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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1895)
Zxj THE COURIER. ON THE WHEEL THE WHEELMAN'S SOLILOQUY. With apologies to Hamlet. To ring or not to ring, that is tho ipuestion: Whether 'tis butter to restrain tho thumb. Or sound tho warning note upon tho bell. And, by tho sounding, startlo to frighten, scare And by that fright to brim; ujhiu the mind A iHirtion of tho thousand natural shocks That Hesh is licir to, 'tis a consummation DeToutly to Iks feared. To ring or stop To stop! perchance to fall; aye, there's the rub; For in that stop what accidents may come, When wo attempt to dismount from tho wheel, Must gh o us pause. There's tho respect That makes calamity of cj diet's life; For who would bear the jeers and scorns of men, Tho oppressor's wrong, the proud man's con tumely, For any chanco mishap that might occur, When ho himself by turning to ono side Might men avoid? Who would theso grumbl ings hear, Tho grow lings that men make when they uro passed. Hut tho knowledgo that the path belongs To us as well as to another one Whoever ho may bo strengthens tho will, And m-kes us rather bearthoso ills wo have. Than j ield our rights to thoe w ho would them take? For weak nerves do make cowards of some men. And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er witli tho pale cast of fear; And thoso who ought to keep uikhi their way. And hindcrnone, their motions turn awry. And hinder others' action. Soft you now! The angry walker: Sir by thy good temper Bo all my sins forgiven. Tho i icj cling World. The Ashland run is a memory of the past. On Sunday morning while the dew yet glistened on the greenBward and before the rising sun had really settled down lo his day's work the wheel men and wheelwomen began to arrive at tho rendezvous and at 8 o'clock, the hour of starting, a column of nearly sixty members of the Capital City Cycling club and their friends rolled out for Ashland; wheeling out to Thirty-third and Vino street, where they were photo graphed, and thence out by University Place and llavelock. As the cyclists were being arranged in position for the photographer a boy in a diminutive milk cart, drawn by a shaggy dog, was espied coming along the road. Of course tho boy and the cart and tho dog were made a part of the group. Afterwards when speeding along in the scorching sun wo thought of that milk in the cart with poignant regret. Captain Iloag land, as is customary, headed tho pro cession, and it was an imposing caval cade. The riders were fresh and in trim array, tho ladies in strikingly tasty cos tumes; wheels polished, and everybody riding well and enthusiastically. There is a fine stretch of country beyond llavelock running clear to "Waverly. And the winged riders caught all the inspiration of the scene. How green and fresh the Holds of grass and growing grain! How nature seemed to glow with lifo and glorious promieo on tho slightly undulating prairie! Never has Nebraska looked fairer than on that bright day of tho Ashland run. And us wo sped along in the early part of the day, instinct with joyous freedom, keen to all the beauty of tho panorama before and about us, something of a realization of a cyclist's inestimable privileges came to all. Waverly was reached with tho riders in good form, and the town pnmp immediately became the center of at traction. A few minutes and olT we were onco more. At Greenwood hill we overtook Mr. and Mrs A.M. Dickey and Mrs. Snyder walking. Only till of tho narty succeeded in pedaling over the hill. The Greenwood stores were in vaded somewhat to tho detriment of the stock of soda water, pop, cookies, etc. From Greenwood to Ashland it began to seem just a little like work. There are two roads. Some took one and some tho other. One was rough and the other hilly. The junction was reached at about the same time, and forty-three dusty, perspiring cyclists finnlly register ed at the Hotel Selma in Ashland. This was an almost fatal mistake, putting up at the Selma. Country hotels are com monly divided into two classes, bad and very bad. Tho Selma is entitled to n class all by itself. Its wretchedness is superlativo unprecedented. It was bad enough when forty persons were com pelled to perform their ablutions in three ImiwIs, but when dinner was served the unanimous sentiment of the party scattered, many going out in search of something to eat. Some 6lept, some tinned, some wandered olT in twain, one of either sex, and listened to the swash of muddy Salt Creek. Hut the muddy water didn't etrect the sentiment. Some, I am informed, wero fortunate enough to tind a cold bottle. What luck some people do have! Ashland was explored from center to circumference. At 11:150 the assembly sounded and twenty-three started on the home run. the remainder returning by train. Coming hack wasn't at all like going. The south wind blew and it was a hard pull all tho way. Just before reaching Have lock a stop was made at a farm house. Tho farm house contained vast quanti ties of milk; also a fair little country girl. I was only permitted to take a pat-sing glance at her, hut I saw she hid black, sparkling eyes, raven hair and a lily-white complexion. Some of the boys looked at her and then thought thoughts as tho judge did when he gazed at Maud Midler: A form more fair, a face more sweet Ne'er hath it teeii my lot to meet. And her modest answer and graceful air Showed herwisemd good ns she is fair. Would she were mine Then like the judge, they Thought of their sisters, proud and cold Anil their mothers vain of their rank and gold At least I presume they did, for after a lingering look at the rural beauty they moved on. Closing their hearts they nil rode on And she wnn left with the milk pan alone. be a multi-millionaire- if he feeds all his patrons as he fed us. Mrs. Frank Van Horn, Mrs. A. M. Dickey. Misst'H 15rockelme)cr, Snyder and Morrill wero the ladies in the party. I wonder how much the proprietor of the hotel "put up" to Fred Yule to keep ium from informing usof the attenuated state of the dinner. How many of you saw I'M Walton's "spurt" up to tho hotel? His makeup and pose woultl proxo a fortune to Thomas Q. Seabrooke, could he repro duce it. Frank Van Horn had a falling out with his digesting aparatus and escaped the fate of trjing to impress himself that he was getting a dinner out of a very meager lunch. Shader rode in from Ashland in two and one half hours, lint it would have looked better for him to have stayed with the club. Scorchers are not desirable adjuncts on a run. And that's no dream. Dust, heat and wind. And some sweat. Hut a good run. Now for Uoca. Who's going. Kverbody Of course. a REVERIE. With apologies. It was written with tho memories of the Ashland dinner rankling in my stomach. Say fellows, what do you think Of that ranch down at Ashland town? Ice cream? Well, no. I don't think ! And pie with a crust like tho crown Of Walton's new fangled bike hat Only tougher somewhat I'll allow. And fowl that was "smothered" 'twas said And beef that sure camo from the cow That legend says hopped o'er the moon. Well. "SelmaV a hoodoo for mo And when Ashland again I attempt The Commercial my harbor will bo. r ----- - -m was that Of all sad words Of tongue and pen The saddest are these: "I dead hui'gry and there's nothing toeat." Ye gods, it was fearful; enough to make strong men weep. Instead of a blessing some of the bos joined hands and sang languidly, "Listen to My Tale of Woe." But it was a song that never reached the landlord's heart. Some of the things the wearj riders expected to get were: chicken, pork and beans, roast beef, boiled ham, vegetables, ice cream, etc. Just what the arMcles were that were brought on nobody present was able to discover. I pocketed several of the specimens and will have them ana lyzed at the university. The menu promised right well But proved a delusion and snare. Onlythoe who ordered the whole Succeeded in getting a share. and they were to be pitied. But that Selma dinner is a painful subject, and I gladly pass on. After dinner the party THE rm'X r VV,TriAM, (MASS.) Only Julius Koediger declared he could not pedal another step. But this was only a subterfuge. Captain Hoag land frustrated it by attaching a stout cord to his wheel and hauling him the rest of the way home. We arrived in Lincoln at G:lo, safe and sound, but as id. I towe said, "some tired " It was my first long run for many a day and on the home trip I grew weary at Green wood, fatigued at Waverly, nearly "dead"' at llavelock and quite so at 27th and R. But I managed to roll up in front of the club rooms not more than .'50 seconds behind the others, and didn't need a rope. The people who rode home in the train did not have any the best of Julius Roediger. The way he abused Frank Hoagland'sgenerosity nearly caused the "death" of the other riders from fatigue by laughter. And Frank ought to have known better. The landlord of the Selma ought to Since the last issue of Tub Couuikh, I have looked very seriously into the proposed six day, or rather six nights race under electric light at the track at Lincoln Park. I cannot see wherein it would not prove a big winner, and I believe it would prove the medium of placing a large surplus in the club treasury. A committee should at onco be appointed by the Hub at next Tuesday's meeting "with jxiwer to act" to at once obtain the requisite sanction, make all necessary arrangements and announce tho date; as I said last week, it is a good scheme, and The Coukiek can be depended ujKin to hangup one of the prizes. Pleasure-Cycling is the title of a neat little ICmo volume in illuminated cloth cover which has reached my desk. The book is an interesting one and is full of useful information and instruction for those in their first season on the wheel and is peculiarly adapted to promote a sport which the writer. Henry Clyde, proves by every line he writes, to be. I "Money Saved is Money Earned." "The Best is always the Cheapest." I 8 JL TRUTH PROCLAIMED. These two Proverbs do not conflict but are synonymous. They are condensed statements; meaning that the world's experience is that money is not saved by buying low priced goods. Bicycling is in its infancy but has given ub two phrases equally true and equally synonymous with the above. They are: I "Get tlae Best." I "Get tlxe Rcuxitoler"! Best Clincher Tire Made. Strongest Frame. C. A. WIEICK, Agent. 1217 0 STUEET. Ricle a It is the Swiftest, Lightest, Easiest running. Most Beaotiful. Alimuinum finish. Strongest in the world. Built of the best of steel. II. E. SIDLES SELLS THEM. 112 N Thirteenth St. LINCOLN. E. R. GUTHRIE, AGT., 1540 0 ST. Kaf- .Nt4sr-