is allowed to sleep; the muscles become inelastic fibre of
but little vitality. Tie up an arm for months and it withers away. Let
the muscles of our young men and delicate young ladies remain idle;
they degenerate and atrophy.
“Everything that prolongs human life, ameliorates human suffering,
elevates and develops the human frame, is an element of progress; an
element that all true men admire and cherish.”
The velocipede is one of the finest inventions of the nineteenth
century. It is a physiologically constructed machine; is an invaluable
means of promoting health, and bids fair to emancipate our youth from
the common muscular lethargy and debility.
Velocipeding is superior to skating, horseback riding, base-ball, and
rowing. While skating is good for the legs, horseback riding for the
chest, base-ball and rowing for the legs and arms, the benefit derived
from exercise on the velocipede is not local. _It gives a natural
exercise and general development to every muscle of the body._ The arms
are the first to feel the effect of the exercise, for the pressure of
the feet upon the stirrups must be met by a corresponding pressure of
the hands on the tiller, necessary to prevent the front wheel from
turning. This pressure of the tiller against the hands puts the rider
in an upright position, with elbows well back and hands well extended,
straightens the stooping shoulders, facilitates respiration, expands
the lungs, and develops the chest. No position can be maintained upon
the velocipede, inconsistent with ease and elegance of motion, or
incompatible with the laws of health.
Some physicians of prominence have pronounced against the velocipede,
and one has issued a pronunciamento advising young men to shun it,
but the majority of the profession give it their hearty and cordial
support. Medical men are among its most eager votaries. One of the
best physicians in our country, who makes diseases of the lungs a
specialty, rides the bicycle two hours a day, and prescribes it for
his patients. He considers it a great preventive of that scourge of
our climate, consumption; and a grand aid to the development and
improvement of the human body. Many busy men of the profession in New
York, Boston, and other large cities, either have their own machines,
or ride daily in the schools and rinks. They regard this preparation of
Iron (the velocipede), as better than any in their Materia Medica.
Transcriber's Notes
A number of typographical errors were corrected silently.
Cover image was created from elements of the book and is donated to
the public domain.
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