The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 18, March 11, 1897

One of the most ingenious was a new tire. It is called the Hose-Pipe Tire, and seems to be a very sensible and useful kind.

The feature of this tire is that it has a second tube laid flat inside the first one.

This second tube is not inflated, but kept as an emergency tube.

Should the outer one be punctured, the pipe inside can be inflated by means of a separate valve connected with it, and the rider can go on his way with little delay.

Should the second tube also become punctured, it is so arranged that it can be taken out, mended, and replaced without much trouble.

New saddles of all descriptions were shown. The Schlesinger Anatomical Saddle, with its spring cushion which does away with the jolts and shocks that the rider receives with an ordinary saddle, was voted the best shown.

There is a new foot-pump from which great things are expected. It is small enough to be packed in the tool-bag, and strong enough for all purposes.

Among other things, a bicycle cleaner made by the Ætna Company, of Newark, N.J., was particularly recommended to prevent rust, and to polish the steel and enamel parts.

The aluminum cyclometers made by the Trenton Watch Company made a very handsome display. They will register from 1 to 10,000 miles.

The League of American Wheelmen are preparing a set of road books which give the best roads and routes to various points of interest.

The New York Times published in their supplement for February 7th four of these route maps.

They are most excellent. The hills, the character of the roads, the railroad crossings, the trolley lines, are all marked with the greatest accuracy. Even the awkward corners where trolleys are to be met are marked, and the various rules and regulations of the villages which must be passed are also given.

These four maps give trips to Mt. Vernon, to Bronx Park, and to New Rochelle, over roads and byways with which the present writer is thoroughly familiar, and the accuracy of these charts cannot be too highly commended.

With such guides as these in hand, a wheelman can make delightful, safe, and speedy trips.

Our young readers would do well to secure copies of The Times supplement, and obtain these excellent maps.

The League of American Wheelmen has very generously decided to let the general public have the benefit of its road books, and they will put them on the market, we understand, as soon as they are published.

    G.H.R.

LETTERS FROM OUR YOUNG FRIENDS

The Editor takes pleasure in acknowledging the pleasant letters received from Laura Van C. and Theodore S.

The Great Round World is always delighted to hear of any good books, and thanks Theodore for his recommendation of "In Mythland" and "Hans Brinker."

The Editor also wishes to thank Mr. Davis, of Bayonne, for his kind letter, and to tell him that if he will look at No. 3 of The Great Round World, page 46, he will find a fuller account of terminal buds, and the rings formed on trees.

It was hoped that the readers of The Great Round World would have remembered the previous article on the subject, and therefore the later one was not so explanatory.

Mr. Davis has very kindly sent us an account of the kite represented in our No. 9. We take great pleasure in publishing his statement. He says:

"I will tell you about Mr. William A. Eddy's kite, or rather about Mr. Hargrave's, whose invention was the kite represented in your late issue.

"Mr. Lawrence Hargrave, of Australia, began in 1892 some experiments in kite flying. His first attempt was with cylindrical surfaces. Not succeeding as well as he had expected, he changed his plans, and in 1893 perfected the kite as represented in your issue. He sent photographs to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, where Mr. Eddy saw them. On his return to Bayonne, Mr. Eddy made several kites from the photographic pattern, and flew them a few days afterward. These undoubtedly were the first Hargrave kites flown outside of Australia. This is a powerful kite, but it requires a very strong wind to raise it.

"Mr. Eddy's kites are of a nearly plane surface, slightly convex in front, and without tails. His experiments with them are revealing wonderful facts regarding atmospheric electricity."

Dear Mr. Editor:

The Great Round World is very interesting, I think, when you commence it. I think as another little girl thinks, that the inventions made nowadays are wonderful; indeed, if I could I would like to talk to the people up in Mars, if there are any to talk to. My teacher's name is Miss Davis, and she reads The Great Round World to us.

    Yours truly,
    Laura Van C.
    Troy, Ohio, February 13, 1897.

Dear Mr. Editor:

I have a book by the name of "In Mythland." I like it so much that I thought I would write and tell you about it, so as other children seven years old like me would know of it, and could read it. Mother reads The Great Round World to me every week, and I like it very much. Mother is reading me a book called "Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates." A story of life in Holland. By Mary Mapes Dodge. My book has many pictures of Holland in it.

    Yours truly,
    Theodore S.K.
    321 West 82d Street, February 15, 1897.

BOOK REVIEWS

A new book has been sent us, entitled "Three of Us." The title is explained by the cover, which gives the bright faces of three fine dogs—Barney, a bull-dog, Cossack, a wolf-hound, and Rex, a St. Bernard.

The book has 327 pages, and tells the stories of the three dogs—the last one, Rex, telling his own "autobow-wow-ography."

It is written and also illustrated with many drawings by Izora C. Chandler, and published by Eaton & Mains, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

The other day a number of letters were shown us which had been written about this book by some bright little people of Hanover, N.H.

The book was given to the school, and one of the teachers read it aloud to the scholars.

This pleased them so much that they each wrote a letter to the lady who had made the gift. We publish one of these letters:

"My Dear Mrs. Richardson:

"It was very kind of you to give the book, "Three of Us," to the school.

"I enjoyed Barney and Cossack very much. I was interested in Rex also.

"Barney was very interesting because he did so many brave deeds.

"I liked Cossack because the little boy's kindness to the dog saved the life of his own father.

"If I were to have a dog I think I would like Barney.

"I thank you very much for the book.

    "Yours sincerely,
    "Emma M. Hall."