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.