As the star-fish is the enemy of mollusks, so it is also of fishermen; and, confidentially, it is the fish which usually gets the best of the fisherman. Able to scent its prey at a long distance, it will seek and make itself familiar with the bait held out for its more noble kinsmen. In reprisal, the fisherman seeks to destroy the fish, and often tears it in halves, flinging the pieces back into the sea. This, however, suits the star-fish exactly, for it is wonderfully tenacious of life, and can bear the loss of one or all its rays without being inconvenienced. The two halves simply heal their wounds, and become two star-fishes instead of one. In time they put forth fresh growth, or remain as happy in the possession of two or three stars as with all.
[ODDITIES IN BICYCLES.]
It is probable that the great Madison Square Garden in New York never was so full as it was during the Bicycle Show of a fortnight ago. Twenty thousand people filled the great theatre on the last night of the show, and all through the week the throng proved how popular bicycling and bicycles are now. Those who were in the city and could go saw many wheels and many queer inventions in seats, pedals, frame, tires, and all the other parts of the machine. Each bicycle-maker had his own little compartment, with samples of his bicycles, and a big sign with his name in electric lights upon it for the evening. Even if you knew nothing at all about a wheel you were intensely interested in all you saw, and the more intimately you knew bicycles the greater was your interest. There were thousands of bicycles of all kinds, besides wheels for girls and boys of six and eight years of age; and there was one wheel, perfect in every way, with its pneumatic tires and ball-bearings, which was just large enough for a baby two or three years old, if only some one could have found a baby that age capable of riding it. The little pedals were about an inch and a half wide, and the diameter of the wheels was not over eight or nine inches. This was hardly what could be called a model, for it was too large for that. Yet many a boy and girl thought of "little brother" at home when he or she saw that tiny wheel.
MADE BY THE FARMER'S BOY.
Some ingenious "farmer's boy"—so the sign attached informed the spectator—in New Jersey must have been very anxious to ride a wheel some time ago, for he had made a wooden machine, with solid wheels and a wooden seat, which he rode as a bicycle. It was on exhibition at the show, and was an interesting bit of workmanship, standing by the side of a '96 model, as well as an interesting exhibition of what a boy in New Jersey can do if he has the inclination. The most extraordinary part of this extraordinary wheel was the barn-door hinge which attached the forks and handle-bars to the rest of the wheel. The seat was hard, but it must have given that New Jersey boy a great deal of satisfaction to feel that he was riding on a machine made entirely by his own hands and from designs out of his own bright brain. On the card which was attached to the machine was a statement that this was a "spokeless bicycle," made by a farmer's boy in Monmouth County, New Jersey; that it had "hose-pipe tires" (these are pieces of ordinary lawn hose nailed on the outer edges of the wheels, but sadly wanting in wind), and that it was "actually ridden by him and apparently enjoyed."
RIDDEN A THOUSAND MILES.
This bicycle, however, as you can see in the accompanying illustration, is old style, for the cranks act on the front instead of the rear wheel. In fact the whole machine is like the tall bicycle first used in this country. Another wooden affair which was also on exhibition was much more elaborate, and was really an interesting piece of work. It was made by an Indiana boy, and used by him for a long time. He has covered over 1000 miles on it in riding to and from school, and in making short trips in the vicinity of his home. The bicycle is entirely of wood, so far as its frame and its wheels go. Old carriage-wheel hubs have been used, and the wheel rims are wide, strong pieces of wood. Even the lantern is "home made," for it was constructed from old tin cans. The seat has a wonderful spring arrangement which allows the solid shaft of wood on which it rests to sink in the hollow "tubing" of the frame as far as the steel spiral will permit, and the young builder has made the seat itself comfortable by covering the wood with a leather cap over some hair taken out of a mattress. Any one who can build such a bicycle as this deserves to have a fine new one presented to him, and that was precisely what happened, for the company gave him a new '96-model wheel in exchange for his own crude but serviceable machine.