Around the United States by bicycle

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AROUND

THE

UNITED STATES

BY BICYCLE

BY

CLAUDE C. MURPHEY
9

FULLY ILLUSTRATED BY

EUSTACE PAUL ZIEGLER

«^

DETROIT

Press of Raynor & Taylor
1906

':A^''

U8BARY Of CONGRESS
Two Conies RfCf ivert

AUG 8 1906

f\ CoDyntfii tntry ^
' COPY 8.

COPVRHxHT

1906

P.Y Cl.Al-DE CiTARI.KS MlTRPHKV

TO MY DEAR MOTHER,

(PEACE BE TO HEK SOUL)

THIS

RECORD OF TRAVEL AND A D Y E N T U R E

IS REVERENTLY D E D I C^ A T E D

CONTENTS

a

Chapter »'*&«

/. The Start ^S

Ih In Which We Get Held Up in Chicago 2r

III. We Ford a River in Illinois ^9

IV. We Reach Madison, Wisconsin i5

F. Nearly Lost in the Black River Wilds 41

VI. We Have Our Troubles in the Dakotas 4^

VII. We Cross the Rockies 67

VIII. The Many Perils of the Green River Desert ioj

IX. The "City of the Saints" and the Great Salt Lake.. 109

X. A Dash Through a Forest Fire in Idaho nS

XI. Nearly Suffocated in a Tivo-Milc Tunnel I37

XI L We Cross the Sierra Nevadas Under Difficulties... 156

XIII. The "God's Own Country" Section of California... 184

XIV. Across a Thousand Miles of Desert and Wilderness 194

XV. A Five Hundred Mile Walk Through Deep Snow. . 221

XV L "Trouble, Trouble, Trouble. Morning, Noon and

Night," Until We Reach Nezv Orleans 236

XVII. In Which We Discover That There is Still "Some-
thing Doing" -59

XVIII. The Famous Lookout Mountain at Chattanooga,

Tennessee -^"Z

XIX: Across the Carolinas by Means of "Shanks Mares". 277
XX. In Which IV e Have a Feiv Pleasing Experiences

With the "Old Dominion Aristocracy" 289

XXI. Beautiful Washington and Historical Philadelphia.. 296
XXII. Nezv York, the Most Wonderful City in the World. . jr^

XXIII. JVe Cross Three States and Reach the Rock-

Bound Coast of Maine 3^9

XXIV. The Bitter, Bitter End to Our Dreams of Success.. 327
XXV. The Marvelous Niagara Falls 337

XXVI. We Finish Our Long Journey 345

ILLUSTRATIONS

0

Facing Page

Frontispiece: The Start.

Facsimile^ Front and Back, of Souvenir.. 17

Outline Map of U. S., Slwzving Route 33

Minnehaha Falls 47

The Corn Palace, Mitchell. S. D 54

The Outlaw's Cabin 66

"One Way of Getting a Drink." T\irkey Creek, Rocky Mts. . 75

Glenwood Canyon • 96

Shoshone Falls 96

Green River Desert, Utah 104

''Temple Square," Mormon Temple and Tabernacle J 13

Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah 115

"A Worthy Pair," Shoshone Indians i^7

On the Ananam Trail, Kittitassc Mfs.. Wash 149

Casino at Santa Cm:;, Cal 184

San Miguel Mission 186

San Francisco Ave., Pomona, Cal. 193

A Typical Scene on an Arizona Desert 202

"Roping," Staked Plains, Te.ra*s 216

Scene in the Osarks 227

A 125-Foot Trestle, Boston Mts., Arkansas 231

"Meekly Wending Their Homezvard Way" 24^

The Way We Find the Wagon Roads in Louisiana 255

Harbor Scene, Pensacola, Fla 266

Natural Bridge, Lookout Mt., Chattanooga, Tenn 276

"Three of a Kind" 282

A Peculiar Railroad Trestle, N. C 289

"The Way They Do It In the South" 294

United States Capitol, Washington, D. C 299

Exact Loeafion (X) of Beginning of Great Baltimore Fire.. 301

Broad St., Philadelphia, Looking Tozvard City Hall 308

City Hall and ]Vorld Building, Neiv York 3^8

Memorial Arch, Hartford, Conn 3-0

"B-B-B-l-e-s-s M-M-M-y S-S-S-o-u-l, I Think That There

Is a Bed-Bug in My Bed!" 342

The Finish • • 360

INTRODUCTORY

Clarence M. Darling and Claude C. Murphey, age 19
and 20 respectively, left Jackson, Michigan, on May 2,
1904, to make a trip by bicycle through every state and
territory within the boundary lines of the United States
proper, namely, fortv-five states, four territories, and the
District of Columbia'. The trip was the result of a wager.
Upon the success of the tour a purse of five thousand
dollars would be won by the two contestants providing
that they lived up to all the terms and stipulations of
the wager. The conditions were that they were to start
on this long journey penniless, while on the trip they
were neither to beg, work, borrow, nor steal, all the ex-
penses of the tour to be met by the profits resulting from
the sale of an aluminum card-receiver or ash-tray, a
fac-simile of which is given on one of the following
pages.

Also the entire journey was to be made and completed
within one year and six months from the date of start-
ing, that is before November 2, 1905.

From Jackson, Michigan, their first objective pomt
was Chicago, Illinois; thence in rotation they were re-
quired to visit the following cities : St. Louis, Mo. ; Dav-
enport, la.; Madison, Wis.; St. Paul, Minn.; Forman,
N. D.; Aberdeen, S. D. ; Alliance, Neb.; Cheyenne,
Wyo. ; Denver, Colo. ; Salt Lake City, Utah ; Pocatello,
Ida.; Butte, Mont.; Olympia, Wash.; Salem, Oreg.;
Reno, Nev. ; San Francisco, Cal. ; Tucson, Ariz. ; Dem-
ing, N. M.; Dallas, Tex.; Ardmore, I. T. ; Guthrie,
Okla.; Arkansas City, Kans. ; Little Rock, Ark.; New

Orleans, La. ; Biloxi, Miss. ; Pensacola, Fla. ; Montgom-
ery, Ala. ; Chattanooga, Tenn. ; Atlanta, Ga. ; Green-
wood, S. C. ; Raleigh, N. C. ; Richmond, Va. ; Washing-
ton, D. C.; Baltimore, Md. ; Wilmington, Del.; Phila-
delphia, Pa.; Trenton, N. J.; New York City, N. Y. ;
New Haven, Conn. ; Providence, R. I. ; Boston, Mass. ;
Portland, Me. ; Woodsville, N. H. ; Montpelier, Vt. ;
Wheeling, W. Va. ; Columbus, Ohio ; Louisville, Ky. ;
Indianapolis, Ind. ; Detroit, Michigan, and thence back
to the starting point, Jackson.

The young wheelmen made all of the western states
without breaking any of the conditions, though meeting
with adventures of every description, in some of which
the hideous countenance of Death stared them in the
face, and as to the financial part : In crossing the Greeh
River Desert in Utah the total capital of the two belated
tourists was but two cents; the Southern and Atlantic
Coast states were also traversed with all stipulations ful-
filled ; but when Vermont was reached, the boys became
financially embarrassed, and were not able even to give
their souvenirs away, much less sell them. How they
went without food as long as the human body could
stand, and what further adventures they met, the reader
will find narrated in the later pages of this book.

The start was made in front of the Hotel Otsego,
Jackson, thence going westward on the main street of
the city. At the finish, exactly one year, three months,
six days and forty-five minutes later, the boys came from
the eastward on the same street, dismounting at the iden-
tical spot from which they had departed, in the meantime
having traversed every state in the Union on bicycles,
and having covered exactly thirteen thousand four huti-
dred and seven (13,407) miles.

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

The following pages are a truthful and correct account

of the many hardships and trials of our long journey.
I wish here to inform the reader, (although, after a per-
usal of the following pages it would hardly be necessary
to make this statement, as the reader could readily see
for himself), that I am not a trained writer; therefore
I ask the gentle reader to overlook, kindly, the simple
manner in which the account of our journey is written.

The pictures which appear in this book were all taken
personally by Mr. Darling, and it is w3th pride that we
make the statement, that many of the scenes shown in
some of these pictures have never before been snapped
by "the kodak fiend," ours standing as the only pictures
on record of these localities.

CHAPTER FIRST.

THE START.

Darling and I several years ago conceived the
idea to make a trip through every state and terri-
tory composing the glorious Union, and to make
the journey either by train, on foot, on horse-back,
or by bicycle. The idea at that time was very
much in embryo form, but the more we thought of
it, the more enthusiastic we became. We thought
upon the matter a great deal, but could not see our
way clear to take it up on account of business
reasons. The plan several times almost died
away, but something always happened which
kindled the flame afresh.

Finally the kind hand of Providence intervened,
and we received inside information through a cer-
tain source that a very large sum of money was
being wagered between certain eastern sportsmen,
that a trip by bicycle through every state in the
Union could not be made by any individual in the
time limit of one year and six months, the traveler
to start penniless, neither to beg, work, borrow,
nor steal, and to make all of his traveling expen-
ses by the sale of photographs or some other little
trinket of a like nature. The article to be sold

'1

14 Around the United States by Bicycle

was to be carried with him, that is, not to be ship-
ped from town to town, and it was specified that
the same article had to be sold all the way through
the trip. It is needless to state that we gladly
hailed this opportunity, thus offered us, to gratify
and satisfy our desire to ^^see the country."

All our plans were made very much in secret, so
that not a person knew of our proposed tour until
every detail of the journey had been arranged.
One week before the start our plans were made
public through the press.

To such a fine point did we have our trip plan-
ned that we had a full and complete list of every
city, town, and village to be reached, and even
the blind sidings along our route; the population
was also given, including the mileage distances
between different points, so that we knew to the
hour when we were due to arrive at designated
points. The entire route was all computed by
railroad distances, and in every case where it was
possible our route followed a line of railroad.
The object and advantage of this can readily be
seen. If there should be no wagon roads, we then
could easily follow the railroad; and should the
weather be very wet and rainy, thereby making
the wagon roads impassable, we could make fairly
good progress by walking the track and trundling
our wheels along beside us, a thing which, by the
way, we did so much on the trip, that it almost be-

Around the United States by Bicycle 15

came a second nature to us. The only cities
which we were compelled to pass through were
but one point in each state. These points are
given in the preface, and also appear on the fac-
simile of the back of the souvenirs. At each point
we were compelled to see the Mayor or some other
city official and get two statements or affidavits to
the fact that we had called upon him, and were
making a tour of the several states and territories
in the Union. Also it was necessary for us to get
the post-mark of every post-office through which
we passed. Besides this we had to prepare a
report sheet of our riding and expenses, and an
accurate account of the number of souvenirs sold.
The red tape and minute detail this involved
would have m.ade even a preacher use some very
strong language.

The publication of our plans fell as a bomb-shell
upon the community. Some said we were candi-
dates for the Kalamazoo Insane Asylum even to
consider such a foolhardy proposition; a great
many thought that it was simply a little newspaper
story, that possibly we might start, but that we
should be back very shortly; and there were a few,
yes, a very few, who really did think that it was
a great trip for any young man to take, consider-
ing it from an educational standpoint, but even
they thought that we should fail.

After everyone had recovered from this shock,
suggestions began to pour in. How we should do

16 Around the United States by Bicycle

this, and how that. Any individual who had had
the advantage over his comrades, and had been
able to travel to different parts of this Union,
thought it his particular duty to inform us how we
should do when we reached ''so and so". Mr. B.,
who had traveled through the Rockies, took us to
one side, and with a very serious expression on his
face gave us a lecture lasting about thirty minutes
in which he indulged in many sorrowful shakes of
his head accompanied by such a mournful look,
that we were compelled to use our handkerchiefs
to wipe the tears from our eyes, and it was with
difficulty that we restrained ourselves from a com-
plete collapse. The substance of this funereal talk
was that we were going to have a very dangerous
time in crossing the Rocky Mountains, that there
were many, many wild and unexplored parts, and
that it would be a very easy matter to get lost, and
then someone years afterward would find our grin-
ning skulls, or possibly we might be food for the
wild beasts which infested those mountains, and
then he stated that another very, very serious mat-
ter would be that the altitude was so great in the
Rockies that we should not be able to go more than
ten miles in a whole day, as it would be a physi-
cal impossibility to go any farther; he knew what
he was talking about, as he had been there-
Following are some of the contributions which
acted as a sort of stimulating encouragement (?)
to us to undertake the trip:

pnOarliho anJ C.C.Murphea are mc^kmo<^tool-of He Unit^dSratcj
,cnbici^cles,tviei|u;il| |3d4S fKrouati evtay Stule in thf Union and will
'irav?! ovfR fwclvt +(ioosan2 milfs .thfu exptd fovr,o«e theli-if' in

tout i^tftR Al-IO ii(( mON+hi <?.tffie CONcluiiiNol vyMchthf4~"il| Wfi|t(?

'ft Boom. (:nfitle3"AR0U«[iTheV'»itep£lstoi&i<BitoJe.''Theu^,|illeAvC Jack-
son,MicH ,ONn<Mi2,icio,j,tt,er<c^+o CHic(»Qo,'III. St.Lkilj.rlo P«v--

,D., Alliftr^ce, hfc-B., Cheu tnne ,v^c.»,, PeNvcn ,Co|o. , $^\i iMfCfu
U-h?.!, ,?oc,^ie llo, Ido, Bun?, ^1o,;t,0lur,,/.^,Y^«sH,£^lem ,Oflto,^ervX
ntv., 6AwFrflNcisco,CA/.,Tucso)v, fA^iz., D<»t)1i^d, i\.n Df*((f\'sTesrl
AYamDre.rT,&i;ttirle,Oklo,f^rt(flNSrtS.K/NNJ, i-ittit fioc»f , Afvx ,
:mvvORlef<NS..U,Bi|oxi,n,ss.,TVhS/>coU,F)».,Mo«V"<'B'(,/M«., ■
Ch«ft,^^,oo«A,'^e^v^.,AfU^tn,G-^,C-t-(c^.wooa,S,C,RAlei9^,,rV,C,RlCH•
^^v^o^^.Y/^.,Wfls^l»)Qton,t>.C.,B^Hl•noKe,nl ,w;lhii'n(}t'ori,Dc-l' PHil'
a3tljiVifl,P« ,TB(NTQrv,N.J ,Nev,VorkC;fo,NtwHA.vtN,Conn,rr'ov-
ll2encp,KI ,B'<i<'an.,nfiss ,'Partl/.NO,r»]<'.,-vJooi>iv;lle, n H iMs'ntb'li^t
!Yt,Wh'•^l^•,<l,^/^Y/^,Colurv,bus,0 , Lov/is vi lie , Ku , /n rf i a no bol , ) , / r,*,'

-'t

FAC-SIMII,E, FRONT AND BACK, OF SOUVENIR.

Around the United States by Bicycle 17

Mr. E.: ^*You just wait until you get down into
Kentucky just after it has rained, if you don^t have
a time, you'll wish you had never left your own
sweet little home. ' '

Mr. L.: ^'When you get out in South Dakota,
you want to be" awful careful about the water, as it
is all alkali water, and it will kill you if you drink
it. What you want to do is to have water shipped
to you from Michigan, and then you will be all
right. ' '

Mr. R.: ^*If you should happen to be out in the
plains after it rains, you'll be up against it. The
ground absorbs the water just like a sponge, and
you'll have to lay up for a week before you will be
able to go again. ' '

**You'll never get through the Southern States
as there are no roads down there, and it's all
marshy and swampy and there are trestles several
miles long, and the fast trains come along every
little while."

As to the different articles of wearing apparel,
repairs for our wheels, etc., if we had taken every-
thing which our friends recommended, it would
have been necessary for us to be accompanied by
a train of baggage wagons. With reference to
medicines, bandages, etc., if we had complied with
the desires of many we could have purchased the
entire stock of any druggist, and transported it
bodily with us, and even then there is no doubt
that there would have been a great many articles

18 Around the United States by Bicycle

lacking. But, notwithstanding all ttie obstacles
with which we had to contend, Father Time moved
along just the same, and there were only a few
days more between us and the time of our depart-
ure, when SOMETHING happened. "We were
supposed to start without a cent, and to have a
thousand of our souvenirs on hand to carry with
us. Everything in this direction was working
nicely, we had received a telegram from the Bell
Novelty Advertising Company, who make a
general line of novelty advertising, and were locat-
ed at Bellefontaine, Ohio, that the shipment would
be ready for us so that we could receive them in
time for the start. When we thought that every-
thing was fine, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky,
came a telegram which stated that there had been
a jfire in the factory and that we should not be able
to get our consignment, as it had been destroyed.
It further stated that they would not be able to get
another shipment ready for nearly two weeks.
Some rapid wiring took place between us and the
principals to the wager, and after exchanging
several messages they agreed to advance us
enough money to carry us to where we should
receive our shipment of souvenirs, this money to
be paid back to them from the sale of the souve-
nirs.

This was very discouraging, for if we had had
our souvenirs at the start, we could have easily
disposed of a large number to the people who gave

Around the United States by Bicycle 19

us the parting ovation on the morning of our de-
parture.

At last the eventful day dawned. The second
day of May, a bright, crisp, and cold morning. It
was an ideal day for the beginning of our long
ride. Our machines which had arrived but a few
days before, having been shipped directly from
the factory, were of a standard make, heavy road-
sters with a weight without our baggage of 28
pounds, but when loaded, nearly 75 pounds. The
size of frame known as twenty-two inch; equipped
with heavy tread clincher tires; one-eighth inch
chain, without coasters or brakes; cushion frame
and with gears of 84 2-3. We used upturned
handlebars which permitted us almost an erect
position in riding. We were both dressed in regu-
lation bicycle suits and they were alike in every
respect. We wore sweaters on which the scarlet
circle surrounding a triangle, the insignia of the
Y. M. C. A., stood forth in bold relief on the front
like a headlight to an engine; this together with
the purple and yellow of our sweaters, the bright
orange of our bicycle stockings and whitish color
of our elk-hide bicycle shoes, made such a dazzling
display of color that a person on seeing us would
instantly conclude that in some way or other, part
of a rainbow had broken loose and was perambu-
lating around the country. We carried with us a
small type- writer with which we intended writing
our reports, correspondence, etc. In the frames of

20 Around the United States by Bicycle

our bicycles, we each had a canvas touring case
which fitted very neatly in the frame and in which
we carried additional wearing apparel and repair
supplies for the wheels. This was everything that
we took with us at the start, as we felt that we
could purchase different articles as we needed
them.

We rode down in front of the Otsego Hotel. It
was then about 5:45 a. m. There was quite a
group to see us off, but, owing to the early hour,
many were unable to be there. After being photo-
graphed, and a general handshake, we mounted
our bicycles and rode slowly off, the beginning of
our thirteen thousand mile ride. We had crossed
the Eubicon, the die was cast, and it was with very
peculiar feelings that we left the city limits of
Jackson behind us, and the thought came to us
that possibly it might be the last time that we
should ever see our native city.

CHAPTER SECOND.

IN WHICH WE GET HELD UP IN CHICAGO.

The first day out we covered forty miles, arriv-
ing at Battle Creek, Mich., about four in the after-
noon. The roads were fairly good, and we got
along nicely with nothing occurring beyond the
common incidents of travel. The next day we did
not have so much fun. In going out of Kalamazoo
to a small place called Oshtemo, about eight miles
distant, we got our first taste of what sandy roads
are like. The country was very hilly and the sand
on the road was eight to nine inches deep, loose
and white, through which we walked and shoved
our wheels with difficulty.

"We were now passing through the grape coun-
try of Southern Michigan, and on every side were
\dneyards, while scattered at intervals were fac-
tories where the fruit was pressed and the juice
made into a delicious drink known to the market
as ^ ' grape juice ' '. We called upon the manager of
one of these factories, and when he learned the
nature of our occupation, he invited us to partake
of a sample of their product, a thing which we
were in no wise slow to do. When we left the
factory, we had drunk so much that we felt as if
we had almost been transformed into real grapes.

22 Around the United States by Bicycle

Twelve-thirty one day found us ten miles from
La Porte, Indiana, without our yet having our
noon-day repast. Heretofore we had always eaten
at hotels and restaurants, but today we decided to
attempt to buy our dinner at some farm-house;
accordingly we stopped at the first house, and ask-
ed if it would be possible for us to buy our dinner.
Some excuse to the effect that they had nothing
cooked was the answer that we received, also the
pleasant information that La Porte was only ten
miles distant. At the next house we asked the
same thing, and were told that they could do noth-
ing for us, but that Mr. Brown, in the next house,
would undoubtedly give us our dinner, as he made
a practice of feeding travelers.

We went to Mr. Brown's and told him what his
kind and obliging neighbors had told us concern-
ing him. He was very indignant, said that he
never did such a thing, and asked if we wished to
buy our dinner, why we did not go on to La Porte
instead of trying to buy it at a farm-house, in the
city there were restaurants and hotels that made a
business of feeding people, that he was not run-
ning any accommodation tavern for the benefit of
the traveling community, and when he did he
would hang out a sign to that effect in front of his
house. After Mr. Brown had delivered himself of
this rather spicy speech, we thanked him very
much for all the advice with which he had favored
us, and then we departed from the domain of the

Around the United States by Bicycle 23

eminent and peppery Mr. Brown. For the next
two miles we called at every farm-house, simply
as an experiment, and in no case did we receive
any encouragement whatever, and all seemed to
think the same as the Hon. Mr. Brown.

We had wasted nearly an hour in these proceed-
ings, and it was now nearly one-thirty, and we
were still eight miles from La Porte. We reached
that city a little past two o'clock, and enjoyed a
dinner, the quantity of which was so great, that
the proprietor, who was a German, exclaimed:
'^Ach! Mein Gott in Himmel, vat eders you vas!''

From La Porte for a distance of nearly twelve
miles toward Michigan City we traversed a fine
macadamized road over which we spun in supreme
enjoyment.

Michigan City is located upon the shore of Lake
Michigan, and in the town itself and in the vicinity
the soil is of a fine white and powdery sand. On
the lake shore, there stands a huge mound or
minature mountain of this sand, upon which not
the slightest verdure of any description will grow
This hill is dubbed: "The Hoosiers' Slide."

For nearly twenty miles out of Michigan City,
owing to the heavy sand, it was necessary for us to
walk the railroad track. In many places, how-
ever, the riding was fairly good. This fact caused
a rather exciting episode. The Michigan Central
Railroad at this point has a double track system
upon which fast freight and passenger trains run

24 Around the United States by Bicycle

at very frequent intervals. "We were riding be-
tween the rails on the right hand track, when,
hearing a rumbling sound and divining that it was
an approaching train we turned to discover that it
was a fast freight. We were then about a mile
from the road crossing, and thought that as the
train was still at such a great distance, we could
easily make the crossing by riding just a little
faster. Accordingly we began to ''sprint". "We
were within a quarter of a mile of the crossing
when we looked around and saw that the train was
rapidly gaining upon us, but we thought that we
should be able to reach the crossmg before the
train caught us. We reached the crossing and fell
off our wheels and pulled them off the tracks just
as the train rushed by with a hissing of steam and
a thunderous roar.

As we proceeded, the surrounding country seem-
ed to change from a sandy soil to a somewhat
harder basis, and the roads, at least a great many
of them, were built roads, made of crushed stone,
and rolled until the surface was hard and smooth.
It was with relief that we left the railroad track
to travel again a first-class wagon road.

In due time we arrived at Hammond, Indiana,
which is really a suburb of Chicago. After get-
ting dinner here and making repairs on a punctur-
ed tire we proceeded toward that famous and
much talked about metropolis, Chicago.

Around the United States by Bicycle 25

Even by fast riding, it took us nearly three
lionrs to reach the heart of the main business sec-
tion of the metropolis. We entered the city via
Michigan avenue, one of the principal boulevards,
on which the traffic is very great. Electric han-
soms, cabs, automobiles, and motor vehicles of
every description were dashing to and fro, a lively
scene, a continuous stream of hurrying humanity.
We had a great deal of difficulty wending our way
through the jam of wagons, which together with
the rush and roar of the elevated trains, the pecul-
iar hum made by the cable, which lies a foot or
more beneath the slot in the middle of the car
tracks, made things very lively for us two wheel-
men. Finally we reached the building of the
Young Men's Christian Association, which is lo-
cated on La Salle Street, a massive thirteen story
structure. Leaving our wheels in front of the
building, we went inside to make a few inquiries
and on our return in less than five minutes, there
was a crowd of several hundred people around the
machines, who had been attracted out of curiosity.
Upon our appearance, everyone commenced to
talk at once, all desired to know where we were
going, and where we came from, what we were
making the trip for, and a few hundred other ques-
tions of a like nature. It very much resembled a
modern tower of Babel.

Being strangers in the city, we had some diffi-
culty in finding a suitable lodging-house, but after

26 Around the United States by Bicycle

an hour or so of wandering, we at last found that
for which we were looking. It occupied the entire
second and third floors of a large brick building.
The entire front half of the second floor was de-
voted to a combination reading, writing, and
smoking room for the patrons. The air in this
room was thick with tobacco smoke, amidst which
perhaps one hundred or one hundred and fifty
men, of a fairly respectable type, sat in supreme
contentment.

Observing an old man hedged off from the out-
side world by a sort of chicken-coop affair, and
who peered at all who had occasion to consult him
through a square aperture, the width of which was
about four inches, with a piercing glance which
tended to make anyone feel as if they were before
a judge to receive sentence, we inquired whether
it would be possible for us to get a room, and a
key was shoved through the ' ^ four by four, ' ' while
the owner of the piercing eyes gave vent to a sten-
torian and gruff: ^' Fifty cents!''

Finding the number on a piano-box sort of room
which corresponded to the number on our key, we
unlocked the door to find a floor space of about
eight feet square, in which was an iron bed, with
no other article of furniture, not even a solitary
chair to keep it company. Our room (?) was
separated from the others by a wooden partition
perhaps six feet high, and over the top of the room

Around the United States by Bicycle 27

was stretched wire netting similar to that which
is used on chicken coops.

It was almost an impossibility for ns to sleep,
for men were walking to and fro at frequent inter-
vals during the whole night. At last in despera-
tion we arose and dressed to find that it was 3:45
a. m.

The day was just dawning, but it was a very
dismal and disagreeable morning. The air was
cold and damp, and a clammy fog held the atmos^
phere in its grasp. We decided that it was a
golden opportunity to sight-see as the city had not
yet awakened. Strolling down Madison avenue,
we paused to look at the filthy Chicago River.
There was several barges passing, which, together
with the operation of a '' jack-knife draw-bridge,"
so completely engrossed our attention, that we
paid not the slightest notice to the stray pedestri-
ans who passed to and fro, until a rough hand was
laid upon our shoulders and a gruff voice hoarsely
growled in our ears: ''Come on, kids! Dig up all
you got and, d — n it, dig up quick, too!" We
were very much frightened, being taken so com-
pletely by surprise, and turned to look into the
face of a man perhaps thirty-five years old,
dressed in a suit which was many times too large
for him and once upon a time would have been
called black, but at present the color was question-
able, the face was that of a regular genus ''hobo,"
decorated by a growth of stubby black whiskers

28 Around the United States by Bicycle

which would have made a barber ^^cry like a
child," the eyes were small and treacherous look-
ing, while his breath smelled very similar to that
which is wafted from a musty beer cellar. He
wore a slouch hat pulled down over his shaggy
eye-brows, but in the hands with which he still
grasped our shoulders, he held no gun, which was
a very fortunate thing for us. As it has been our
custom to carry our guns in holsters which were
fastened to our belts, we had them with us at all
times. Upon hearing this very polite request, we
turned and reached for our guns which were in
the vicinity of our hip pockets, mumbling some-
thing to the effect that: ^^Well, guess we'll have
to, as you certainly got the drop on us this time."
By that time we had drawn our guns which we
turned upon our astonished would be hold-up man,
and advised him that unless he wished to give the
undertaker a job he had better make himself
scarce in that vicinity. He turned and was in
such a great hurry that he even forgot to bid us
good-bye.

One of the most notable features about Chicago,
and one which is not seen in any of the other
large cities of the United States, not even in New
York, is the fact that all the people move very fast
while walking, everything moves with that rush
and bustle which is otherwise so characteristic of
the ^^ Windy City."

CHAPTER THIRD.

WE FORD A RIVER IN ILLINOIS.

From Chicago we went to Joliet. This stretch
of road was good, but five miles south of Joliet we
began to get a taste of what Blinois roads are like
in the spring time before they are worn down.
The soil is a mixture of black muck and clay, and
dries but very slowly, sticking to an object in the
most affectionate way. Our first experience with
this was coming from Joliet into Wilmington.
When we reached the latter place, we were simply
a sight. It had been necessary for us to carry our
wheels for nearly four miles, no easy matter, as
each wheel with its baggage weighed nearly sixty
pounds. Our feet were heavily loaded with Illin-
ois ^ * gumbo, ' ' and our physical exertion had been
so great, that we were on the verge of collapse.
So it was with joy that we sighted the little village
of Wilmington.

Owing to the impassable condition of the wagon
roads, we determined to follow the railroad track.
It was necessary for us to do this nearly all the
way to Springfield. In many places we were able
to ride alongside the rails, but sometimes it was a
case of walk.

Bloomington has the finest court-house in the
state of Illinois, costing nearly a half million dol-

30 Around the United States by Bicycle

lars. The inside is finished in marble, and is illu-
minated at night by hundreds of incandescent
lights, which makes a very beautiful sight. The
building is constructed on the dome plan, very
similar to the plan of the majority of the state
capitols throughout the United fc>tates. On our
way beyoud Bloomington we had our first experi-
ence of ^'roughing it.'' We got our supper at a
little village, at which they were no hotels nor
restaurants, in a private house where we could get
no accommodations for the night, and had to go on
to the next town, something like twelve miles
distant. It was a very dark night, the kind of
night that is described in the vernacular as being
darker ^'than a stack of black cats.'' Owing to
this it was impossible to ride, so we walked the
railroad track. It was a weird and lonely walk.
On each side of the track for five or six miles was
a continuous stretch of dense and impenetrable
swamp and forest combined, from which such
noises as the cry of a screech owl, which sounded
very like the wail of a lost soul, were shrilly
hurled upon the night air. Taking everything
into consideration, we enjoyed (f) our evening
stroll very much.

We at last reached the town of McLean, to find
that although it was only ten- thirty p. m., there
was not a person in the town awake, except the
night operator at the station. We attempted to
get some information from him as to whether there

Around the United States by Bicycle 31

was a hotel in the place, and if so, whether it was
open, but he evidently thought that we were
tramps, even though we told him all our troubles,
how we were traveling, and how we had got into
such a predicament; but he would not deign even
to give us an answer or acknowledge that he heard
us. Finding that we could not get any satisfac-
tion out of the operator, we decided to investigate
the situation for ourselves. There were no street
lights of any description in the town, nor was there
even a light burning in any of the houses. After
falling over a horse block and bruising my shins,
while Darling attempted to find a side walk, in
which endeavor he bumped into several trees and a
telephone post, leaving a swelling on his forehead
to remind him of the event, a representative of the
canine race by a series of blood-curdling howls
cast out upon the inky blackness, took a hand in
the game. As we did not wish to part with any por-
tion of our anatomy, nor did we desire to leave any
of our wearing apparel in the jaws of Mr. Dog, we
decided that in this case that retreat was the better
part of valor, and lost no time in reaching our
haven of refuge, the railroad station.

There was nothing for it but to sleep on the floor
of the waiting-room in the depot. The air was
very chilly, and during the night many trains
passed through, so that we slept but little. We
arose at four o'clock and walked the track to the

32 Around the United States by Bicycle

next town, as the wagon road was too bad to
travel.

The bridge at the point where we were to cross
the Sangamon Eiver had recently been swept
away by high water, and rather than return and go
Tip to the next bridge above, which would have
been nearly fifteen miles out of our way, we deci-
ded if possible to ford the stream. Eemoving our
clothes, and tying them into a small bundle, we
carried them above our heads and waded across.
The water was about four and a half feet deep,
coming almost to our shoulders. After we had
got safely across with the clothes, we returned and
carried our wheels over. The water was almost
ice cold, the current was very swift, and as the
river was nearly three hundred feet wide at this
point, it was no very pleasant experience.

Throughout this section of Illinois we were hav-
ing a great deal of trouble with our tires. In this
vicinity a great many thorn hedges are used. At
this time each year the farmers are accustomed to
trim their hedges and throw the branches out into
the public highway. They puncture a rubber
bicycle tire very readily, so that we spent much
time in repairing punctures.

At last we reached Springfield, the capital of the
state of Illinois. The capitol building is a very
fine structure, the top of the dome being four
hundred and five feet from the ground.

OUTLINE MAP OF THE UNITED STATES, SHOWINCx ROUTE.

Around the United States by Bicycle 33

In Springfield is also located the old home of
Abraham Lincoln. The house is open to visitors
at all times and is in charge of a lady paid by the
government as a care-taker of the premises, and to
explain to tourists the historical interest attached
to various articles of furniture. We had the
pleasure of sitting in Daniel Webster's old arm
chair, and to sit at the desk which was formerly
used by Abraham Lincoln.

At this time the Eepublican state convention for
the nomination of governor was being held in
Springfield. As this brought nearly ten thousand
strangers besides the delegates and their friends,
into the city, the restaurant and hotel accommoda-
tions were somewhat strained. The situation had
become so bad, that a large vacant store upon one
of the principal streets had been converted into a
lodging house. Hundreds of cots had been placed
in this store, and a large flaming sign on the front
of the window announced to the world that the
privilege to occupy one of these cots for the night
would cost ^^only one dollar.'' The crush was so
great that by five o 'clock in the afternoon not one
of those cots was left.

As we saw no opportunity to get a bed for the
night, we went to one of the fire engine houses in
the city, and accosted the Captain of the barn and
asked him if we could sleep in the hay loft. He
informed us that it was strictly against the rules,
but as he had a boy who was wandering around in

34: Arou7id the United States by Bicycle

some corner of the world, ^'he guessed it would
be all right/ ^

We were far from lonesome, as there were a
small army of rats that used this place as their
headquarters. As they are a very inquisitive sort
of quadruped, we were often awakened from a
sound sleep by one of the creatures running over
our bodies; or perhaps one of them, braver than
the others, would burrow in the hay on which we
were sleeping, and make the exit from his tunnel
beneath our heads. Altogether, our sleep was not
too restful.

CHAPTEE FOUETH.

WE REACH MADISON, WISCONSIN.

Our route from Springfield to St. Louis lay
through the largest and most extensive coal belt in
the state of Illinois. The country was dotted with
collieries, while the ^*chug chug'^ of the ascending
and descending buckets which carry the coal to
the surface, could be heard always. The villages
for the most part were typical of a mining region.
The cottages were small and untidy, the streets
were muddy and dirty, and everything seemed to
partake of the nature of the mines, being grimy
and streaked with coal dust.

As we were approaching Bunker Hill, about a
mile ahead of us and coming from the opposite
direction we noticed a man in a buggy wildly
waving his arms as if in great distress. Thinking
that he needed help, we hastened to increase our
speed, but, as we came within hearing distance, we
discovered that we were the cause of his agitation.
He shouted to us in broken English mixed with a
great deal of German, from which we at length
understood that he wished us to get off our wheels
until he passed with his horse. It is doubtful if
the animal would have moved a muscle had even a
dynamite cannon cracker exploded beneath his
feet. From his appearance one would be led to

36 Around the United States by Bicycle

believe that all lie cared for in this world was
simply to sleep. After the antiquated equine and
his rather excitable master had passed by us
safely, the latter stood up in his buggy, and har-
angued us with a speech the greater part of which
was in his own native tongue. This was accom-
panied by many gestures, in which the shaking of
his clenched j&st in our direction bore a prominent
part. After he had continued this performance
until he was nearly blue in the face and was forced
to stop, through lack of breath, he drove onward
apparently feeling very much better. Without
doubt he held the idea that when a bicyclist saw
him approaching the wheelman should immediate-
ly proceed to get off the Earth.

As the Mississippi had recently been on a ram-
page and had overflown its banks, we were not
able to reach East St. Louis, which is in the state
of Illinois, and lies directly across the river from
St. Louis proper, but had to take a ferry from
Venice, which is a small town lying some distance
up the river. This town was a sorry looking sight,
owing to the high water, and pools of stagnant and
foul-smelling water stood around many of the
houses, completely surrounding them.

We found St. Louis to be composed largely of
negroes and Missouri mules. Most of the business
streets are quite narrow, while many of the public
buildings, especially the Post-office and the Court

Around the United States by Bicycle 37

House, look very Gibraltar-like, as if to serve as
fortresses in time of need.

We spent three days in St. Louis, most of which
were passed at the World's Fair Grounds.

From St. Louis our next objective point was
Davenport, Iowa, via Beardstown, Galesburg, and
Eock Island, all in Illinois.

We had much trouble with the *^ gumbo'* roads,
it being necessary to walk and carry our wheels
for long distances. We became lost one night,
and wandered over roads which were knee-deep
with mud.

After crossing the Illinois Eiver at Beardstown,
we found the country very hilly and bluff -like, this
being the case particularly along the river, which
we followed for some distance.

At Eock Island we again crossed the Missis-
sippi, and landed upon the soil of Iowa, this mak-
ing our fifth state.

Between the cities of Eock Island and Daven-
port lies an island which is owned by Uncle Sam,
and on which the U. S. Eock Island Arsenal is
located. Here all the equipment for the army in
the way of saddles, harness, tinware, canteens, and
cannon of all description, are manufactured. The
island consists of about a thousand acres, and is
entirely under military supervision.

Our route lay along the Mississippi Eiver from
Davenport up to Clinton, from which place we
again crossed the river returning into Illinois.

38 Around the United States by Bicycle

In many places, in going up to Clinton, the
wagon road was on the bank of the river. The
mighty stream flowed onward tranquilly, almost
without a ripple disturbing its placid surface.
Occasionally a passenger-boat would pass us, a
typical Mississippi stern- wheeler, noted the world
over for being able to navigate in the most shallow
of waters. Abraham Lincoln was said to have
expressed the opinion that after a heavy rainfall
of four or five inches of water, one of these boats
could easily ply to and fro over the fields.

The majority of the villages along the river
were small antiquated fishing communities, which
had not changed in architecture or otherwise for a
half century. We were looked upon with suspic-
ion by the inhabitants of these villages, as if they
had mentally resolved that if we were going to
remain in town all night it would be a very good
plan to keep a close watch on their premises.

The trip from Clinton, Iowa, across the river to
Fulton and thence to Freeport towards the Wis-
consin line was just a little more than we had ori-
ginally calculated upon. The country, unlike that
of the southern part of the state, was very hilly,
and the roads were very poor, so that we had to
walk four out of every ten miles traversed.

In the northern part of Illinois an event quite
important to us took place, for our cyclometers
registered the fact that we had covered our first
thousand miles.

Around the United States by Bicycle 39

As we crossed the Wisconsin line and proceeded
on our way northward toward Madison, the coun-
try increased in ruggedness. It became heavily
timbered, farm-houses were few and far between,
and there was generally an appearance of wild
and savage grandeur.

"We arrived at Madison, which is the capital of
the state of Wisconsin, at 4 p. m., on May 29. Up
to this point we had gained two days on our sched-
ule, and as for our expenses, we had made them
easily from day to day since we had received our
shipment of souvenirs at Springfield, Illinois. Be-
sides we had been able to repay the sum of money
which it had been necessary for us to borrow from
the parties making the wager, and we were having
no financial trouble whatever. Our method was to
canvass the business portion of every town less
than ten thousand inhabitants, but the larger cities
we did not try to canvass, as it took too much time,
and time was as valuable to us as money.

The city of Madison is virtually a summer
resort. The University of Wisconsin is located
here, and has an attendance of nearly three thous-
and students. The city itself is nearly surrounded
by a chain of four lakes called: Mendota, Monona,
Wygra, and Waubesa, the largest of which is lake
Mendota. The capitol building occupies a large
square, the business portion of the city being built
around it, practically being on a neck of land

40 Around the United States by Bicycle

formed by Lake Mendota on one side and Lake
Monona on the other.

One evening while sitting in the ^* office'^ of a
hotel in one of the small towns we overheard the
following ^^ short but sweet" conversation held
between two men.

^^I met your doctor this morning and he said
that he hoped you were well. ' ^

Second Party: ^^ Strange thing for a doctor to
say, wasn't it?''

First Party: ^^I don't know. He said your last
illness cost him fifty dollars. ' '

The greater part of this state is settled by Ger-
mans, many of whom are dairymen; and the great-
est cheese-making community in the United States
is located in Green County, Wisconsin, through
which we were now traveling.

CRAPTER FIFTH.

NEARLY LOST IN THE BLACK RIVER WILDS

The evening of the first day's travel out of
Madison found us amid the rocky bluffs which are
in the vicinity of Devil's Lake. We had in some
manner taken the wrong road. The one which we
were following got worse and worse, until it be-
came nothing but a mere cow path. This turned
and twisted in the most erratic manner through
an almost impenetrable forest, while occasionally,
through openings in the trees, on one side could be
seen a dark and grim outline of a rocky mass
which seemed to be several hundred feet high.
It was evident that the trail which we were follow-
ing was winding around the foot of these bluffs.
The woods were so thick and the underbrush so
dense that we were hardly able to force our way
through. After wandering in this manner an hour,
making but little progress, and with hands and
faces bleeding from the thorny bushes, we stum-
bled out into a clear space, nearly tripping over a
railroad track. We had lost all sense of direction,
and simply guessed at it, and started to follow the
track. In less than half an hour we arrived at a
telegraph station, which proved to be Devil's
Lake. As the operator told us that there was a

42 Around the United States by Bicycle

hotel at the lake, which was about half a mile dis-
tant, we felt very much relieved and welcomed an
end to our troubles for that day.

Devil's Lake is a very picturesque and, at the
same time, wild spot. The lake itself is almost
totally surrounded by huge rocky bluffs, some of
which are as high as eight hundred feet. These
bluffs are strewn with mammoth boulders, which
seem to have been hurled by giants of some prehis-
toric age. At the top of one of these bluffs stands
a mass of jagged rock forty feet high, which from
its form, is called ^'The DeviPs Doorway.'' At
the foot of the bluff is an immense rock, weighing
many tons, and on which there is a sign which
reads: ^^ Please do not carry this away."

The stretch of country from Baraboo to Tomah
is from a scenic standpoint very interesting. On
every side, as far as the eye can see, masses of bare
rock entirely free from vegetation of any kind dot
the landscape. These masses are generally
several hundred feet high, the sides are nearly
perpendicular, while the tops seem to be flat ; most
of them are of a sugar-loaf form, and seem to be
nearly as wide as they are high. As the country
in the vicinity of these strange rock formations is
entirely flat and level, the effect is that of giant
and Sphinx-like sentinels.

Since leaving Madison we had been told all
manner of hair-raising tales with reference to the
trouble which we were going to have in crossing

Around the United States by Bicycle 43

what is known as '^Tlie Black Eiver Wilds. '^ This
wilderness we should have to cross in order to
reach the town of Black Eiver Falls, for which we
were bound.

Ten miles out of Tomah this stretch of ''bad
land'' began. The soil was mostly a loose sand,
but here and there could be seen a tuft of long,
coarse grass, while small grub oaks and tamaracks,
ranging from three to twenty feet in height, thick-
ly covered this desert waste. There was no op-
portunity to ride as we sank in the loose sand at
every step. On our left, perhaps a mile distant,
there seemed to be a chain of hills, which, like the
wilderness, were covered by a tangled mass of
underbrush and small dwarfish trees. Away to
our right, as far as we could see, was the flat and
unbroken line of the wilderness. In the hazy
distance, their outlines showing blue and indis-
tinct, was another chain of hills, similar to those
on our left. In places we would come to morasses,
to avoid which we would have to make detours.
As there were no roads whatever we attempted to
travel in a straight line, and trust to chance to
arrive at the right place. Many times we thought
we were lost, as we seemed to be traveling in a
circle, but still we plodded onward. Just as we
thought that we surely had lost our way, we spied
what appeared to be a village a mile or more
distant. This proved to be Millston, and consis-
ted of two saloons, a telegraph station, and several

44 Around the United States by Bicycle

houses. It certainly was a veritable oasis in the
desert.

From Millston to Black Eiver Falls, a distance
of twelve miles, we walked the railroad, which was
far safer than attempting to find the way through
the wilds.

Black Eiver Falls, a town of two thousand in-
habitants, gets its name from the rapids in the
heart of the place. It is in the midst of a very
wild section. • About nine miles from the city is a
reservation of the Winnebago Indians. On pleas-
ant days the streets of the town are crowded with
braves and squaws, who retain their tribal
costumes, and for the most part are very uncivi-
lized.

For the next ^ve days we were greatly delayed
by rain. Owing to the sloppy condition of the
roads it was necessary to follow the railroad
nearly all the time.

There was great excitement in Menominee. The
Eed Cedar Eiver was out of its banks, and was
expected to carry away the lower dam at the mill.
If this hapened the greater part of the town would
be flooded. It was asserted that the river was
the highest it had been in twenty years. A
swollen, angry mass of tawny and foam crested
dirty water can best describe this roaring torrent.
"With much difficulty we succeeded in crawling
down one of the stone piers of a railroad trestle to
the abutment below, from which we found that an

Around the United States by Bicycle 45

excellent picture of the stream could be obtained.
The huge waves dashed against this abutment
with terrific force, drenching us to the skin, and
the noise was deafening. In the distance could be
seen the mill and the dam upon which so much
depended.

In due time we arrived at Hudson, which is
located on Lake St. Croix, this lake forming the
boundary line between "Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Across the lake could be seen the high bluffs which
marked the bounds of Minnesota.

We waited patiently for an hour or more, until a
rather dilapidated and wheezy ferry-boat put in
its appearance, and then we waited another hour
for the captain to take a short nap, as he took
great care not to overwork himself. But at last
everything was ready, there was a great deal of
swearing by one of the deck hands, who had
trouble in raising the gang-plank, and, amid a suc-
cession of groans and grunts from the little vessel,
we were off.

CHAPTER SIXTH.

WE HAVE OUR TROUBLES IN THE DAKOTAS.

A jaunt of sixteen miles over a rough, and hilly-
road brought us to St. Paul.

This city is built in a nest of the steepest of hills.
And as one views them, and sees the inhabitants
toiling laboriously upward, it occurs to him what
a great success these people would make as moun-
tain climbers. We observed that the majority of
the St. Paulites bore wearied and fatigued looks,
caused doubtless by their continuously climbing
the hills.

At the present writing a new capitol for the
state of Minnesota is being constructed. This new
building, it is claimed, upon completion will be the
finest state capitol in the West. The cost is sup-
posed to be in the neighborhood of six million dol-
lars, and it will be completed sometime in the
year nineteen hundred and five.

The old capitol is a very common building,
which more closely resembles a school house than
a state capitol.

A great rivalry exists between St. Paul and
Minneapolis, the twin cities lying some eighteen
miles apart.

The mighty Mississippi at this point is a small
sluggish stream which impresses one but little.

MINNEHAHA FAI^IvS.

Around the United States by Bicycle 47

Seven miles out of the capital city is located the
historic Fort Snelling. During the early days
when Indians were plentiful and very warlike this
fort withstood many a siege. As a reminder of
these days there still stands ''the Old Eound
Tower'', which was huild in the year 1820. It is
constructed of stone, with walls four feet thick.
At present it is being remodeled for cavalry head-
quarters. This building is famous all over the
Union.

The site of old Fort Snelling is now used as an
army post by Uncle Sam. There are eight hund-
red men stationed here, infantry and artillery. It
is also the intention of the government to place a
detachment of cavalry here in the near future.

Several miles from the post is Minnehaha Park,
the chief attraction of which is the waterfall of the
same name. These falls at the time we visited
them were beautiful, it being claimed that there
was a larger amount of water flowing over them
than in a number of years. They are located in a
picturesque woody glen, and are about twenty
feet wide with a sixty foot fall of water. The mus-
ical Indian name means ' ' Laughing Water. ' '

Minneapolis proved to be a more metropolitan
city than St. Paul. Unlike its sister city, it is very
level. The streets are very wide, and, on the
whole, it impresses one as a city far more than its
rival.

48 Around the United States by Bicycle

We had but little trouble in crossing the state
of Minnesota. Our route lay through Willmar,
Benson, Morris and Wheaton.

For a long distance after leaving Minneapolis
we had the pleasure of traversing a built bicycle
path. The wheelmen of the city have all formed
an association by which each pays a certain sum
as dues every year, from which fund paths to
every village and town for a radius of fifty miles
around the city are constructed.

At Wyzetta we got our first glimpse of the
famous Lake Minnetonka. This has a shore line
of over two hundred miles, its shores being in-
dented by innumerable inlets, bays, and sounds.
It is a very aristocratic pleasure resort, and hund-
reds of magnificent summer homes line the lake.

Through this section of the state there are a
great many lakes. Every village has a lake in its
near vicinity. This was the case in every town
through which we passed for a distance of seventy
miles.

As we proceeded westward the country became
very level, and on every side was a green expanse
of young, growing wheat. Fences are dispensed
with, not even the railroad right of way being en-
closed, and wagon roads ran at will over the
prairie. If someone got the idea that he could
make a short cut by driving across the corner of a
wheatfield, he acted simultaneously with the
thought, and drove over the growing grain.

Around the United States by Bicycle 49

The country generally was very thickly popul-
ated by Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes, all an in-
dustrious, simple-minded, peaceful, honest, and
law-abiding people. Agricultural hamlets ranged
six to ten miles apart. All looked very prosperous
and were of a very neat style of architecture.

Occasionally, in canvassing the towns, we would
come into stores the proprietors of which would
be Jews. In one of them the following dialogue
took place between ^'little Jakey'^ and his
**maw". It seems that the father had that morn-
ing left for Chicago on business, leaving his wife
in charge of the store. Little Jakey had been play-
ing around the store, but in some manner had
aroused the ire of his mother, who had locked him
up in the back room as punishment for his mis-
deeds. The boy stood it for awhile in silence but
finding it rather lonesome, began to plead for his
release:

^^Oh, maw! please let me oud ob dis room, und
I vill pe von goot poy."

^^No, mine son; you vos von pad poy und did
not mind your maw, you gannot gum oud.^'

*' Please, maw!''

^^No, mine poy!"

(A few minutes' silence.) ^'Maw!"

'^Vell, vatisit!"

''If you vill led me oud I vill gif you two dollars
oud of mine pank, dot paw would not gif you dis
mornin'."

50 Around the United States by Bicycle

*'Vell, you vas a t'oghtful poy to vant to gif
me dot money, und I could not bunish. you after
dot; but vait until I run und get de pank, Jakey.''

Every village was equipped with a grain eleva-
tor and a water tank. This latter was generally
mounted on a steel frame work, and stood high in
the air. The country was so extremely flat and
the air was so clear, that one of these tanks could
be seen at a distance of ten miles.

We were very thankful that we were not com-
pelled to travel over very much of North Dakota.
From Wheaton we went to Hankinson, N. D., and
from that place we headed for Forman, which
was our reporting place for that state. Both of
these points were in the extreme southeastern
portion of the state, and even here the country was
the wildest of the wild. This was what could be
termed the plains. Very little of the land was
under cultivation, it being used as a grazing land
for cattle. A long, tough grass which grew ever
so thickly, covered the entire ground. A series
of rolling swells can best describe this section.
Here it is nothing whatever for a man to own a
ranch of six to twelve hundred acres of land, and
the result is that one might travel all day without
passing a human habitation; and the roads were
something entirely different from those with
which we had had experience. Three ruts, six to
eight inches deep, and several inches wide, over
which the long grass grew ; they extended over the

Around the United States by Bicycle 51

prairie in the most aimless fashion, bomided by
no fence, sign-board, or anything else to indicate
where they went to. Owing to the heavy rains,
which had recently been predominant all over the
state, a great many of the low places, or hollows,
were covered with water, and these were called
^ ^ slews ' ' by the natives.

In making from Hankinson to Forman, we cer-
tainly *^got ours.'' Owing to the many '^slews''
which we encountered, it was necessary for us to
make extensive detours of several miles. In this
way, we got upon the wrong trail, or road, and
wandered over the plains for several hours before
we saw anyone to set us right. When we finally
reached Forman, it was nearly nine o 'clock in the
evening, and the shades of night were just falling.
At this season of the year the sun does not set
until nearly eight-thirty, in fact the heat from the
sun at 8 p. m. is almost as great as it is in the East-
ern states in the summer time at the noon hour.

"VVe found South Dakota, however, to be a great
deal better in every respect. It was more like
Minnesota; we passed through the best part of the
state: Britton, Aberdeen, Eedfield, and Mitchell.
Here the land was all under cultivation, and was
very level, good-sized towns being scattered over
the country.

The drinking water through the western part of
Minnesota and both the Dakotas is very bad. This
fact we discovered to our sorrow. In some places

52 Around the United States by Bicycle

it is alkali water; the people in the immediate
neighborhood, being accustomed to it are not
troubled by using it, but from our personal experi-
ence we should advise the uninitiated to beware.
In other sections rain water is used exclusively
for drinking purposes, and the only water which
it is possible to get out of the ground is that which
is called ^ ^ tubular water. ' ' This is highly impreg-
nated with salt and is very bitter. It is used
mostly for the stock, and is obtained at a depth of
three to four hundred feet. Coming, as we did,
from a state where excellent drinking water was
one of its boasts, the reader can readily under-
stand with what very pleasant feelings we would
drink the nauseating rain water. In the majority
of cases the water would be conducted by eave
troughs into a cistern from which it would be
pumped as it was needed. I distinctly remember
one instance where the roof had been but recently
shingled, and the water was nicely seasoned, tast-
ing very much like a lumber yard. Occasionally,
however, the water would be filtered removing all
the impurities, but only a very small percentage
of the farm-houses were equipped in this manner.
The longest ride which we made in any one day
on the whole thirteen thousand mile journey was
made from Eedfield to Mitchell, one hundred and
twelve miles. The roads were very good, and the
country was flat and level. Sixteen miles out from
Mitchell I broke my chain beyond repair. Darling

Around the United States by Bicycle 53

suggested that we tie the wheels together, and
that he would tow me in for the balance of the dis-
tance. This answered nicely. We rode up the
main street of Mitchell with half a hundred of the
younger generation following us at a dog-trot, all
endeavoring to find out just what kind of a ma-
chine we were operating.

As we traveled nearly every day, Sundays in-
cluded, we had not the time to spare to have our
washing hired, but did it ourselves whenever an
opportunity presented itself. Continuous practice
in this line had made us quite skilful, so that we
were able to '^doee washee velly glood.'^

"We received our souvenirs in consignments at
different points, they being shipped ahead of us.
We were to receive an order at Aberdeen, but for
some reason, although we waited nearly two days
for it, it did not put in its appearance. As we
could ill afford to lose so much time, we left in-
structions to have the same forwarded to Mitchell.
We arrived there only to learn that it was not
there, and remained a day, but as it did not come,
we requested the agent upon its arrival to send it
to Valentine, Nebraska.

As the chief article of production in this state
is corn, at the annual agricultural display which
is held at Mitchell, lasting nearly ten days and
conducted in the form of a fete, or carnival, this
product is one of the principal displays. This is
called '^The Com Festival. '' On the main street

54 Around the United States by Bicycle

of the city there stands a building whose design
is indeed unique, the decorations on which are
many and varied and all are made with the aid
of the stalks and ears of corn. This structure is
called ^^The Corn Palace.'' This annual celebra-
tion usually occurs in the month of September.

At Wheeler, which was a cluster of rather dilap-
idated houses, two general stores and a large
frame building which looked like an old barn, but
which, we afterward learned, was the County
Court House, we got our first view of the Missouri
Eiver. Here it was necessary to use a ferry
in order to cross. This was located up the river
a mile or more from Wheeler. A strong gale had
been blowing all day, and this had caused the
river to become very choppy, so much so, that the
ferryman refused to take his craft across until the
wind had subsided. The boat was a neat little
affair, something like forty feet long, and operated
by means of a gasoline engine.

The Missouri at this point is a dirty yellowish
color, with a very swift current. It is over a mile
wide, but so deceptive are the distances on water,
that it looked hardly more than a thousand feet.
It is claimed that it is a very treacherous stream,
constantly changing its course and forming sand
bars in its channel. Here, on each side, it was
lined with high bluffs.

We waited from three o'clock in the afternoon
until nine in the evening before the ferryman

THE CORN PAI.ACE, MITCHEEI., SOUTH DAKOTA.

Ai^oimd the United States by Bicycle 55

would agree to take us across. As we swung out
into the middle of the stream, the huge waves
would almost wash over the little craft. "When
we were about half-way across, something went
wrong with the engine, and it stopped entirely.
The current was so fearfully strong that we began
to go down stream at a great rate, and were having
visions of a trip by water down to St. Louis. At
this catastrophe the pilot let loose upon the atmos-
phere about two tons of oaths, and these were so
effective, that the engine again commenced to
work and soon we had regained that which we had
lost.

Upon arriving at the other side, the ferryman
proceeded to tie up his boat to the bank, and de-
parted for his home, which was two miles distant.
"We intended to ride to Bonesteel that night, but
got a half a mile or so from the river to discover
that we each had a puncture in one of our tires.
It was too late to repair them that night, and as
there was no house in the near vicinity, the only
thing left for us to do was to go back to the boat
and sleep on its deck. The wind was still blowing
strongly, while the waves dashed against the sides
of the vessel with a loud splashing sound, tossing
the boat to and fro, and it was oppressively dark.

We dared not light any matches, as we were
afraid that the owner might accidentally see them,
nor did we dare to make very much noise. We
succeeded in finding a couple of life preservers.

56 Around the United States by Bicycle

which we used as pillows, and, stretched out upon
the deck, we were soon lulled to sleeg by the ele-
ments

A little past midnight I was awakened by rain
falling upon my face. I discovered that a terrible
storm was about to break upon us. Already large
drops of water were falling, vivid flashes of light-
ning illuminated the heavens, and these were
accompanied by peals of thunder which seemed
to shake the very foundation of the earth. I shook
Darling and shouted: ^'Get up quick! There's a
terrible storm coming!" He jumped as if he had
been shot, stared wildly and vacantly at the heav-
ens, and made a dash for the deck-house in which
the engine was located, disappearing through the
doorway just as another peal of thunder rent the
heavens. All his actions had been intensified by
two separate flashes of lightning, one just as he
looked up so wildly and the other just as he
had disappeared through the doorway. The sur-
roundings were so weird, and his actions so pecul-
iar, that I almost believed that his mind had be-
come unbalanced, and that perhaps I had a maniac
on my hands. As a precaution I picked up a large
hammer which I found on the deck and proceeded
stealthily towards the deck-house, determined to
handle my lunatic rather roughly if it became nec-
essary. I got through the doorway just as a flash
of lightning revealed the form of my suspected
crazy man stretched at full length on the floor, his

Around the United States by Bicycle 57

snoring audible above the roar of the elements.
After much shaking and shouting I succeeded in
awakening him only to find that he had no knowl-
edge of his previous actions and did not know how
he had got into the deck-house.

The storm now broke in all its fury, and the rain
fell in torrents, completely deluging the deck of
the boat. The wind increased until it was almost
blowing a hurricane, while the river became a
boiling cauldron. The ferry-boat tossed like an
egg-shell, creaking and groaning like a creature
in distress. At almost any moment we expected
to see the little craft part from her moorings, and
go spinning out into the inky blackness. But al-
though the strain was terrific, the big ropes held
firmly.

The storm raged for several hours, but towards
dawn it suddenly ceased, the water becoming as
smooth as glass sfad hardly even the slightest
breeze blowing.

During the time that the storm was at its height,
we hardly dared breathe. If the boat had left its
moorings, we should have been powerless, and the
boat would soon have overturned and sunk.

During the storm the rolling of the boat had
caused our wheels to fall. Upon examination we
found that the top of the can containing our patch-
ing cement had become loosened and had fallen
off, and all the cement had run out, mixing with
the waters of the Missouri. It was now a case of

58 Around the United States by Bicycle

'^liike'' to Bonesteel a distance of eleven miles,
and we immediately started.

The first part of our task was to ascend a hill
which was over two miles np to the top.

We reached Bonesteel at 8:40, having walked
the entire distance, and being nearly famished we
made a rush for a restaurant.

This town was a sight. The ^ Rented cities'' at
Chicago during the World's Fair were nothing to
those here. Tents and ^^ prairie schooners" occu-
pied every vacant square foot of space around
the town for a mile or more. Carpenters were
working as if their life depended upon it in con-
structing frame buildings to be used as restaur-
ants or lodging-houses. Every incoming train was
loaded, and dumped its human freight into the
already overcrowded town. The air was thick
with dust caused by an endless procession of
wagons and men on horseback. Whole families
came, bringing the necessaries for a stay of sev-
eral weeks. The only business street of the town
was crowded with idle men. Here you would see
the professional gambler, who had been attracted
by the ^^boom," prepared to part the unsophisti-
cated from their hard-earned ducats. There you
would see the typical '^cow puncher" of the range,
weather beaten, booted, and spurred, his belt filled
with cartridges, while on one side the handle of a
**six shooter" protruded, and by his side would
be a **down east tenderfoot" anxiously plying the

Around the United States by Bicycle 59

ranger with all manner of questions, but doing so
warily and in a very timid manner, looking as if
at the slightest suspicious movement he would
take to his heels. It was indeed a motley crowd.

All this crush of humanity had been brought
here in the hope to *^get something for nothing,"
to be more explicit: the United States Govern-
ment was to open a part of the Indian Eosebud
Eeservation for settlement. This land had been
surveyed in certain plats, and for a small sum one
could have his name registered, which would give
him a chance to draw a certain plat to be specified
and described by him when he registered. When
the drawing took place, should his filing, or regis-
tration, be the first for this plat, then it would be
his; upon which it would be necessary for him to
break the land and cultivate and live upon it for
five years, after which it was his to do with as he
wished. Therefore it was the desire of all to be
the first, which had caused this terrible ^'rush.''

It was our intention to travel from Bonesteel
across the Eosebud Eeservation in order to reach
Valentine, Nebraska. By taking this short-cut
we should save almost a hundred miles, besides
avoiding a belt of sand which borders the whole
northern portion of Nebraska.

Upon inquiry at Bonesteel whether it would be
necessary for us to carry food or water with us in
crossing the Eeservation, or if we should have any
trouble to find the right trail, we were told by

60 Around the United States by Bicycle

several parties in a positive manner that we should
find the cabins of Indians at intervals of a mile
along the trail where we should have no trouble
in procuring food or water. We were to travel
what is known as ''the old Valentine Trail/' which
was a straight cut going directly to Valentine, one
hundred and twenty-five miles across.

From their description we had no fear whatever
of losing our way, as this was a main trail which
would be the easiest thing in the world to follow.
So we started at 10:30 in the morning, leaving the
pandemonium of Bonesteel behind us, to travel in
fact across a one hundred and twenty-five mile
stretch on which there was nothing but Indian
aborigines, who talked but very little English;
where water was scarce; where a net-work of trails
covered the country, running to all points of the
compass, one being as plain as the other, requiring
a person endowed with superhuman instinct to
determine the right one; where all that met the
eye was a dreary and desolate expanse of rolling
plains thickly covered by a long, tangled, parched
grass, search as carefully as one might, a growing
tree or bush could not be found; where fences and
railroads were not known, and where the trails
consisted in those three deep-worn ruts with which
we had had experience on the plains of North
Dakota; but all this we did not then know, nor
that while on this Eeservation we were almost to

Around the United States by Bicycle 61

grasp the cold and clammy hand of the grim mons-
ter, Death.

For fifteen miles everything went well, there
was only one trail and that was very plain, but
cabins, or human beings of any kind, we did not
see. We continued to travel until nearly one
o'clock anxiously scanning the country for some
indications of a human habitation where we
should be able to get food and water. At last, to
the right of our trail, we saw an object on the
horizon which we thought to be a cabin. We
found it six miles distant and all the way we had
to walk, and push our bicycles through the long
grass.

The cabin was that of an Indian who, on our
approach, greeted us with a good-natured
*' Howdy r' He had a considerable knowledge of
English, and we had no trouble in procuring
plenty of water and a supply of maize cake, which
was very hard baked and looked very much like
our * * johnny cake. ' '

We retraced our steps and again traveled on the
same trail which we had been following. We had
gone but a short distance, when our trail seemed
to lose itself in a network of others which ran
in every direction. We were at a loss to know
which to take, but noticing one which appeared
to go in a southwesterly direction, we followed it.
Many other trails crossed the one which we were
on, some even running parallel for long distances.

62 Arou7id the United States by Bicycle

We had great difficulty in picking out our own
from this thread-work. Now we would be twisting
in almost a direct eastern course, then we would
find ourselves going north and west, and on the
whole we began to have misgivings as to whether
we were on the right trail or not.

The sun beat fiercely upon us, there being no
trees nor shelter of any kind where we could be out
of reach even for a few minutes of those fiery
rays. The temperature must have been something
over a hundred degrees, as it was so hot that it
was almost beyond endurance, and we were com-
mencing to feel the terrible pangs of thirst.

All that afternoon we continued to travel on-
ward, every minute increasing our sufferings.
Eight o'clock that night still found us wheeling
mechanically along. We had not seen any living
being, nor habitation of any kind. Our lips were
cracked and broken, and from them a drop of
blood would occasionally trickle; our throats were
parched and swollen, and the vocal organs had be-
come paralyzed. We could not talk but made
strange guttural sounds, and our only thought was
an insane desire for water. Still, like machines,
we continued to ride. Oh! how we wished that
that fiery ball would go out of the heavens and
that darkness might relieve us of our sufferings.

The physical frame had reached its limit. I
swayed in the saddle and fell, while a few hun-
dred feet farther on Darling was overcome, reeled

Around the United States by Bicycle 63

and groaned, and was stretched on the ground,
apparently lifeless.

There we lay all night, both in a sort of stupor.
No sound disturbed the death-like quietness, ex-
cept occasionally the howl of a coyote in the dis-
tance, which sounded to our benumbed faculties
like a greeting from the realms of the dead.

Towards midnight the air became crisp and cool,
which revived us, and at last we fell asleep.

When we awoke, the sun was shining upon us
with the same intensity as on the preceding day.
Although we were very weak, we managed to
travel all that forenoon, stopping to rest fre-
quently. Finally we became so weak that we
could not possibly go any farther. Stacking the
wheels, which afforded us a very slight protection
from the sun, we resolved to lie down and die, we
prayed that the end might come soon.

All that afternoon we lay there in semi-cons-
ciousness. The first perception that we had of
anything worldly was of an Indian stooping over
us and roughly shaking our tired bodies. Leaving
us, and going to his pony, which patiently stood
a few feet distant, he took a canteen from the pom-
mel of his saddle, returned, and lifting our heads,
he poured the liquid down our thoats. This re-
vived us somewhat, but still we were too weak
to walk, although we tried our best. The Indian,
noticing our weakness, lifted Darling up and
placed him across his horse, then turning to me.

64 Around the United States by Bicycle

he said in very good English: ^*I will be back for
you in a few minntes.''

It seemed to be hours and hours before he came,
but at last I heard the rapid galloping of his ap-
proaching horse. He carried me in the same man-
ner. To my tortured mind and body it seemed as
if I lay across that horse for almost a whole day,
and that we should never reach our destination.
But suddenly my benefactor stopped his steed
with a jerk, and, dismounting, lifted me from the
pony and carried me into a log cabin- There was
Darling sitting propped up in the other corner.
The Indian busied himself in preparing some liq-
uid which he bade us drink, it soon produced a
feeling of drowsiness and shortly we both fell into
a sound sleep.

When we awoke the next morning it was to dis-
cover that we were alone in the cabin, the sun was
well up in the heavens, and it must have been
nearly ten o'clock. Outside of a soreness around
our lips and throats, we felt well, except that we
were so hungry that we were almost tempted to
eat our shoes. Presently the Indian appeared, and
soon set before us a big, iron kettle in which there
was a sort of stew.

"When we finished, the empty kettle told the
story; during this operation, our host had silently
watched us, and seemed to be much pleased at the
size of our appetites. He requested that we tell
him how we had got into such a predicament. We

Around the United States by Bicycle 65

told Mm our story in detail, saying that we did
not know how we could ever repay him for saving
our lives. He said that was nothing, and seemed
to want us to forget the important part which he
had played. He told us that the trail which we
had been following was one which was disused
and led to no place in particular, that he had been
looking for some stray cattle, and seeing a sus-
picious looking object in the distance, out of curi-
osity had ridden over to investigate, and we knew
the rest. The herbs which he had given us acted
as a stimulant and had removed the swelling from
our lips and throat. He advised us that it was
only seven miles to the Nebraska line, and that
there we should find the country somewhat settled.
We tried to make him take a small sum of
money, but he would not have it. Seeing our
kodak, he asked what that was. We told him that
it was a machine to take pictures, over which he
was very much amused. Then he asked if we
could take a picture of him and his cabin. We
told him that we should be ^Hickled to death.''
So he posed, and we snapped the kodak. He
wanted to see the picture, but we explained to him
the process of developing, and that it would be a
long time before we could get the picture. We
suggested that we mail him one, but his face be-
came very sober, and he emphatically shook his
head. But to the remark that maybe he knew
someone to whom we could mail it and then he

5]

66 Around the United States by Bicycle

could go and get it, his face brightened, and he
said that he knew a ^ ^ co w-pnncher " who got his
mail at Lone Star, Nebraska, and that we could
send it to him, and he (the Indian) would get it
all right. This we promised to do, and shaking
his hand, we bade him a fervent good-bye, and
started toward Nebraska soil.

We afterward learned that our kind Indian
friend was a member of a band of ^ ' cattle rustlers ' '
i. e. those who make a practice of stealing cattle
from the range. The chief of his band was a
full-blood Sioux Indian, Canary by name, a most
daring and wily leader. A heay}^ reward for the
capture of the chief, or any member of his band,
either dead or alive, was offered. In this section
^^a cattle rustler '^ was dealt with summarily, and
was considered the worst of criminals and out-
laws.

An hour or so later found us fording the Keya
Paha River, which forms the boundary line. It
was with elated feelings that we set our foot upon
the sands of Nebraska. We both realized what a
narrow escape we had had from dying, and there,
by the rushing waters of the river, we offered up
a thanksgiving for our deliverance.

THE OUTr,A\V S CABIN.

CHAPTER SEVENTH.

WE CROSS THE ROCKIES.

We found the whole northern section of the
state to be heavy sand. The country was but
sparsely settled, and ranch-houses were few and
far between, as it was a common thing for one per-
son to own a whole section (640 acres) of land.

For two days we were delayed by rain, staying
on a ranch with an old and grizzled ranchman
during that time.

Several days were also lost at Valentine, where
we had to wait for a shipment of our souvenirs,
but even here we waited in vain. To bring mat-
ters to a head, we telegraphed the company, re-
ceiving the following message in reply. '* Aber-
deen shipment billed to Denver." There was
nothing left for us to do but strike out for Colo-
rado's Capital City. As our treasury was not in
the best condition, we decided to make the trip
through to Denver as cheaply as possible, and to
this end we slept nights in box-cars and almost
anywhere.

Valentine to Rushville, something like a hun-
dred and fifteen miles, we kept the railroad track
altogether, walking nearly the entire distance.
All through this section were the dreaded ^^sand-
hills." These are masses of loose sand, the only

68 Around the United States by Bicycle

thing that would grow on them being different
varieties of cactus, some of which were very small
and played havoc with a bicycle tire. Considering
this fact, the reader may rest assured that we did
not leave the railroad track for one instant.

A familiar sight in this state is the sod house.
It is constructed entirely of turf, the walls are four
to six feet thick, and are made by laying the large
pieces of **sod'' flat-wise upon each other. The
effect is very novel, but the houses are very warm
during the severe weather, while in the hot season
they are very cool.

In coming into Alliance we were forced to carry
our wheels for five miles on our backs over a cactus
plain, in a sweltering sun, at each step the bicycles
seeming to increase in weight.

We arrived at Bridgeport on the morning of
July 4th, at ten o'clock, after a twenty- three mile
*^hike'' We had been walking since half past
four, and owing to the fact that we had not had
our breakfast, our interiors felt very peculiar.

We discovered that although even by counting
the number of people in the graveyard, Bridge-
port boasted of only two hundred population, yet
they were having a glorious and rousing celebra-
tion. All the ranchmen from a radius of a hun-
dred miles were there, and everything was moving
at a mile-a-minute clip. Upon our arrival we were
seized by the '^celebration committee" and hur-
ried off to the office of ''The Bridgeport Weekly

Around the United States by Bicycle 69

Breezer, ' ' where our complete history was written
up, and we were urged to take an active part in
their celebration by giving an exhibition ride.
We expostulated and argued, but all in vain; they
were obdurate, and we saw that if we wanted any
breakfast we had better consent, and very reluc-
tantly we agreed.

In the afternoon the races took place. There
were several races by ^^cow-punchers'' on horse-
back, who dashed down the only street in the vil-
lage at a break-neck speed, leaving a cloud of dust
so great that one would think that it had been
raised by a cyclone ; the participants were cheered
to victory by the multitude who lined each side of
the street. Following this several of the ranch-
men gave an exhibition of shooting with revolvers
and rifles, their skill being really wonderful. The
next thing booked was a roping contest, in which
a number of ^^cow-punchers'' participated. The
master of ceremonies, who was a tall, raw-boned
specimen of humanity, got up in the middle of the
street on an empty dry goods box and announced
the fact that we would give a half mile dash in
heavy riding order, and further added in the way
of advice: ^^You shure want to keep out of the
way, for when them fellers do come, they'll come
LIKE HELL."

The street was very rough, and although pos-
sibly the race was very interesting to the specta-
tors, there was no pleasure in being thrown nearly

70 Around the United States by Bicycle

a foot off the saddle when we hit the bumps, but
we did our best with the result that we ^ * shure did
come. ' '

In this portion of Nebraska there are many
rocky canyons, which are extremely picturesque;
from Bridgeport can be seen what is known as
*^ Chimney Eock," 120 feet high, and composed of
a sort of hard clay, its girth appearing to be not
greater than that of an ordinary chimney.

Our next objective town was Sidney, a place of
about two thousand inhabitants, and the largest
town which we would pass through until we
reached Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here we turned
from our southern course and went directly west-
ward, following the line of the Union Pacific Rail-
road.

The country all the way to Cheyenne was fairly
level, and the roads were of the rut-like variety.
Occasionally along the railroad would be a tele-
graph station, a store, and a cluster of houses, but
outside of those ^'wide places in the road'* there
were no towns at all. Sometimes in the distance
we would spy a ranch-house, but these were very
rare.

In traveling through the Dakotas and Nebraska,
the sight of a prairie dog village was a frequent
occurrence. These little animals are about the
size of a musk-rat, brown in color, and have a
stubby tail which is totally devoid of hair. They
associate in villages, there being as many as fifty

Around the United States by Bicycle 71

** houses" in one village. These houses are each
mounds of earth in a circular form thrown up
around the entrance to their subterranean home.
Their senses are very acute, and it is almost im-
possible to get anywhere near the village without
causing a scampering of the little creatures to
their retreats. Many of them will lie on the top
of their mound-like houses, shrilly squeaking, at
every squeak the tail spasmodically jerking and
twiching.

We found Cheyenne to be a surprise, a town per-
haps of twelve thousand inhabitants, metropolitan
in many ways. It is the capital of Wyoming and
has a fine capitol building.

Fort D. A. Eussel is two miles from the city and
here are stationed eight companies of Infantry
and a battery of Light Artillery.

Cheyenne to Denver is one hundred and ten
miles. It was something like twenty-four miles
to the Colorado line, through a very wild country.
We spent the first night out of Cheyenne at a sheep
ranch. On this ranch there were twenty thousand
sheep. We slept in the sheep sheds with several
of the herders, rolled up in blankets and lying on
the floor.

As we worked southward toward Denver, the
country became very much better, more thickly
settled, and with more land under cultivation.
Irrigation seemed to be responsible for this ; nearly
every field was irrigated with water forced

72 Around the United States by Bicycle

through it. Every two or three miles we would
come to an irrigation stream, which would be as
large as a good-sized river and across which there
would be no bridge. It would be necessary for us
to remove our shoes and stockings and ford it, and
in a few minutes we would have the pleasure of
repeating the operation.

We were now passing through the great sugar
beet belt; every little village of any consequence
had a great crane-like apparatus at or near the
railroad station, which was used in loading the
beets for shipment, while the sight of large sugar
beet factories was a daily occurrence.

We were now traveling parallel with the Rocky
Mountains, and to our right like giants rough and
grim, were the foot-hills of the famous mountains.
They looked so near, that it seemed as if we could
almost throw a stone to them, but in reality they
were eight or ten miles away.

From Greeley to Denver it is indeed ^ ^ God's own
country.'' Here farm houses line the way, sur-
rounded by numerous shade trees and fragrant
beds of flowers- Of fruit orchards there were
many, every square foot of land seemed to be util-
ized, while the very air seemed to breathe of fresh,
young, and growing life, suggesting unlimited
prosperity. Through this district the towns were
many, and but short distances apart, a sort of
metropolitan style characterizing them.

Around the United States by Bicycle 73

Our stay in Denver was of short duration. We
did not receive our shipment of souvenirs, but in-
stead a communication from the express agent at
Aberdeen, S. D., that the package was there wait-
ing for us after having traveled half over the con-
tinent. It had been sent originally to Aberdeen,
Nebraska, but after much difficulty had at last
reached its correct destination. This necessitated
another long period of rigid economy before we
should be able to get the forwarded package. We
immediately wrote the agent to send it with all
dispatch to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Although this was a long distance ahead of us
we wanted to give it plenty of time to reach its
destination.

Heavy repairs on our wheels and the purchase
of some articles which were a positive necessity
in crossing the Eockies, such as sleeping bags,
canteens, and compasses, reduced our total worldly
wealth to $12.60. It was bad enough to cross the
mountains with a pocketful of money, but when
prohibited from begging, working, borrowing, or
even stealing, we began to feel the gloom of our
position, in fact we got so ^^blue around the gills"
that to smile would have been a physical impos-
sibility. While in the capital city we subsisted
on ten cent ^' meals,'' at the quality of which even
a hog who had any self-respect would have uttered
a grunt and turned away as if to say: ''Not for
me! I'm used to better feed than that."

74 Around the United States by Bicycle

Denver is a Mecca for tourists, the streets being
crowded with them, of all kinds and types. The
State Capitol building here is an imposing struc-
ture. In its museum is a very interesting collec-
tion of the various products of the state, both
agricultural and mining; while in war relics, and
those which have to do with its early and blood-
thirsty history as a frontier state, the collection
cannot be surpassed.

We left Denver with heavy hearts and strange
forebodings of ill, wondering what was in store
for us from the dark and menacing outlines of the
Eockies which so ominously loomed in the dis-
tance.

Eight miles brought us into the foothills, in
which a half hour's further travel revealed, as
we rounded a massive perpendicular wall of rock,
several hundred feet high, a hamlet nestled in the
bosom of a towering mountain.

Here we learned that we should follow what is
known as ''Turkey Creek Canyon;" that there was
a fine trail all the way to Leadville, along which
was a telephone line, and all through the moun-
tains we should find small villages; all this pleas-
ing information we looked upon with suspicion
as we remembered our experience after leaving
Bonesteel, South Dakota.

As we proceeded we found that we were hardly
able to pedal our bicycles up the slightest of in-
clines. We thought this very queer, so dismount-

'one way of getting a drink." turkey creek, rocky mts.

Around the United States by Bicycle 75

ed and made a thorough examination of our ma-
chines, but could find nothing wrong.

The scene around us was of awe-inspiring gran-
deur. Here our road twisted and turned like a
huge serpent, clinging to the base of a giant moun-
tain, whose slopes were thickly covered by tall fir
trees, its top indistinct. Beside us fiercely rolling
and tumbling over the rocks was Turkey Creek.
Then again we would make an arduous ascent of
several miles; the road would be very narrow,
hardly wide enough for one team, blasted out of
the rock or built of solid masonry on the slope of
a mountain. Just a misstep, and one would be
dashed down an almost perpendicular incline, to
the level where, two thousand feet below, our con-
stant friend, Turkey Creek, roared noisily along.

During the first day's travel in the mountains
we covered something like twenty-six miles, and
the greater part of this distance we walked. The
high altitude seriously affected us. Our breathing
took the form of gasps; we became very easily
fatigued, and rested frequently. As the altitude
of Denver is 5,000 feet, we were now up something
like 8,000 feet above sea level. During the day we
passed a large resort hotel, which was for the ac-
commodation of tourists, and later a large board-
ing house near which were many tents, it was
stated that many consumptive people came here
and occupied these tents, staying for weeks at a
time. Occasionally the log cabin of some poor man

76 Around the United States by Bicycle

who was trying to eke an existence out of the stony
slopes conld be seen, perched high up the moun-
tain side.

As we reach the summit of a tortuous incline,
up which we have been toiling for over half an
hour, perspiring and puffing, the sublimity and
majestic grandeur of the panoramic view spread
Before us forced from our lips an involuntary ex-
clamation of rapturous delight. To our right and
to our left and stretching away in the distance rise
innumerable stately mountains, their slopes and
summits a green mass of pines, spruce, and fir
trees, and although these trees are in themselves
forest giants, owing to the great altitude at which
they are situated they resemble mere shrubbery.
Ah! how wonderful are the works of Nature! As
we looked, it was with reverential awe, and we
bowed our heads. But the background of this
marvelous scene was still more impressive. A
range of giants, whose tops pierced the blue ether,
and seemed to overlook all their neighbors, was
silhouetted, a dim bluish outline, against the light-
er azure of the heavens.

The second night we spent at the cabin of a
grizzled old mountaineer, who entertained us with
many interesting tales of the Eockies. Upon our
relating the experience which we had had with our
wheels on entering the mountains, and mentioning
that they ran so hard that we thought something
was broken, he laughed uproariously- After his

Around the United States by Bicycle 77

hilarity had subsided, he explained to us that the
cause of our trouble was the high altitude, and al-
though the road to all appearances would be en-
tirely level, such was not the case. He further ex-
plained that after we had been in the mountains
for a couple of days our excessive weariness would
wear off and we should have less difficulty in
breathing.

The third day greatly changed the scenery. The
mountains now became devoid of timber, being
towering masses of bleak and bare granite. I
distinctly remember one which was in the form
of a cone, its apex apparently as sharp as the head
of an arrow, and the whole mountain of solid
rock. In localities the ground would be strewn
with boulders, some of which would be as large as
a house, as if they had been hurled there ages and
ages ago as the result of some awful struggle
waged by a race of giants.

Here we came down a descent which we thought
was never-ending. The road traveled around a
mountain in a circuit, each time being a little lower
down. In one place in this descent, but a few feet
above us was the road which we had traversed
twenty minutes before. At last we reached the
bottom to find that a resort town called Bailey
lay in a small valley between two frowning moun-
tain ranges. Here the Platte Eiver dashes mer-
rily along, ice-cold water clear as crystal from the
melting snow of the white and glistening peaks.

Y8 Around the United States by Bicycle

while parallel with it for a distance, run the tracks
of the Colorado Midland E. E., a narrow gauge
road ; then leaving its noisy companion to wind its
glistening way out of the valley over a towering
giant.

Bailey was a very aristocratic mountain resort
at which there were numerous hotels, but none
within the reach of our depleted treasury. We
found that a square meal would cost us a dollar,
but in another hostelry we learned that we could
get the same meal without the square corners for
seventy-five cents, but we instantly decided that
we weren't hungry enough to eat so much food,
and accordingly bought a loaf of bread, some
cheese, and bologna, at a grocery, which we
washed down with '^aqua pura^' from the bub-
bling Platte.

At frequent intervals during the afternoon we
would spy the diminutive tracks of the Colorado
Midland, threading its perilous way through the
realm of the giants. We passed many mountain
villas, the greater part of which seemed to be occu-
pied by people from the Atlantic coast cities, Bos-
ton, New York, and Philadelphia seeming to have
the largest representation. Here is Mt. Logan,
whose altitude is 14,055 feet, and whose snow-
capped summit can be seen very distinctly from
Denver. We skirted the base of this noble and
rugged monster, where, far up above the timber-
line, the glistening whiteness of perpetual snow

Around the United States by Bicycle 79

seemed to act as a cloak for the bleak mass of bare
granite.

At a water tank, where there was a siding,
which bore the name of our illustrious American
statesman, Daniel AYebster, we bought supper of
a Hungarian family- They lived in a hovel which
would have been a more suitable habitation for
hogs than for human beings. There were four
large raw-boned and uncouth youths. The mother
was a fat and slatternly mass of humanity, whose
black hair, tousled and unkempt, surmounted a
flabby puffed face, in which two coal black bead-
like eyes were deep-set, seeming as they turned
toward you to cast an uncanny spell upon you,
waddled over the floor in a heavy and uncer-
tain step. The father was so exceedingly slov-
enly, that it almost bordered upon the picturesque;
a large dove-colored slouch hat, covered by such
a mass of grease spots, that its color was almost
a conjecture, was pulled down over a tangled
mass of greasy hair. The face was utterly ex-
pressionless. He wore a knitted shirt stiff with
dirt, a pair of trousers which were patched
with so many different colored cloths, that
Joseph's coat would have suffered in comparison.
These six interesting pieces of hmnanity formed
the family. The evening repast was a very
simple, but substantial affair. Before each was
placed a tin basin full of steaming stew, the
ingredients of which were a mystery to us, but
certainly did taste good. The meal was eaten

80 Around the United States by Bicycle

in silence, the only sound to disturb the pro-
found quietness being the heavy step of the mother
as she replenished the empty basins from a mam-
moth iron kettle which hung over a fireplace. Al-
though our surroundings did not tend to increase
our appetites, the keen mountain air had already
done its work, and we ate voraciously. Upon ask-
ing our host as to how much we owed him for our
supper, we innocently started a whirlwind of ar-
gument, which took place between the two heads
of the family in their mother tongue and waged
fast and furious, while their offspring listened
with a stolid indifference, and we looked on with
mouths agape with awe and wonderment, marvel-
ing how it was possible for the contestants to
understand each other, as they were both talking
at the same time. But a lull came in the raging
tempest, and we were informed that we owed him :
^^Feefty Zance!''

We left Webster to mount a long ascent, at the
end of which, through a narrow opening, walled
in on each side by towering masses of rock, could
be seen several snowy peaks. This was known as
Kenosha Pass.

Through the pass the railroad had to travel
twelve miles to cover the same distance which we
covered in five. From the home of the Hungarian
we could see it winding and twisting in the most
erratic manner around the mountain, until, high
up near the summit, it straightens itself out and

Around the United States by Bicycle 81

crawls along a narrow ledge of rock, where for a
mile or more it clings until, having made the as-
cent, its tortuous winding tells that the descent
has begun.

As the shades of evening were falling, a cluster
of buildings hove into sight. One proved to be
that of an abandoned telegraph station, with
boarded up windows and barricaded doors, as safe
from meddlers as a fort would have been, a second
was a dilapidated and tumble down two-story
building, with window lights broken, while a sec-
tion house standing near the railroad track seemed
to be the only one of the three in which there ap-
peared to be any signs of life. Here there shone
from a chink in the wall a small ray of light. By
vigorously pounding upon the door, we aroused
one of the occupants, who, with a snarl like a bear,
wanted to know: ^^What in h — 1 do you want!''
We replied that we desired lodging if possible.
''Go away you d — n hobos, yeh can't sleep here!"
We hastened to explain, through the closed door,
that we were not tramps, and were willing to pay
for our lodging, that we were traveling by bicycle,
just a couple of boys, and neither robbers nor des-
peradoes. The owner of the gruff voice listened
to this outburst in silence, but we heard him mov-
ing toward the door, which he unbarred, and to a:
''Well d — n it, come in then!" We stalked into
a room which was lined with bunks in which were
sleeping forms, to confront a man with his face

82 Around the United States by Bicycle

hidden from view by a mass of whiskers. As
we came into the range of the light, he lowered a
six-shooter, which he had been holding. In rapid
succession he flung these questions at us:

** Where in h— 1 yeh goin'V'

^^Wat in h — 1 did yeh come to this hellish lonely
spot fer?"

^^ Where 'd yeh come from!"

To all of which we replied to the best of our
ability, which seemed to satisfy him. But never-
theless he informed us that there was no room in
the house for us to sleep, but there was an old
building nearby, and he guessed we should be all
right there. We suggested that we could sleep on
the floor here in the bunk-room, but with an em-
phatic: ''NO! BY GOD!" from the man with
whiskers, we meekly retired from the room, thank-
ing him for his extrem^e courtesy and kindness,
and made steps for the old house. We forced open
a door and trundled our wheels into the room. In
doing this we walked across a mass of broken bot-
tles and glassware, with which the floor was
strewn. I accidentally stepped upon the bottom
portion of a broken beer bottle, which was stand-
ing upright, it cut through the leather side of my
shoe as if it had been paper, cutting a long gash
in my foot. On lighting matches I saw that it was
bleeding profusely, but thought that in a few
minutes that it would stop as the blood would con-
geal.

Around the United States by Bicycle 83

Clearing some of the rubbish away we wrapped
ourselves in our blankets and lay down on the
floor. I could feel the blood dripping from my foot
while it throbbed with intense pain, but I resolved
to forget it and try to sleep.

After lying here nearly an hour, my nerves were
given a severe shock by a hoarse whisper from
Darling, that there was surely somebody upstairs,
as he had heard them whisper several times, and
there was a noise just as if they were crawling on
their hands and knees over the floor.

We waited with bated breath, and in a few min-
utes we distinctly heard a suspicious murmur,
which sounded very much as if a conversation
were being carried on in an undertone. We had
no idea who the inhabitants of the upper floor
were, and immediately resolved that we did not
care to get acquainted. Taking blankets and
wheels, we made a hasty exit.

We went back and bearded ^Hhe lion in his
den," explained our predicament, and asked him
if I could come and see how badly my foot was
cut and wash it out and bandage it; but the ani-
mal nature in the man asserted itself, this being
the answer received: ^^No! yeh can't come in
here ! D 'y^h 'spose that we wanta set up all night
fer yeh!" If yeh wanta wash yer foot, they's a
ditch back here, where yeh can wash it to yer d — ^n
heart's content." This made us quite angry, and
we flung back something to the effect that if there

84: Around the United States by Bicycle

ever was a beast, he was one, and that we hoped
that he would live to see the day when he would
beg a favor from us. But to this he replied only
with a loud laugh of contempt.

Our only alternative was to walk to where we
should be able to get accommodations, although
the darkness was intense and it was dangerous to
attempt to follow an unfamiliar mountain road.

Many times we would get off the road to find
ourselves stumbling against rocks, nearly falling
headlong. Now we would climb a steep ascent
and reach the top only to go down one fully as
steep on the other side. At first at every step it
seemed as if there were a thousand needles being
forced through my injured foot, the pain being so
great, that it seemed as if I must shriek. But, as
we continued, the stiffness and numbness wore off
and the pain lessened.

Meanwhile we kept a sharp lookout for houses
along the road. Seeing a large, dark mass, we in-
vestigated only to find that it was an immense
boulder. The air was freezing cold, as the altitude
was something like ten thousand feet. Espying
something which loomed up in the darkness on
our right, we found that it was a large barn. The
only entrance that we could find was a window
which was fully fifteen feet from the ground. We
climbed up and dropped down on the inside to a
sort of hay-loft, made by laying small saplings
across the barn, there being a space of about four

Around the United States by Bicycle 85

inches between them, over which there was a thin
covering of hay. This loft was quite a distance
above the floor. We tried to sleep, but were awak-
ened frequently by the extreme cold.

At half past four, we crawled out of the hay,
and, climbing up to the window, were astonished
to discover that not a thousand feet from us was
a farmer's house, and we lost no time in getting
out of that barn and away from the premises, as
we might have had some difficulty in convincing
the farmer that our intentions were all right.

Upon looking at our cyclometers, we discovered
that on the night before we had walked a distance
of eighteen miles. I could now walk with little
difficulty. The extreme cold had rendered my in-
jured foot entirely devoid of feeling.

Although our ears tingled and our hands were
blue with cold, all this was forgotten in contem-
plation of the marvelous scenery.

Here was a large tract of land, entirely level,
consisting of meadows and fields of growing crops,
while, completely surrounding it, were innumer-
able snow-clad peaks, which looked so near that
it seemed as if we could reach them in a ten min-
utes' walk. This flat land, we afterward learned,
was called South Park, formed by some unaccount-
able act of nature on the top of the mountains at
an elevation of 10,000 feet.

At a large sheep ranch, which consisted of one
large mansion, around which were clustered a

86 Around the United States by Bicycle

number of small shanties, we walked up to the big
house to make inquiry if it would be convenient
for us to buy our breakfast there- The lady of the
house ushered us into a room in which the furnish-
ings were so magnificent, that it took us several
moments to recover from our surprise. Every-
thing was on so elegant a scale, that we felt ex-
tremely out of place. Our clothes were dirty and
torn, both our countenances needed to be made
acquainted with a razor, while a big, jagged cut
in my shoe surrounded by a mass of blood stains
was something of which I was by no means proud.

Our hostess appeared, and summoned us to the
dining room. Here the same splendor prevailed.
On the table was the daintiest of feasts. While
we ate, the lady entertained us with the legends
concerning the mountains in that vicinity. Upon
learning the nature of our undertaking, she waxed
enthusiastic. We found that she was a native of
Boston, and that her husband was a New Yorker.
She positively refused to accept any money from
us for our breakfast, but was very glad to be able
to assist us, wishing us the best of success in the
rest of our journey.

What a contrast between the brutal monster of
the night before and this most gracious lady!
Would that the world were filled with more of her
type ! This kind act of hers we shall not soon for-
get. To think that notwithstanding our dirty and
ragged appearance, we should be accepted in the

Around the United States by Bicycle 87

same manner as slie would welcome her most aris-
tocratic friends. This, indeed, is the true spirit
of hospitality!

At a little mountain village called Alma, where
we purchased a lunch in a bakery, answering as
a substitute for the noon-day meal, a physician
made an examination of my wounded member.
Upon my informing him that I had walked eight-
een miles soon after cutting it, and had not taken
off my shoe, he expressed great astonishment, and
told me that I was taking great chances of blood
poisoning. He found, however, no indications of
it so far, and I felt very much relieved. After
washing it thoroughly, and tightly bandaging it,
he sent me on my way rejoicing.

We were now very near to the summit of the
Rockies, approaching Mosquito Pass, the altitude
of which at its highest point is 13,700 feet. Alma
is considered at the entrance of the Pass.

We traveled eight miles over a rocky road which
followed along the bottom of a valley, lined by
white peaks. Occasionally deep, dark holes in
the rock, surmounted by a rusty windlass, in the
near vicinity of which were several dilapidated
shanties, told the story of an abandoned mine.
There were swift flowing rivulets, formed by the
melting snow from the heights above, where the
black stream could be seen oozing from every
seam and crevice.

88 Around the United States by Bicycle

We finally readied the foot of the Pass proper,
from which to the summit we had been told was
seven miles. The trail was a mere path which
wound and twisted up the mountain-side in the
most sinuous fashion, the acclivity being so great
that it appeared to be almost perpendicular. Here
it was only with excessive muscular exertion that
we were able to push our bicycles on. After trav-
ersing a thousand feet we were more than willing
to rest. The atmosphere was so rare, that even
the slightest exertion caused one to putf like a
porpoise.

With nearly four hours of this upward toil to
our credit, we had covered five and a half miles.
If what we had been told was correct, it was only
one and a half miles to the summit. We were now
on the edge of a field of snow, across which we
very carefully picked our way. It may have been
but a few feet deep, or else a thousand feet, where,
if the snow should be soft, we should quickly sink
from sight. In some places we found for some-
thing like a foot beneath the surface it was very
soft and slushy, but below it seemed to be hard.
Less than half a mile through snow found us again
picking our perilous way over the serpantine trail.
The way was indeed rough and rugged. Huge
boulders fallen from the rocky heights above
blocked the trail over which we clambered. An-
other bed of snow to cross, whose surface unlike
the other was icy and slippery, a false step, and we

Around the United States by Bicycle 89

should be dashed to the yawning abyss perhaps
three thousand feet below, where we could see the
silvery thread-like gleam of a river. On our left
a clean, clear-cut drop to the bottom of the rocky
chasm, while on the right a wall of solid rock rose
upward terminating in a boulder-strewn slope cov-
ered here and there with patches of snow.

Crossing another snowy tract, we found our-
selves on the summit. Here indeed was revealed
an enchanting picture. On every side of us were
barren, rocky peaks, covered by their glistening,
sparkling cloaks of dazzling white. The ruddy
glow from the dying sun seemed to convert this
scene of majestic grandeur into one still more
wonderful, as it entered into every seam and hol-
low, until the whole was changed to a mass of bur-
nished gold adorned by the dazzling sparkle of
a million diamonds.

We had begun the ascent at exactly two o 'clock
in the afternoon, it was now seven, and we had
consumed five hours in traversing the distance of
seven miles to the summit.

At the high altitude, 13,700 feet, we noted a
throbbing, aching sensation in our heads accom-
panied by a whirring and ringing noise in the ears,
while the taste of blood was in our mouths, telling
only too plainly of the excessive rarity of the
atmosphere.

The descent proved to be fully as steep as the
ascent, so that it was only by planting our feet

90 Around the United States by Bicycle

most firmly at each step that we were able to keep
ourselves and our bicycles from plunging down
the pass-
Far below us the landscape was dotted by the
buildings and debris of numerous gold and silver
mines.

We at last reached the bottom in safety, and as
it was quite dark now, we hastened to find some
place where we could sleep. We found a build-
ing used to stable the mules of the mines, the door
not locked, and the building deserted. We dared
not light matches for fear of discovery, and groped
our way in the dark, laying our blanket in one of
the stalls which seemed to be less filthy than the
others. The smell which permeated the atmos-
phere was the foulest imaginable, but notwith-
standing this we were soon in the land of sleep and
the realms of enchantment.

We awoke early to enjoy the most beautiful
of mornings. The cold crisp air made the blood
go bounding through the veins, every nerve ting-
ling with energy. We learned from a passing
miner that Leadville was but five miles away. As
we had had no food since the preceding noon, on
reaching the city our first movement was to visit
a restaurant.

Leadville is a mining city of eleven thousand
souls, at an altitude of 10,200 feet, and is the high-
est city in the world. When gold was discovered
in this vicinity and there was a rush from every

Around the United States by Bicycle 91

part of Uncle Sam's domain, and men were stand-
ing in a long line waiting in turn to file their
claims, some would be seen to stagger and fall to
enter upon their last sleep, or after a long fight, to
be nursed back to health. This was caused by the
strain of the high altitude upon the nervous sys-
tem.

Leadville to Grand Junction, by the way of
Glenwood Springs, would carry us out of the
Eockies. The distance which we had traveled in
four days from Denver to Leadville, as registered
by our cyclometers, was 114 miles.

The trip to Glenwood Springs, something like
eighty miles, was made in two days, and we now
descended to an altitude of 5,800 feet. At all times
we were near the line of the Denver and Eio
Grande E. E., along which there were many small
villages. The roads were very good and on this
continuous descent, we made fairly good progress.
We subsisted upon lunches purchased at grocer-
ies, as it was necessary to practice the strictest
economy until we reached Salt Lake City. The
first night we slept in a school house, and the sec-
ond in an abandoned telegraph station, where the
railroad traversed a wild and lonely region-
Through what is known as Eagle Canyon it was
necessary to follow the railroad track. Again we
saw some of the marvelous creations from the
work-shop of Dame Nature. The Eagle Eiver, a

92 Around the United States by Bicycle

swift-flowing, noisy little stream wliich dashes and
dances over the rocks in a channel walled in by
two rugged precipices, nearly two thousand feet
high, and nearly shutting out the light of day, fol-
lows the many devious windings of this narrow
gorge, beside which closely hugging the base of
the rocky wall, and with the river making every
erratic twist and turn, the railroad crawls through
the picturesque canyon. Massive boulders perch
on the precipitous sides with a hold apparently so
slight, that it seems as if at any momxcnt that they
may come crashing down into the bottom of the
canyon. Here a huge mass of solid rock, high up
near the top, closely resembles the head of an
elephant. Everywhere the delicate hand of Na-
ture has transformed grim and frowning rock into
the most fantastic shapes, while growing in every
available seam and crevice are small shrubs and
dwarfed spruce trees. However, from a scenic
standpoint, much of the picturesque grandeur has
been robbed away by the hand of man. Many
mines have been tunneled into the precipitous
sides, and all these are distinctly marked, as all
the soil, rocks, and debris removed is dumped
down the sides of the canyon and covers some
fantastic formation.

We made the acquaintance of a miner, who
proved to be a Norwegian by birth. We met him
plodding stolidly along the railroad ties, carrying
a large dinner bucket, followed by his two sons,

Around the United States by Bicycle 93

who trotted behind him in silence. As we walked
along with them, we held quite a lengthy conver-
sation with the father, learning that his past had
been chequered. He had mined in Norway, Rus-
sia, Alaska, and here in the Rockies ; at one time he
had several thousand dollars in earnings, but re-
verses had swept this sum from him; in Norway,
he made a big *^ strike," but the government, on
hearing of it, had levied so heavy a royalty upon
the products of his mine, that it was impossible
for him to make any money. Now high up near
the top of the canyon he was working a claim of
which he had great hopes. He had sunk a tunnel
into the side for a distance of over two hundred
feet, but in order to reach the mineral deposit
which his mining experience had told him was
there, he had to tunnel over a hundred feet far-
ther. It was very slow work for himself and his
two young lads, as they worked with the simplest
of tools, not being able to purchase modern ma-
chinery. He lived five miles from his mine, walk-
ing daily the entire distance. He invited us to go
up with him to his claim, and as we had never had
the opportunity of seeing anything of this nature,
we accepted. We crossed the foaming Eagle
River on the trunk of a tree, and then began our
arduous ascent up to the mine. The miner and his
two sons were equipped with heavy raw-hide
boots, the soles of which had long protruding nails,
to give them foothold, while we with our light

94 Around the United States by Bicycle

bicycle shoes had great difficulty in making any
progress up the steep path. The two boys scam-
pered up ahead, and we could hear them tearing
over the rocks at a great rate away up the slope,
reminding one of a couple of sure-footed mountain
goats. The old Norwegian, however, plodded
wearily upward, stopping frequently, gasping
and perspiring with the tremendous exertion. By
clinging to trees and bushes, slipping, sliding,
stumbling, and falling, we succeeded in keeping
the miner in sight, but when he rested we were
not loath to do the same thing. In a zig-zag up
the precipitous sides we toiled, until we were told
by our guide that we had only a little farther to
go.

It was a shaft sunk in the mountain side, 225
feet long, which we explored with the aid of a
couple of candles which the miner gave to us. As
it was damp and muddy with water dripping from
the sides and top, we reached the end only to have
our lights extinguished, and not having any
matches, we had to grope our way through the
darkness, stepping in pools of water and slipping
on the slimy mud, until we reached the entrance
again. We were shown some gold ore, which was
put up in sacks about as large as a common flour
sack. When he got enough of this ore, he would
ship it away, it being worth at that time some-
thing like four hundred dollars per ton. The ore
resembled chunks of yellow earth, and could be

Around the United States by Bicycle 95

easily crushed to fragments by a small pressure
of the hand.

We wished the miner the best of success, and,
bidding him good-bye, we hastened to make the
descent.

Before we reached Glenwood Springs, it was
necessary to pass through another canyon which
was called ^' Grand Canyon,'' but better known
as *^ Glenwood Canyon."

While Eagle Canyon was dark and gloomy,
nearly all of the rock being of a sombre colored
granite, and the Eagle River made short twists
and turns, this canyon was directly the opposite.
The Grand River, a very wide stream, flowed
tranquilly and peacefully with hardly a murmur,
its curves were broad and graceful, suggestive of
majestic grandeur. The rock formation, a sand-
stone, in some places rises perpendicularly to a
height of twenty-five hundred feet. Now it rises
terrace upon terrace, until the whole is capped
by a spiral mass, resembling the side of a Chinese
Pagoda. Here, great shelving recesses are formed.
Towers, turrets, and spires, at the foot of which
are m.assive bastions, represent the leading char-
acteristics of Gothic architecture. One stops to
pause in speechless contemplation of the miracu-
lous work of Nature.

This canyon is sixteen miles long, and on one
side of the river the Denver and Rio Grande R. R.
traverses a narrow ledge of rock at the base of the

96 Around the United States by Bicycle

chasm, while on the other side, is a wagon road
which runs through the canyon from end to end.
This road was built by the state of Colorado at
enormous expense; stretches are made of solid
masonry. Sometimes it runs close to the water's
edge, then it leaves to mount the precipitous sides
of the gorge, where it crawls for a distance on a
narrow ledge, then making a sharp descent to the
edge of the river again. Soon the daylight is shut
out by a mass of overhanging rock perhaps a
thousand feet high, forming a cavernous recess
completely roofed, through which in semi-dark-
ness the traveler cautiously proceeds over the
rocky road.

As we proceed up the chasm, we hear a dull
thunderous roar not unlike the approach of an ex-
press train. The noise increases as we go onward,
echoing and re-echoing in the narrow gorge. "We
round a curve to see a mighty, foaming cataract.
The walls of the canyon become narrow, forcing
the hitherto tranquil river to rush with incredible
force and speed over large and mammoth boulders,
a raging mass of seething water. We learn that
this cataract is called *^ Shoshone Falls."

We reach Glenwood Springs at supper time
only to find that although it is a town of nearly
five thousand inhabitants, hotel accommodations
from a financial standpoint were far out of our
reach. A lunch of cheese and crackers answered
for the evening repast; but just where we were

SHOSHONE FALLS.

GLENWOOD CANYON.

Around the United States by Bicycle 97

going to sleep was a knotty problem. After a long
and earnest consultation, we decided our only re-
course would be to find a livery barn and work on
the sympathies of the owner for lodging. This
we accordingly put into execution. At the first
we tackled our success was poor. This broad-
minded philanthropist said that he ran a livery
barn to keep rigs and horses in the same, and not
as an accommodation-house for '^hobos'' and oth-
er unfortunate objects of humanity, who were on
their '' uppers, '' and no amount of argument
would induce this cordial individual to change
his mind. So we departed considerably discour-
aged and crestfallen. We felt that rather than
again go through the ordeal, we would prefer
to spend the night in a police station under the
guise of vagrants. But after due consideration
necessity again dashed our pride to the ground.
We found another livery barn, and approaching
the proprietor, a genial pleasant-faced German, we
told him our long tale of woe and hard luck.
When we finished, he slapped us both on the back
and said: **Sure I'll let you sleep here; boys that
are trying to do what you are I would help every
day in the weef

He conducted us to the hay-loft, where there
was an old shake-down made of an exceedingly
dirty mattress covered by several inches of dust.
With the aid of a couple of horse blankets per-
meated with that odor which is so closely asso-

7]

98 Around the United States by Bicycle

ciated with the equine quadruped, we spent an ex-
ceedingly restful night in slumber.

Glenwood Springs is completely surrounded by
towering mountains, whose green slopes make a
very pleasing picture. As a health resort, and
from the marvelous curative properties of the
water which flows from the " Yampah' ' hot spring,
the city is known far and near. Hotel Colorado,
which is situated but a short distance from the
hot springs swimming pool, has a capacity of four
hundred guests and is considered to be one of the
finest hotels in the West. The hot water which
fills the pool flows from the Yampali spring far
up the mountain, being conveyed by means of
pipes. The spring has a flowing capacity of 1,700
gallons a minute, the temperature of the water
being 127 degrees.

The swimming pool is 600 feet long by 110 feet
wide. The boiling water from the spring is mixed
with cold, the temperature being reduced to an
average of ninety degrees. Bathing is possible
during the most rigorous weather. Winter some-
times brings the novel sight of people bathing in
this pool during the progress of a snow storm.

A stretch of fifteen miles where there was not a
drop of water; a walk of fifty-five miles along a
railroad track through a district where the only
liquid was the dreaded and poisonous alkali water;
a tire on one wheel badly torn and the chain on the
other twisted and broken into innumerable pieces ;

Around the United States by Bicycle 99

while we subsisted on wayside lunches and rested
our weary bones at night in box-cars, telegraph
stations, and the like, were just a few of the ex-
periences that made our journey between Glen-
wood Springs and Grand Junction amusing and
interesting.

Massive cliffs of light-colored rock rise verti-
cally in the form of terraces and palisades, their
height ranging from a thousand to eighteen hun-
dred feet. These dot the country for a distance
of eight miles around the little village of Pali-
sades.

Ten miles out from Grand Junction we are in
a valley walled in by frowning mountains, where
we see some of the wonders of Colorado's great
fruit district. The country is very level, and is
entirely given over to the growing of fruits, in-
cluding apricots, cherries, plums, apples and
peaches. Every available acre of ground seemed
to be converted into a fruit orchard, all being
under irrigation.

This being the first ripe growing fruit which we
had seen since we had left ^^ Michigan my Michi-
gan,'^ we lost no opportunity in filling our inter-
iors with the luscious product. At first we always
made it a point to get permission of the owner be-
fore we dared go into the orchard; but we were
given a ^^tip" after this manner:

** Where you boys fromT'

'* Michigan.''

100 Around the United States by Bicycle

**I thought you were from the East somewhere.
Now when you see any fruit in an orchard which
looks good to you, don^t stop to ask anyone's con-
sent to get it, but just you climb the fence and dig
in ; that 's the way it is done out here- I know that
rule wouldn't work back in your state, as some
farmer is liable to give you a load of buck-shot
to take home with you; but out here we don't care
a continental how much a man eats providing that
he don't bring a wagon along and fill that too. ' '

We reached Grand Junction foot-sore and very
much fatigued after our ^^hike" of fifty-five miles.
We were now entirely out of the Eocky Moun-
tains. We had left Denver July 11th, and reached
here on the 22nd, having spent eleven days in
traveling 315 miles.

We found a sympathetic bicycle repairman, who
agreed to repair our machines for a reasonable
sum, for whose concessions we felt very grateful,
as our total worldly wealth was but a few dollars.

There were innumerable people who made it
their special duty to inform us of the many perils
which lay in store for us in crossing the Green
River Desert, the edge of which was but a short
distance from Grand Junction, and to the other
side of which was 173 miles. Many soberly shook
their heads, and said that if they were in our
position that they would never attempt it. Others
cited instances galore of parties leaving Grand

Around the United States by Bicycle 101

Junction in the prime of life, a mass of bleaching
bones somewhere out on the desert telling the
gruesome tale of the finish. In vivid and terrify-
ing word pictures the scarcity of water, the
extreme and almost unendurable heat, and the
fact that many roughs and desperados used this
desolate waste as a hiding place safe from the
strong arm of the law, were all in turn brought out
into the lime-light, but to no avail; we stubbornly
refused to be dissuaded from our purpose.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE MANY PERILS OF THE GREEN RIVER DESERT.

After paying for the repairs on our wheels we
took an inventory of our resources to find that we
had the munificent sum total of twenty-seven
cents. A little over a quarter of a dollar to cross a
173 mile desert ! Certainly the prospects were far
from bright, but we tenaciously clung to the old
adage: ^^ Where there's a will there's a way;" and
although we were far from feeling sure that we
could reach the other side, we resolved at least to
make the start.

Noon of the first day on the desert found us
reduced to but two cents. Being without souven-
irs we had no means of replenishing our treasury
before reaching Salt Lake City. We were resting
at a station where there was a telegraph office and
a water tank, the station bearing the name of
Ruby, the name hardly suggesting the surround-
ings. The thermometer here registered 120 de-
grees in the shade. The operator had a boy about
twelve years of age, who was very much interested
in us and our bicycles- Upon his learning that all
the money which we possessed was but the price of
a postage stamp, he volunteered to get us some
crackers.

Around the United States by Bicycle 103

We divided the crackers, which were of the
large soda variety, to find that there were exactly
six for each. Imagine six crackers making a
meal for two famished boys! But now *^ beggars
could not be choosers/'

Affected by the furnace-like temperature
together with the pleasant sensations resulting
from an empty stomach, we were hardly in a mood
to appreciate the wonderful scenery which sur-
rounded us. Yet as this was something totally
different from anything which we had hitherto
seen, we gradually forgot our troubles and were
lost to the world staring with open-mouthed ad-
miration.

After trundling our wheels through a tunnel six
hundred feet long, in which, had we been caught
by a train, the chances for our escape would have
been very small, there being but little space
between the track and the sides of the tunnel, for
a distance of sixteen miles we traveled through a
canyon in which the color effect was grand beyond
description. Vertical walls of rock to the height
of several hundred feet rose alongside the rail-
road track, their faces being very smooth, neither
projections nor cracks or fissues to mar the sur-
face, but cut down by some vast unseen force when
the world was but an infant. All the rock in this
vicinity was of a deep reddish color, which coupled
with the grotesque, fantastic, and artistic forma-

104: Around the United States by Bicycle

tions wliicli met the eye on every side, presented
an enchanting scene, causing one to wonder that
this could really be possible outside the realms of
fairy-land. Over to our left the rocks formed
miniature volcanoes, seamed and furrowed, which
told plainly of former volcanic eruptions.

There was no riding the railroad track, which
brought ''shanks mares ^' into use. We soon
found that if we were able to walk a mile without
resting, we were doing finely. This continual
resting process gave us a great deal of time
for reflection, and among other things, we thought
how extremely fortunate for us, that we had a rail-
road track to follow which traversed the desert
from end to end. As we looked oif into the desert
waste, upon which the sun mercilessly beat, an in-
voluntary shudder shook our frames, and we
thought of ourselves without the aid of the track
trying to make progress against such overwhelm-
ing odds.

During the afternoon we crossed the boundary
between Colorado and Utah, sometime after which
Westwater, Utah, was reached. This consisted of
a telegraph station and a water tank. The oper-
ator was a kindly middle-aged man, who was a
Michigander by birth. Upon hearing our story
he invited us to partake of his own rough fare,
which, as he was alone, had to be cooked by him-
self. We feasted on leaded biscuits and canned
beans, washed down by tea which was strong

GREEN RIVER DESERT.

Around the United States by Bicycle 105

enough to walk, but we disposed of all that was set
before us, and without doubt, had we been given
the opportunity, we should have eaten the entire
month's supplies of the operator. It really seem-
ed that we had never before eaten anything so
appetizing.

We slept on the floor of the room which served
as a kitchen, wrapped in our blankets, using as
pillows our shoes covered with a large bandanna
handkerchief. The night proved to be as cold as
the day had been warm, so that an extra blanket
which the operator brought in to us sometime
during the night was very acceptable. We were
aroused by our host calling us to breakfast. As
this was Sunday morning, he had an extra supply
for his morning meal. Fragrant, appetizing
coffee, and a plate piled high with steaming pan-
cakes, told of his last half hour's work. We were
not in the least backward in disposing of our
share; at the finish of which for the first time since
we had left Grand Junction we felt that our
hunger had been fully satisfied. The operator
gave us a lunch to carry with us to serve as our
dinner. We told him that we were a thousand
times obliged to him for his kindness, but he only
said: ^'A man that wouldn't do as much for one
from his own state as I have done for you boys,
wouldn't be worth the title of man; take it, and the
only thing that I regret is that I have not more to
give you. Keep a ^plugging' and don't lose your

106 Around the United States by Bicycle

nerve, and you will surely reach the other side
of the desert in good style. ^ '

We will not weary the reader with detailed
descriptions of our many trials and tribulations in
crossing the remainder of the desert. Suffice it
to say, that we reached Price, which was a small
village on the other edge of the desert, consider-
ably worse for wear. We covered the 173 miles
in four and a half days. After the first two days '
travel the railroad track proved to afford very
good riding on the well-filled in ties between the
rails, so that we were compelled to walk but very
little. Of water we had a plenty. Every tele-
graph station and section-house had an ice-house
which was kept filled at the expense of the rail-
road company. The melted ice made excellent
drinking water, and we had no trouble whatever
in getting our canteens filled at intervals of ten to
eighteen miles apart. For food we did not fare
so well. After eating the Sunday lunch which
the operator gave us, we had nothing more to eat
until Monday noon, when an Italian section fore-
man gave us several ^* biscuits'' which to us look-
ed more like loaves of bread. Tuesday for supper
we again had an opportunity to eat, through the
kindness of another telegraph operator. This fel-
low was a good cook, and we showed how well we
appreciated his efforts by sweeping the table of
every vestige of food. Tuesday and Wednesday
nights we walked the track until nearly midnight,

Around the United States by Bicycle 107

finding the cool atmosphere a great contrast to the
insufferable heat of the day. The only people on
the desert were those employed by the railroad
company as telegraph operators, section foremen,
and section men, all of the latter being Japanese,
Italians, and Chinese.

Somewhere near the middle of the desert, we
crossed a long bridge over a quarter of a mile in
length spanning ''Green Eiver.'' For some
reason the waters of this stream are indeed of a
deep green, and we were told that the water was
so highly impregnated with alkali, that should a
person drink of it, it would cause a horrible death.
This is the river from which the desert receives
its name.

Price, Utah, will always be a delightful spot in
our memory, for here we received one of the most
astounding and pleasant surprises of our whole
trip. By chance we cultivated the acquaintance
of a young gentlemen named Wm. Jardine, a
Mormon. He was a capital fellow, and became
exceedingly interested in our long tour. Upon
learning of the low state of our finances, but that
we hoped to receive our shipment of souvenirs on
arrival at Salt Lake City, he remarked:

*'I am mightily interested in your trip, and I'm
just going to help you in a small way to get that
wager. I'll just make you a present out and out,
but when you get your souvenirs, I want you to
remember me and send me one of them, and write

108 Around the United States by Bicycle

me from time to time just how you are getting
along. You may reach me at this address:
William Jardine, State Experimental School,
Logan, Utah.''

He reached into his pocket, took out his pocket
book, extracted a five dollar gold piece, and
handed the same to us. We were dumbfounded
and for several moments were speechless. We
refused to accept the money, although we needed
it badly, on the grounds that it was too much to
give to complete strangers. But he insisted that
he could easily spare the money, and that it would
help us five times more than it would help him.
Finally we agreed to accept it, but only on con-
dition that we should pay it back to him just as
soon as we were able. At first he would not hear
to this, but as we were firm he at length consented.

We were greatly touched by this act of kindness,
and with tears of gratitude we grasped his hand,
so overcome, that we were unable to speak.

CHAPTER NINTH.

THE "CITY OF THE SAINTS", AND THE GREAT SALT LAKE.

Helper, which is division headquarters of the
Rio Grande Western Railroad, and which is locat-
ed at the beginning of a range of mountains
through which the railroad travels, gets its name
from the fact that, owing to the heavy grades from
this point onward, an extra engine is an absolute
necessity until the summit of the range is reached.
This extra engine is called a ^'helper." This vil-
lage of such an odd name we reached in a little
more than twenty miles' travel from Price.

From this point it is necessary to travel the rail-
road, as the wagon road makes a large detour in
crossing ^^The Wasatch Range.''

On our way to the summit we passed through
a small town called Colton, a typical western town.
From time to time appear pictures of "wild and
woolly" towns, of Montana and Wyoming in
"Puck" and "Judge." Here was a striking ex-
ample of such a town.

One single crooked street, about as long as an
ordinary city block, very narrow, lined with
wooden buildings of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
In front of nearly every building is a flaring sign,
one announcing to the world that: "Harry's Res-
taurant," is on the inside: another informs the

110 Around the United States by Bicycle

patrons of ^Hhe flowing bowP' that here is the:
^^New Artie Saloon — The Largest Beer In The
Country for 15 CENTS. ' ' The town seems to con-
sist of nothing but saloons, restaurants, and lodg-
ing houses. Some of the buildings have a plat-
form in front which is built several feet from the
ground and which answers for a side-walk, but the
majority have none. Through the vista of the
street the mountains are seen towering but a short
distance away, reminding one of grim and austere
sentinels guarding this little village from marau-
ders.

Soldier's Summit, the highest point of the range,
is reached, consisting of a telegraph station and a
long train shed. From this place to Tucker, six
miles, is the steepest and longest main-line rail-
road grade in the United States. At the summit
all trains are put into the train shed, and a
thorough examination is made of all the running
parts, after which every brake on every car is set,
and the long and heavy train slowly creeps down
the mountain-side. At intervals are placed side
tracks, which run up into the mountain a half mile
or more, so that should the train become un-
manageable or in danger of accident, it could be
turned into one of these side tracks, where the
ascent is so great, that it would immediately lose
all its headway. We were told that even though
the greatest care was exercised accidents were of
frequent occurrence.

Around the United States by Bicycle 111

Now we pass what is known as ^'Castle Gate,"
a gateway to the Rockies. Two perpendicular
walls of bare, bleak rock rise to the height of five
hundred feet, the space between which is only suffi-
cient to allow the railroad track to pass.

Here is a novel sight : A collection of hovels on
one side of the track, while on the opposite is a
row of fiery kilns in which coke is burnt, from each
comes a continuous stream of dirty, black smoke,
while on each side of this narrow valley two grim
walls frown displeasure at the scene.

Through this section the scenery partakes of a
wild grandeur impossible to describe. High,
rocky walls line the railroad for mile upon mile.
Huge and massive boulders are carelessly perched
high up the mountain side almost directly above
the track, their outlines silhouetted against the
deep blue azure of the heavens. As you look, they
seem to lose their hold, to sway, and go hurtling
with ever increasing force down the precipice to
crush you with their gigantic weight.

We came down out of the mountains through
Spanish Fork Canyon to behold the wonderful,
fertile Salt Lake Valley. A flat stretch of land,
many miles wide, hemmed in by mountains, with
prosperous towns but short distances apart, while
the houses of the tillers of the soil dot the land-
scape, this veritable ^^ Garden of Eden" stretches
away to the northward until it meets the sky on
the horizon line.

112 Around the United States by Bicycle

"We travel through Springville, Provo City,
American Fork, Lehi City, and a number of small-
er towns, all of which are strong Mormon com-
munities, all being uniformly laid out with wide
streets ornamented by shade trees, all streets run-
ning only in the direction of the four points of the
compass. All telephone poles and electric lights
are placed in the center of the street instead of on
the sides, all poles being painted black and white,
the former color for a third of the distance from
the bottom upward. Everything bears a neat and
tasteful aspect, and the towns resemble large
parks.

Along the road small fruit orchards are
frequently seen, farm-houses are surrounded by
shade trees and beds of flowers, while the nodding,
golden heads of growing grain lend their touch of
color to the home-like scene.

Salt Lake City, or ^^The City of the Saints,'^ as
it is sometimes called, hove into sight. Here we
found the same park-like aspect which prevailed
in the smaller Mormon cities. We learned that
all the streets were 152 feet wide, including the
side-walks, and to walk a mile one would traverse
but seven blocks. All the streets were laid out at
right angles, and were bordered with shade trees.
On both sides of the street we noticed that there
ran a stream of cold, clear water which flows from
the mountains but a short distance from the city,

•TEMPLE vSOUARE, MORMON TEMPEE AND TABERNACLE.

Around the United States by Bicycle 113

which, with the fruit orchards and flower gardens
which surround nearly every dwelling, give the
city an air of comfort, prosperity, and repose.

One of the most interesting places in the city is
^ ' Temple Square, ' ' a large square block surround-
ed by a high stone wall inside of which are the
leading ecclesiastical buildings of the Mormon
Church. The Tabernacle, in which stands the
famous pipe organ, second in size in America, is an
immense structure of rectanguldr base and oval
roof which is supported by forty-six piers of cut
sandstone, these with the space between used for
doors, windows, etc., constitute the wall. From
these piers, the roof, constructed of wood, springs
in one unbroken arch, being with one exception,
the Grand Central Station, New York, the largest
self-supporting roof on the continent. This
structure has a capacity of 13,000 people, and is
used not only for church purposes, but for other
large gatherings as well. The dimensions of the
building are 250 by 150 feet, and so great are the
sound carrying properties of the dom^-like roof,
that the sound of a pin dropped can be heard two
hundred feet distant from the pulpit, while a con-
versation in a whisper can readily be carried on
from one end of the mammoth structure to the
other.

It was our good fortune to hear the colossal
organ play. This indeed is a marvelous piece of
mechanism. Its volume is such that it seems as

114 Aro2ind the United States by Bicycle

if the very foundations of the immense tabernacle
would be shaken, but even as the thunderous
echoes are reverberating throughout the great
structure, by but the slightest pressure of a finger,
it all changes, and tranquilly and peacefully there
is borne upon the air an almost inaudible strain of
music, tender and sweet.

The voice stops, contralto and baritone, are so
accurate a representation of the human voice, that
one finds himself looking for the person from
whom the sound proceeds, and it is hardly possible
to detect the difference.

The Temple, the Tabernacle, and the Assembly
Building are all located within the stone wall or
'^Temple Square." The Temple itself, about
which there hangs such an air of mystery, is a
building 187 by 118y2 feet, entirely constructed of
grayish granite, and is surmounted by six colossal
gothic spires, three at each end of the building,
the highest of which is 210 feet from the ground,
and resting on the pinnacle of this is a statue,
twelve feet high, representing the Mormon angel
Moroni, of hammered copper and gold-leaf plat-
ing. This imposing edifice was commenced in
1853, and completed in 1893, all of the stone being
quarried from Cottonwood Canyon, in Utah. The
estimated cost is $4,500,000. None but the high-
est officials are allowed to view its sacred
interior, or Mormons whose standing in the church
is above reproach, who at marriage are allowed to

CAPITOI., SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

Around the United States by Bicycle 115

have the ceremony performed within its grim and
austere walls.

Occupying a mammoth square is the City and
County Building, which at present is also used as
the State Capitol building. It is from the exter-
ior of great architectural beauty, resembling a
medieval castle with artistic turrets and towers,
the whole surmounted by a massive high tower, at
the pinnacle of which stands a glistening statue
of white marble representing ^'Civilization En-
lightening The World.'' The interior is of white
marble and costly onyx, all mined in Utah.

Fourteen miles from the city lies that wonder-
ful inland sea of salt water, the existence of which
has puzzled the learned and unlearned, and which
is one of the natural wonders of the world. Its
dead, dreary, silent, slumbering waters are indeed
an enigma to all mankind. It is 90 miles long by
45 wide, having a surface of 2,500 square miles, the
water containing exactly 22 % of salt. Here one
can enjoy the novel sensation of floating upon the
surface like a huge cork, it being impossible to
sink, while surrounding the lake, one sees the
grim, bleak sides of mountains, and you remind
yourself that you are at an altitude of almost a
mile above the level of the sea !

There is every facility for a day of pleasure at
Saltair resort, a magnificent building of Moorish
architecture, the original cost of which was a
quarter of a million dollars, constructed two

116 Around the United States by Bicycle

thousand feet from the shore in the form of a mon-
ster crescent. Here are bath rooms to supply a
small-sized army, a game room, amusement enter-
prises of every description, and a dancing pavilion,
250 by 140 feet, claimed to be the largest in the
world.

During our short sojourn in Salt Lake City,
Fort Douglas, a military post at which there is
stationed infantry and light artillery, five miles
out from the city, was favored by a visit from
Lieut. Gen. Adna R. Chaffee, the military head of
the United States Army, who was on a tour of in-
spection of all the western army posts. We paid a
visit to the fort and after a great deal of effort.
Darling succeeded in photographing this *^big
gun" of Uncle Sam's army.

There are many other points of interest in ' ^ The
City of The Saints," which, if we had the space,
we would gladly describe, but we feel that we have
already wearied the reader with facts and sta-
tistics, and as we have touched upon the most
important features of this noted city, we crave
the reader's consent to proceed with our narra-
tive.

We found Salt Lake City to be a very enthusias-
tic bicycle town, and here is what is called ^^The
Salt Palace," in which there is a large ^^ Saucer
Track," where some exceedingly fast bicycle rac-
ing events take place, in which participate some of
the fastest riders in the world. We were royally

Around the United States by Bicycle 117

entertained by the bicycle enthusiasts, our ma-
chines and accoutrements being placed on exhibi-
tion m one of the show windows of the leading
bicycle dealer in the city, while the gentlemen of
the press rose to the occasion and embellished onr
adventures so that even we ourselves did not re-
cognize them.

The consignment of our souvenirs, 1,400 in num-
ber, which we had awaited while traveling through
four different states, was safely delivered into
our hands on our arrival in Salt Lake City. After
paying the accrued express charges we found that
we had but ten cents remaining. However, we had
now many friends to whom we could sell our sou-
venirs, and, lifted up as we were by the wave of
popularity, our souvenirs sold very readily, so that
on leaving the city we were in excellent financial
condition.

CHAPTEE TENTH.

A DASH THROUGH A FOREST FIRE IN IDAHO.

For perhaps eighty miles north of Salt Lake
City, through Ogden and Brigham City, the gen-
eral characteristics of the country were the same
as those in the southern part of the valley, the
roads were good, there were small towns at short
intervals in which our souvenirs sold fairly well,
and altogether we were enjoying life.

Mile after mile found us within sight of the
shimmering, placid waters of the Great Salt Lake,
while to our right it seemed but a stone's throw to
the mountains, which, exhibiting here nothing of
that wildness usually characteristic of mountain
scenery rose near us in majestic and quiet gran-
deur.

To guard against being reduced again to the
financial extremities of our memorable crossing
of the Green Eiver Desert, we resolved that as we
were traveling through a rather uncivilized terri-
tory, and had become accustomed to roll ourselves
in our blankets and to lie on the soft side of a
board floor, we would continue to follow this econ-
omical practice until our financial condition should
be beyond danger. To this end we slept in hay-
lofts, in waiting-rooms, telegraph stations, school-
houses, etc.

Around the United States by Bicycle 119

As the result of this ^^ roughing if we had a
narrow escape from being forcibly detained on a
very serious charge. Our first night out of Salt
Lake City at nine o'clock, found us in the near
vicinity of Kaysville. Finding a farm-house near
which stood a large and spacious barn, we inter-
viewed the owner, obtaining his consent to sleep
in the hay-loft. The night was fairly warm, so
that we did not use our blankets, even removing
our coats, lying on the sweet smelling hay.

We awoke at half past five to discover that the
outside of our woolen sweaters were completely
covered with barbed points of the grass which
made up the hay. A great many of these had pene-
trated to the skin, the sensation being far from
agreeable. We spent the greater part of two hours
in picking out these prickly little articles, which
we afterward learned were called brome grass,
or bastard oats.

As it was Sunday morning, few people were
abroad, and we decided to oil and clean our ma-
chines before starting. Darling suddenly ex-
claimed ^^Murph! Look at that smoke!'' Less
than half a mile distant we saw a dense volume
of heavy black smoke, in the midst of which ton-
gues of fire shot forth. We dashed down the road
as fast as our legs would carry us, rounded a turn,
and discovered that a large barn was afire, the
smoke and the flames almost completely envelop-
ing it. At the side was a small enclosed yard in

120 Around the United States by Bicycle

which a horse was running to and fro, neighing
with terror and pain, some of his hairy coat al-
ready singed. We were the first on the scene, and
we made haste to open the gate to let the horse
out, in doing this we had great difficulty, as the
heat was terrific. People were now hastening
from every direction, and as we were the first
there and without coats or hats, with hay project-
ing from our sweaters, they concluded that we had
been sleeping in the barn and had set it afire.
All drew off to one side muttering in angry under-
tones, leaving us isolated. We now saw that we
were in a rather unpleasant position. Finally one
of the men left the crowd and approaching us,
said he guessed he would have to detain us until
an officer arrived as that it was his opinion that
we had set the barn afire. We protested that we
had slept in a barn down the road, and seeing the
blaze had rushed down here, being the first on the
scene. But as we were unable to tell the name of
the man's barn in which we slept, he muttered
something about that being a likely story. The
crowd was increasing at every moment forming
around us with muttered imprecations and black,
angry stares ; we began to feel our courage oozing
out through the bottom of our feet. All this hap-
pened very quickly, and we were so dumbfounded
by the turn events had taken, that we were not
able to collect our scattered faculties, but we saw
that unless we made a decisive move, we might

Around the United States by Bicycle 121

come to personal violence at the hands of the
crowd, as a thing of this sort arouses all the ire
in farmers' natures. So with an effort we shook
off our fears, and putting on a bold front, sugges-
ted to our captor, that if he did not believe our
story, we would prove it by going up to the far-
mer's house in whose barn we had slept and ask-
ing him personally. This he agreed to do, and,
walking one on each side of our guardian, who
roughly hung to our arms, and followed by the
whole angry crowd, we proceeded thither.

There were no signs of life around the house,
but after much battering on the door, an upstairs
window was raised, and a tousled head was put
forth, wanting to know: **In the name of good-
ness! What's all this commotion about T' The
leader of the crowd soon explained, and the man
who had been so rudely awakened from his slum-
bers emphatically corroborated our story. Our
burly captor apologized to us, and the rest of the
crowd slunk away one by one, thoroughly
ashamed.

We trembled to think what might have hap-
pened had the farmer not been at home, for no
amount of circumstantial evidence would have
proved to this angry mob that we had not slept in
the barn, and being utter strangers, our chances
would have been small indeed.

From a little community called Collinston,
which boasted of a population of something like

122 Around the United States by Bicycle

two hundred inhabitants, our troubles began.

Through a wild and uncivilized country, across
another small range of mountains, walking the
railroad track the entire distance, was but the
prelude to that which followed.

One night, close upon the hour of midnight,
found us walking the track through what is known
as Bear Creek Canyon. We had left Collinston at
half past seven, the next station being Cache Junc-
tion, which was on the other side of the canyon.
The night was very dark, and the scenery being
one of awful grandeur, as we proceeded the un-
canniness and weirdness of the situation began to
show its effect upon us in the way of a ticklish
sensation down our spines. Down below in the
bottom of the gorge we could hear the rushing,
roaring black waters of the Bear Eiver, as it
seethed and foamed over rapids and cataracts ; the
track on our right was closely walled in by a per-
pendicular precipice, the top of which was lost
in the darkness. Now with trembling nerves we
cautiously pick our way over a long and high steel
trestle, beneath which, we can hear the angry wa-
ters, and recover from this nervous strain when
we find ourselves in a tunnel, where the air is
close and stifling. We creep over two more high
trestles, stumbling out of another dark tunnel,
just as a fast passenger train rushes upon us with
a roar of steam and rumbling of wheels, illumin-
ating the dark gorge with its powerful headlight,

Around the United States by Bicycle 123

until every rock stands out in relief, but only for
a second, and then the blackness of night swallows
up this terrible monster as he rushes by.

In the loneliest and wildest portion of the can-
yon, ahead of us, we see a dancing red light, which
is instantly suggestive of train robbers. The inky
blackness helps to conjure up a picture of our be-
ing captured, bound, and gagged, to await the
pleasure of these ruffians. "With one hand firmly
grasping the butt of our revolvers, we warily ap-
proach. '^How are ye, be jabersT' To our tense
nerves, this salutation sounds like a pistol shot.
We find that our would-be train robbers are noth-
ing but a lone track walker, an Irishman, whose
duty it is to carry a red light, so that in case of de-
fects or obstructions on the track, he could warn
trains.

We reach Cache Junction to find that a water
tank and a telegraph station completes the town.
We get the permission of the operator to sleep on
the floor. Our sleep is interrupted by the passing
roar of trains and the frequent entrance of train-
men to get their orders, every one of whom
thought it his duty to flash a lantern in our faces
with the remark addressed to the operator:
* * Who Ve you got here. Bill ! ' ' Who would reply :
^^Oh, they^re a couple of lads going around the
world on bicycles." Which would bring an ejac-
ulation of surprise from the interrogator, causing
another inspection with the aid of his lantern,

124 Around the United States by Bicycle

while we awoke again, winking and blinking, daz-
zled by the bright rays, upon which the man would
good-naturedly laugh and disappear at the door.
In a short time, on the arrival of another train,
the performance would be repeated.

We cross the Utah-Idaho line, to find that we
are in a very barren and wild looking country.
A fine, powdery, flour-like alkali dust covers what
the people in this section call a road. Ploughing
through this under a sweltering August sun makes
very unpleasant traveling.

All the way to Pocatello we find nothing but
small stations, telegraph office and water tank,
occasionally a town which boasts of several stores
and a cluster of houses. We are in a valley ten
miles wide, hemmed in by parallel chains of moun-
tains ; in this valley all that meets the eye is a des-
ert waste of sage-brush, through which the road,
a mere wagon track, winds in devious twists and
turns.

Two dejected, dusty, and dirty individuals, foot-
sore and weary, hardly able to drag one foot after
the other, trundling two bicycles almost ready for
the scrap heap, could be seen at half past ten
o 'clock on the night of August 19th, plodding into
Pocatello.

We lost no time in finding a restaurant, which
proved to be operated by Chinamen. The almond-
eyed Celestials stared in open-mouthed wonder-
ment as we emptied dish after dish.

Around the United States by Bicycle 125

Scraping an acquaintance with tlie depot police-
man, we made known our wants after a little pre-
liminary conversation. He proved to be of a good
sort giving us permission to sleep in an empty
passenger coach which stood near the depot, tell-
ing us that this did not leave the yards, but prob-
ably would be switched a great deal during the
night in order to get it into the proper place.

This was surely beautiful; soft, luxuriant
CUSHIONS, no hard board floor to-night! Every-
thing went well until the ^^wee sma' hours,'' then
the switch engine commenced to play ping-pong
with our private car. The first bump threw us out
of our seats and left us sprawling on the floor,
where we endeavored to collect our dazed senses,
trying to determine what had happened. Being
awakened from sound sleep in this manner is far
from a pleasing experience; just as we arrive at
the conclusion that it is a night-mare, the engine
makes another move, and we cling to the iron
frame work of the seats while it is forced upon our
minds that our first supposition was wrong.

Pocatello has a population of nearly six thous-
and inhabitants, a typical western town, in which
gambling is looked upon as a profession. The
railroad track divides the town into two sections,
one of which is the ^'Tenderloin'' district, consist-
ing of dives, gambling-houses, saloons, and low re-
sorts which would do credit to a larger city.

After much difficulty we found a repair shop,

126 A7^ound the United States by Bicycle

the proprietor of which was a native Texan. He
was enthusiastic over our journey, and although,
there were extensive repairs to be made on each
machine, he thoroughly overhauled them until
they looked almost as good as new, refusing to ac-
cept any money in payment.

We cross the Fort Hall Indian Eeservation, and
for fifty miles we travel through a desolate waste
on which there is nothing but sage-brush and
chico bushes, or grease-wood, under which name it
is better known. This is a portion of the Snake
Eiver Sage Brush Desert. The soil is all sand,
which necessitated our clinging to our old friend
the railroad track.

At Idaho Falls we see a sight that is astonishing
in the eyes of an Easterner. "We arrive the night
preceding the entrance of a circus, (Ringling
Bros.). The town resembles the bivouac of an
army. Camp-fires throw their ruddy glow upon
the sleeping forms of men, while the outlines of
^^ prairie schooners" are distinguished amidst the
surrounding darkness. We learn that some of
these people have been on the road for five and six
days, through mountains and across rivers, bring-
ing whole families, just to be able to see this cir-
cus. Weather-beaten and grizzled '^cow-punch-
ers" (cow-boys) riding in the saddle for several
hundred miles, who have never before seen a cir-
cus, dance and caper awaiting the arrival of '^the
show" with as much eagerness and anxiety as

^-XuJ^ t '""'"^t^^^^^

y^^-T/^'-'/v frHvro-

'A WORTHY PAIR," SHOSHONE INDIANS.

Around the United States by Bicycle 127

that manifested by an eight-year-old youngster
back in the East.

Owing to the sand-storms, which usually take
place in this region daily, every afternoon at five
o 'clock, only one performance was given. The at-
tendance was 6,500, the population of the town
being but 3,000.

We find in this region many Indians, mostly
Bannocks and Shoshones, some of whom are quite
civilized, own small farms, and are fairly indus-
trious.

One day we met with a withered, dried up old
Indian squaw, her face disfigured by a flattened
nose, part of which was missing, her skin resem-
bling brown parchment, so tightly was it drawn
across the flesh and bones. Her costume was in-
deed a variegated one ; a tunic, of a material which
looked very much like that of which gunny sacks
are made, hung to the shoe tops, belted at the
waist ; her hair was a scrawny tangled mass ; over
her shoulder she carried a blanket in the form of
a sack, in which she had trinklets which she was
offering for sale. Accompanying her, decrepit and
stone blind, was the remnant of an old Indian
brave. We learned that the worthy pair were
Shoshones, who had participated in the late In-
dian war with chief Bear Hunter, and that in this
encounter the squaw's nose had been nearly shot
off.

Butte, our objective point in Montana, was

128 Around the United States by Bicycle

reached after many trials and vicissitudes. Most
of the time through Idaho found us traveling
through the mountains or across a sage-brush
desert. We stayed over night with * ^ cow-punch-
ers;' ' one time we met a rider on the range who in-
vited us to come up to their camp not far from the
Continental Divide away up in the mountains.
We got onto the wrong trail, and wandered off
through the mountains nearly ten miles, and at last
were put on the right trail by a lone sheep-herder,
it being close upon the midnight hour when we at
last found the camp. We were entertained royal-
ly, and in the morning the boys gave an exhibi-
tion of ^^ roping," of which we took a photograph.

Butte proved to be a city of 40,000 souls, an
overgrown mining camp, in which gambling
seemed to run riot, surrounded by mountains
whose slopes were honeycombed with gold and
silver mines.

Northward bound for Deer Lodge and Missoula,
we leave the ^^ Pittsburg of the West,'' as Butte
is sometimes called, behind us.

Sunday night finds us at a Montana settlement
bearing the name of Gold Creek. A railroad sta-
tion, painted fiery red; a general store; a saloon
in the front of which was hitched to a long railing
a dozen or more vicious looking broncoes. The
clink of poker chips and the tinkling of glasses ac-
companied by loud guffaws of laughter, as some
fortunate individual would win, while curses and

Around the United States by Bicycle 129

imprecations told of some wlio were not so fortu-
nate; these, together with several cabins and a long
bunk-house, completed the so-called city, which
was hemmed in on all sides by the woody slopes
of dark, gloomy, frowning mountains.

Since our entrance into Montana, we had found
that the nights were freezing cold, making sleep-
ing outdoors, in barns, box-cars, and the like al-
most an impossibility. Having concluded that
there was no particular glory in sleepless nights,
we resolved in future to buy lodging whenever it
was possible as now our finances were in good
condition.

We entered the saloon to get warm, and found a
very picturesque and interesting scene. A large,
square room, at the end of which was a long bar,
where several ^ ^ cow-punchers ' ^ were partaking of
^Hhe flowing bowl;'' but a lively card game at a
table on one side of the room seemed to be the
chief attraction. Around the participants there
lounged in all attitudes nearly a dozen of the fol-
lowers of the range. Now several would leave the
table to go to the bar, their spurs clinking at every
step. Nearly all were dressed in bear-skin
^^shaps,'' loose leggings of skin, the hair outside,
reaching to the thighs; blue flannel shirts, felt
hats, low-crowned and broad brimmed, red ban-
danna handkerchiefs tied around the neck with
the knot at the back; all which was artistically
touched up by a belt full of cartridges from which

9]

130 Around the United States by Bicycle

the butt of a healthy ''Coitus'' six-shooter peeped
forth from its holster. Owing to the feverish ex-
citement over the card game, no one noticed our
entrance, so that we had opportunity for observa-
tion. After absorbing as much of the heat as was
possible, and in a visit of five minutes, failing
to interest the company in our souvenirs, we again
went out into the night.

The air was freezing cold, which was intensified
by the frigid rays from a full moon; the surround-
ing mountains were bathed in silvery glory; the
hollows and recesses were marked by black shad-
ows.

There was no hotel or lodging-house, the depot
was closed, and the only thing left for us to do
was to keep a close watch on the cabins, to see a
light or hear a noise which would indicate that
there was someone inside.

Nearly half an hour passed, at the end of which
we were kicking our heels together with hands
and faces blue with the cold; then we noticed a
stray ray of light which escaped through a chink
in the side of the bunk-house. We knocked on
the door, which was opened by an old man whose
face was enveloped with a mass of black whiskers,
from the midst of which two bead-like eyes peeped
forth. "We told him our story, ending up with a
request for some place to sleep within his mansion.
After many puffs from a stubby pipe, after a great
deal of meditation, during which the bead-like

Around the United States by Bicycle 131

eyes took in our every detail from head to foot, lie
said that he ^^ 'lowed that we could sleep with
him."

Imagine a room long and narrow, the inside of
rough hewn hoards, lined with wooden hunks,
only one of which had any bedding, illuminated
by the sickly and fitful rays of a candle. We
three all lay in this one bunk, resembling sardines,
so closely were we packed. The covering consis-
ted of two blankets, from which came smells sug-
gesting that the last time they were washed was
in the long forgotten past.

Nevertheless we slept the sleep of the just, roll-
ing out at seven o'clock the next morning into a
cold, crisp air fresh from the mountains.

Alternating between the wagon road and the
railroad track, through mountains, some of which
resemble colossal mounds of brown velvet; now
passing debris at the side of the track, which we
afterwards learn is the remains of a hold-up
wreck of a Northern Pacific Express, two months
before, in which two desperadoes kill the express
messenger, dynamite the safe, and secure a hun-
dred thousand dollars, we at length reach a little
cluster of houses called Bearmouth.

From this point onward we are able to follow
the wagon road, rough and rocky, picking its way
carefully through the mountains.

Through what is known as Hell Gate Valley, a
wild and uncivilized region deserving the name,

132 Around the United States by Bicycle

we followed to our surprise a most excellent road.

At Missoula, a town of six thousand, we learn
that to Spokane, Washington, a distance of 272
miles, we shall traverse a very wild and uncivil-
ized territory, through which there are no wagon
roads, it being an absolute necessity to follow the
track of the Northern Pacific R. R. It was repre-
sented to be a most desolate region, heavily tim-
bered, lumbering being practically the only occu-
pation, and that it would be necessary for us to
cross the Flathead Indian Reservation, when for
forty miles we should see nothing but the primitive
tepees of the Flathead Indians.

After several hours' travel out of Missoula we
cross the Marent Trestle at a height of 226 feet.
It is 1,380 feet in length, and is the second highest
railroad bridge in the United States-

We find the terrors of the Flathead Reservation
quite as represented. Now traveling through al-
most impenetrable forests of giant pines and
spruce, whose trunks rise straight as an arrow,
their bushy tops a hundred or more feet from the
ground; now on each side of us appear the out-
landish and picturesque tepees of the aborigines,
suggestive of the past when the red men and not
the white were masters. Occasionally we would
spy a brave mounted on a ^^cayuse'' (an Indian
pony), neck, face, and arms grotesquely decorated
with war paint, while a gaudy-colored blanket
hung from his shoulders ; or possibly we would be

Around the United States by Bicycle 133

able to approach a tepee quite near to the track,
without the squaw and her several papooses being
aware of our presence, where we could get a
glance at a real Indian family; but only for an
instant, for, on seeing us, the mother followed
by her offspring would flee precipitately, to take
shelter within their flimsy dwelling.

As we proceed northward the country becomes
more heavily timbered, logging trails with deep-
worn ruts, running for short distances along side
the track, and these trails, bad as they are, we
travel with pleasure to relieve the monotony of the
railroad track.

Through this heavily timbered region the long
drought has played havoc. Forest fires are rag-
ing, and at night, up the side of the mountain, the
destructive demon can be seen making his way
through dense forests. Frequently along the track
we see tall, blackened trunks, and acres of forest
reduced to a charred mass, marking the path of the
monster.

The state line between Montana and Idaho is
reached and we are brought into the *^ pan handle''
of Idaho ; and on our first day in this state we meet
with several startling adventures.

We must cross a trestle a mile and a half long,
which spans one end of Lake Pend'd 'Oreille. The
ties are nearly a foot apart and over these we
bump our wheels; below us are the green waters
of the lake. The trestle is in the form of a cres-

134 Around the United States by Bicycle

cent, and as we reach the middle we are terrified
to hear the rumble of an approaching train. Our
only recourse is to climb down to one of the beams,
lie flat, and support our machines over the edge.
We lost no time in carrying out this idea. Hardly
a moment passes, when the train is on the bridge,
a through express, which dashes across the trestle
at a high rate of speed, causing the frame-work to
groan, creak, and vibrate with the awful strain
and weight, so that we are nearly shaken from our
positions.

At last the ^^ flyer" has passed, and we clamber
up from our perilous positions, somewhat nervous,
but exceedingly thankful for our escape.

Lake Pend 'd 'Oreille is a very large body of wa-
ter, 60 by 20 miles, having a shore line of almost
seven hundred miles. We followed its shore for
a great distance.

Just before reaching a station known as Koote-
nai, we have rather an exciting experience in rid-
ing through a forest fire.

We learn that by following a logging road
through the forest we shall save several miles, as
it is a ^'cut-off" on the railroad. Everything goes
well for ten miles or more; we travel through an
almost impenetrable forest and thicket, and, owing
to the many forest fires, a heavy pall of smoke
hangs in the air. Frequently would be borne to
us sounds as of the discharge of small cannon,
accompanied by a crackling and crashing, as the

Around the United States by Bicycle 135

giants of the forest would be overpowered by the
hungry flames.

As we proceed, the air becomes stifling with
smoke, while the raging forest fire seems but a
short distance away, and it now resembles a ter-
rific bombardment, huge trees falling every min-
ute, while the rush and roar of the flames are suf-
ficient to strike terror into the stoutest heart,
Leaving our machines we go ahead to reconnoiter.
Less than a quarter of a mile farther on we reach
the edge of the path of the monster. It had eaten
its way across the road, which was nearly covered
by the smouldering trunks of trees and by a mass
of burning fire-brands. The heat was blistering.
We saw that the burnt district covered but a thou-
sand feet down the road, and that by making a
dash we could cover this distance in a few mom-
ents. It was true that we were liable to stumble
and fall, getting severely burned, or our clothing-
might catch fire, yet it was worth taking the risk,
for the forest was so dense, that it would be an
impossibility to push our wheels through it by
making a detour and going around the conflagra-
tion, while to return to the railroad and follow
that would be over ten miles out of our way, and
we decided to make a run through the fire.

Tying handkerchiefs around our mouths and
nostrils to prevent suffocation by the smoke, and
carrying our wheels over our shoulders, we brace

136 Around the United States by Bicycle

ourselves for the ordeal, and now we are off, run-
ning like deer.

Darling stumbles and nearly falls, but, dropping
bis machine for a moment, he quickly regains his
balance, arriving on the other side in safety. I
was less fortunate, for a burning fire-brand fell
upon my shoulders, setting fire to the light cloth
of my khaki suit, and before I was able to extin-
guish it, it had burned a large hole.

On the other side we took an inventory, finding
that we were but little the worse for our exciting
experience, our hair and eye-brows being slightly
singed and our suits being scorched.

CHAPTER ELEVENTH.

NEARLY SUFFOCATED IN A TWO MILE TUNNEL.

We reach Sand Point, a town of several thous-
and inhabitants, the largest and in fact the only-
place of consequence that we have passed through
since leaving Missoula. Immediately upon leav-
ing Sand Point, we walk another trestle, one and
three quarters miles long, bumping our bicycles
over the ties, and find it no pleasant experience.

The general characteristics of the country until
we cross the Washington-Idaho boundary are
much the same as through Montana, and it is nec-
essary to follow the railroad nearly all the time.

As we near Spokane, a rolling country devoid
of timber greets the eye, being an exceedingly
pleasant change from the miles of dense forest
through which we have traveled for the past ten
days.

During our brief stay in Spokane we are royally
entertained by the Spokane Amateur Athletic
Association, one of the strongest clubs in the states
of Washington and Oregon. A magnifcent build-
ing equipped and furnished on a marvelous scale
of elegance, a spacious gymnasium, swimming
pool, Turkish and shower baths galore, are a few
of the many enticing advantages which it affords
to its members.

138 Around the United States by Bicycle

At this city is located the famous Spokane Falls,
consisting of ^*The Upper Falls'' and ^*The Lower
Falls.''

The famous Davenport restaurant, claimed to
be the most aristocratic cafe in the West, is also
located here.

While in one of the large department stores at
Spokane we overheard the following conversation
between one of the salesman and a true lineal des-
cendant of Abraham.

Mr. Isaacs — *^Und dit you told der boss dot I
vas goin' to git married to my second vife to-mor-
row, und dot I vanted der house shouldt gif me a
nice bresent?"

The Salesman — ^^Oh yes, Mr. Isaacs, I told
him."

Mr. Isaacs — **Und vot did he zay?"

Salesman — ^^He said I should give you a neck-
tie."

Mr. Isaacs (shrieking) — **A negtie! I don't
vant no negtie! I vant me a goot some-account
bresent ! You go dell der boss dot I traded myself
here two t'ousand tollars cash und my node for
-von t'ousand tollars; und I vant me a nice wedding
bresent ! ' '

(The salesman departs, returning in a few mom-
ents)

Salesman — ^'Well, Mr. Isaacs, I spoke to the
boss and he's pretty busy this morning, but he told
me to give you your note back. ' '

Around the United States by Bicycle 139

Mr. Isaacs — '^All right. But led me asg you
von ding. Vill dot boss endorse dot node?"

Salesman — ''Endorse the note! Of course he
won't endorse the note. What do you take him
forr^

Mr. Isaacs — '^'Den I dake der negtie."

For a hundred miles west of Spokane, until we
reach Coulee City, we pass through a rolling coun-
try entirely destitute of timber or underbrush,
every acre being under cultivation with wheat.
Harvesting is now in progress, and occasior.ally
we see a puffing traction engine in the fields, which
produces enough power to thresh the golden grain.
The method of mowing differs from that in the
eastern states. The grain is simply headed, being
cut just below the head of the stalk, instead of
being cut off four or five inches from the ground.
A machine which is called a header, not drawn,
but pushed by six horses, has a carrier, similar to
that used on a threshing machine, which dumps
the grain into a huge box-like wagon called the
''header box,'' which is driven alongside the head-
ing machine. As soon as this is filled it is driven
away, and the grain is fed into the thresher, while
another "header box" immediately takes its place.
In this way the grain is cut and threshed all at
the same time, avoiding a great deal of unneces-
sary delay.

Sometimes the rainy season in Washington and
Oregon begins as early as the middle of Septem-

140 Around the United States by Bicycle

ber, after which it rains steadily during the win-
ter months, turning the roads into one continuous
stretch of mud. Unless we get out of these states
before this wet season shall begin, we were
doomed, for traveling by bicycle under such cir-
cumstances would be an impossibility.

Through this wheat belt, which, owing to the
fact that the Columbia Eiver there makes a great
turn in its course, is called the Big Bend Country,
small towns, all of a good type, range eight or ten
miles apart, the country being thickly populated
as in a great many of the eastern states, in strik-
ing contrast to Idaho and Montana.

But a short distance out of Spokane, Darling
begins to have trouble with the bearings in his
bicycle, which become so bad that he is unable to
ride the machine. For seventy-five miles we
practice what we jocularly called our ''relay sys-
tem,'^ one of us riding the good machine for a
mile, while the other walked, pushing the broken
bicycle, and for the next mile exchanging. In this
way we both have an opportunity to rest while
waiting for the other man to come up with the
machine which is out of commission, and making
much better time than by a steady walk. This
relay system was not unlike the ''ride and tie''
plan as practiced by the cowboys when two men
have to travel with one good horse. One rides the
horse for a distance, then tethers the animal on
the plain and proceeds on foot. His comrade

Around the United States by Bicycle 141

comes up, takes the horse, and he also, rides for
a distance and does the same thing.

"When within five miles of Coulee City, Darling's
bicycle tightens up, and we are unable even to
push it along. As it is too heavy to carry, we in-
vert it and set it on top of mine, to reach at last
our destination with our peculiar machine.

Coulee City, with a population of something like
one hundred inhabitants sits in the bottom of what
is known as the ''Washington Coulee," sur-
rounded by a sage-brush desert, a most desolate
region. This coulee, an Indian word for canyon,
is nearly thirty miles long, extending directly
north and south. Several miles north of the vil-
lage, perpendicular walls of brown, grim rock ex-
tend upward for a height of eight hundred feet or
more, one on each side of the bottom land, forming
the sides of the canyon. At one point a spire
of rock, 2,100 feet high, called Pilot Eock, can be
seen for many miles. Here again we see what the
fantastic hands of dame Nature has molded: a
rocky cliff, six hundred feet in height, is made to
resemble a castle of the medieval period, from
which it gets its name, ''Castle Rock.''

W^ith the assistance of a blacksmith, and by
using different parts of all the old bicycles which
we could find around the village, after spending
over a half a day working at it, we succeed in
repairing the broken machine, so that we are able
to trundle it along, but can not ride it until we
reach some town where we shall be able to pur-

142 Around the United States by Bicycle

chase the necessary bearings- So we return to our
^^ relay system.'^

Twenty miles' travel in a northwesterly direc-
tion brings us to the Moses Coulee, this being very
similar to the Washington Coulee, except that its
precipitous sides rise to a far greater height, and
it is but a half mile across the sage-brush covered
flat bottom, from one side to the other. This
coulee, like the other, extends due north and south,
stretching away as far as the eye can see.

We find the descent into this gorge to be com-
paratively easy, but on the opposite side the ascent
is a tortuous climb of over two miles.

After forty miles of travel from Coulee City we
reach Douglass, a community consisting of per-
haps twenty weather-beaten cottages, which by
their appearance lead one to believe that they
were built but shortly after the discovery of
America. These, together with a general mer-
chandise and hardware store, complete the village;
ah! yes! except a public well, which, judging by
the trampled ground around it, is the best patron-
ized and leading attraction of the village. The
well, open and walled with stone, stands in the
middle of the only street.

We learn that Waterville, a progressive little
town of nearly two thousand inhabitants, is but
five miles distant from this village. As we are
bound for Wenatchee via the Badger Mountains,
the foot hills of which are only a few miles from

Around the United States by Bicycle 143

Douglass, it will be out of our way to go to Water-
ville, although there might be a chance of our be-
ing able to get the necessary bearings there for
the disabled wheel. On learning that the two
roads from Douglass and Waterville meet on the
top of the mountain by an old saw-mill, forming
the Wenatchee road, we decide that one shall take
the good machine and ride to Waterville, to try
to get the repairs, while the other takes the broken
bicycle to walk with it up the mountains until the
old saw-mill is reached, and that this shall be our
meeting place. We toss a coin to decide who will
ride to Waterville, Darling wins, and leaves imme-
diately for that place.

As it is close to the noon hour, I choose the most
promising of the cottages, making inquiry if I can
buy my dinner. A gaunt, spare old lady answers
in masculine tones that if I am able to put up with
her rough fare I am welcome to it.

During the meal my hostess plied me with in-
numerable questions concerning myself, my fam-
ily, the city in which I lived, how old I was, ending
by demanding a complete history of our trip since
we had started. To all of which I replied in mon-
osyllables between mouthfuls of food. After every
incident of my life had been firmly imbedded m
the memory of my interrogator, without any re-
quests or suggestions on my part, she proceeded to
pour out her history, talking so fast that the words
seemed to trip each other. As my chief desire was

14:4: Around the United States by Bicycle

to finish my dinner and get away from this ex-
tremely garrulous old lady, I heard but little ex-
cept the fact that she had been born and raised in
Missouri, which, according to her account, was
the banner state in the Union, and that I had made
a big mistake in not being born in that state in-
stead of in Michigan.

At last the meal was eaten and I succeeded in
getting away from the house, although she even
followed me to the gate, talking in a constant
stream. Although she charged me nothing for my
dinner, I felt that I had surely earned it.

After a long and dusty walk through a powdery,
flour-like dust which covers the road to a depth
of four to ten inches, and a tough climb of several
miles up the steep side of the mountain, I reach
the summit, perspiration oozing from every pore,
dirty streaming rivulets running down face, arms,
and neck. Thoroughly fatigued, I lie down to rest.

Although by sundown I have walked sixteen
miles, as yet I have failed to see the old saw mill,
neither have I seen my colleague. On the moun-
tains I find but few houses, passing these early in
the afternoon. For an hour or more I have seen
no sign of a dwelling, and as the shades of night
are fast closing around me, I begin to think that
it will be necessary for me to sleep on the ground
alongside the road. Ahead of me in the dusk,
apparently level with the ground, appears the roof
of some large building. This is a strange phe-

Around the United States by Bicycle 145

nomenon, but as I near it, the mystery explains
itself. The house is situated at the bottom of a
deep ravine, its roof being level with the ground
upon which I had been traveling.

I easily secured accommodations for the night.
It is a large wheat ranch, there being three men
here, one of whom responded to the name of ^ ' Jim-
my'^ and did the cooking. I was told that Jimmy
and I could sleep out in the hay-mow, he declar-
ing that he had slept outdoors for such a long time
that he was not able to sleep in a bed. We lay
down in front of the open door on the soft hay.
The air was extremely cold and the darkness was
intense, while in the immediate vicinity of the
barn there stood a number of pine trees, whose
branches swayed by a slight breeze gave forth a
dismal uncanny sound, suggestive of the despair-
ing wail of a lost spirit. Altogether it was a weird
situation, which was intensified during the night
by my being awakened from a profound slumber
by my sleeping partner who in noisy somnilo-
quence was living over an exciting pugilistic en-
counter recently had with one of the neighboring
farm-hands. This, together with the surround-
ings, was sufficient to cause cold chills to chase
one another down my spine, while my hair per-
sisted in standing on end.

Morning found me with every joint and bone
stiff and aching, with several blisters upon my
feet, all caused by my long walk of the preceding

10]

14:6 Around the United States by Bicycle

day. Nevertheless I bade good-bye to Jimmy and
the others, and started for Wenatchee, which was
but twelve miles distant.

Six miles brought me to the *^ breaks," the edge
of the mountains. Here my pains and aches were
all forgotten in contemplation of the wonderful
panoramic view which lay spread before me. The
fertile valley of the Wenatchee, a veritable oasis,
bounded by the Badger Mountains on one side and
the Kittitasse Mountains on the other, between
which on its way to the Pacific Ocean, flowed the
Columbia River, a silvery thread, alongside which
the town of Wenatchee lay nestled at the foot of
the Kittitasse Range.

I at last descended the steep sides of the moun-
tain, to find that a ferry-boat would carry me
across the river to the town of Wenatchee for the
sum of ^*four bits,'' fifty cents.

The Columbia at this point is a half mile wide.
The water is of a greenish color which tells of
great depth, it is claimed that at its shallowest
point it is not less than a hundred feet deep. It
has a very swift current, and owing to the fact
that it rises among the snow clad peaks, its waters
are ice cold.

I had but set foot upon the other side of the
river, when I spied my traveling companion. He
had followed by another way over the range the
tracks of a bicycle which he afterwards learned to
be pushed by an old man. Upon crossing the ferry

Around the United States by Bicycle 147

he had learned from the ferryman of his mistake,
but knowing that I would strike for this place, he
had waited for me at Wenatchee.

Wenatchee, a town of nearly three thousand in-
habitants, for its maintenance depends upon the
shipping of fruit, it being located in the heart of
the great fruit growing district of the Wenatchee
valley. The size of the fruit grown in this valley
is marvelous, and it is shipped to all parts of tEe
United States and even to foreign countries.

We were unable to get repairs here, but found
that at Ellensberg, which was across the Kittitasse
Mountains, we should be able to purchase what we
desired. It was represented that by following an
old Indian path known as ''the Ananam Trail"
we should be able to save nearly twenty-five miles,
but had we known the difficulties which we were
to encounter we would gladly have taken the
longer wagon road.

Our experiences before we got across the moun-
tains were many and varied. The first night we
became lost in the intricate depths of a pine forest.
We had followed several logging trails, but each
became dimmer and fainter until they lost them-
selves. We shouted, whistled, and discharged our
revolvers, but only the gloomy solitude of the for-
est and the moaning of the pine trees greeted our
anxious, listening ears. The prospect of spending
a night in the forest was anything but pleasing.
When we had almost decided that this was our

14:8 Around the United States by Bicycle

only course, the faint baying of a dog was borne
to our ears. We started in the direction from
which the sound came, shouting at intervals so
that the dog might respond. After what seemed
like an interminable time, during which we
worked our way slowly through the underbrush,
stumbling over rotten trunks, and pulling our ma-
chines, we saw the glimmer of a light. We finally
reached it to find that it was a cabin of an Indian.
We received food, and slept on a pallet of straw
on the floor.

All the next day we traveled the trail, finding
no human habitation, and after exhausting the
supply of water in our canteens, we had neither
water nor food until we succeeded in getting down
off the mountains at nine o'clock that night.

The trail ascended the steepest slopes of the
mountain, being almost like climbing a perpen-
dicular, over which we panted and puffed and
dragged our bicycles with extreme difficulty, but
making progres;^ by hanging to bushes and trees,
stopping very frequently to rest our wearied
bodies.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, after six hours'
travel, we reached the summit. Here was a net-
work of trails which ran in all directions; we
chose the plainest and followed it.

For four miles we wend our way through a vast
tract of land which has been devastated by a forest
fire, climbing, and lifting our machines over felled

ON THK ANAXAM TRAII., KiTTlTASSE MOUNTAINS, WASH.

Around the United States by Bicycle 149

forest giants, burnt and charred, with which the
ground is covered.

As darkness was overtaking us, we came out
upon a road, which we followed for a sharp des-
cent of several miles, this bringing us down out
of the mountains into a sage-brush desert. It was
now very dark, and strain our eyes as we might,
we were unable to see a light. We plodded wearily
along for several miles, with no change in our sur-
roundings when a dark object loomed before us,
which proved to be a house. We wandered around
it without seeing any indication of its being occu-
pied, guessed that it was vacant, and were on the
point of trying the door, when a window upstairs
was suddenly raised and a stentorian voice de-
manded: ^'What are you prowling around here
forf We quickly told of our plight, how we had
nothing to eat since morning and but little water,
to which the owner of the house ejaculated: ^^To
h — 1 you haven 't!'' Closed the window with a
bang, and in a few moments met us at the door
downstairs.

The whole house was aroused on our account;
the wife and mother set forth a cold lunch for us,
and while we were devouring this as only two fam-
ished boys can, our every movement was closely
watched by all the family, of which there were
seven in number, including the parents. After
we had eaten our fill, we were shown to what is
called ^^a tarpaulin," a sort of portable bed, con-

150 Around the United States by Bicycle

sisting of several blankets enclosed by a heavy
canvas sack. In this it is said that one can sleep
out in a pouring rain without getting wet. It was
spread out into the yard, where we could rest our
weary frames.

We learned that we were but thirteen miles
from Ellensberg. As Darling had worn out the
sole of one shoe, his bare foot resting on the
ground, and his feet were a mass of blisters, while
I, on the contrary, owing to the hardening given
to my feet by my long walk through the Badger
Mountains, was less affected. I suggested that he
ride my wheel, while I would walk with the dis-
abled one. To this he at first would not agree,
but persistence finally won, and he agreed to ride
on condition that I should rest at frequent inter-
vals.

Ellensberg, though containing not more than
five thousand inhabitants, proved to be the most
metropolitan town through which we had passed
since leaving Spokane.

Glory Hallelujah! We at last were able to get
the necessary repairs, which consisted of small
cones and a number of ball bearings, for lack of
which we had been compelled to walk all the way
from Coulee City, a distance of 135 miles !

For forty-three miles we travel over a fairly
good wagon road, through heavily timbered coun-
try, and very mountainous, and we are very near
to the eastern base of the Cascade Mountains,

Around the United States by Bicycle 151

whose sharp, jagged outlines we can see in the
distance.

From a station called Easton, at the foot of the
Cascades, consisting of a round-house and a rail-
road boarding-house, this being a ''helper" sta-
tion, where extra engines were put on each train
to aid in making the heavy grade to the summit,
it was necessary for us to follow the railroad, as
here the wagon road ended.

We find that we are again confronted with a dif-
ficulty. A tunnel two miles in length, which cuts
through the summit of the range, was closely
guarded by a watchman, no one being allowed to
walk through it. There is no other way to cross
the mountain, and it is left for us to figure out how
to get through this tunnel.

After much meditation and consideration, we
decided on a plan of action. Spending the night
at a telegraph station called Martin, but a short
distance this side of the tunnel, we arise the next
morning at daylight.

The grim mouth of this two miles of darkness,
on one side of which was the watchman's shanty,
seemed to scowl ominously at us. Judging by the
loud snores which were borne through the walls
of the shanty, we should be in no danger of being
molested from that source. Seeing a number of
torches in a large tool-box which had been care-
lessly left unlocked, we selected two of the best,
and entered the black and smoky tunnel.

152 Around the United States by Bicycle

The torches but slightly relieved the inky black-
ness, casting their feeble rays bnt a few feet be-
fore us. The track is ballasted with a broken rock
over which we stumble, and, carrying our torches
in one hand and hanging to our machines with
the other, we sustain our equilibrium with much
difficulty. After we have stumbled along for some-
thing like a half mile, we hear a faint and distant
rumbling, and as we strain our eyes to pierce the
intense blackness ahead of us, a light apparently
not larger than a pin's head appears. The rumb-
ling becomes greater, and every passing moment
increases the size of the light. We see that we are
in a very dangerous position. The train will soon
be upon us, there is but very little space between
the track and the sides of the tunnel, while the
gas and smoke which will come from three en-
gines, the number usually required to draw a
freight train, and the slow progress of this ad-
vancing light showed that it was this, will fill the
air, making breathing almost impossible. But
we are too far from the opening to retreat, and our
only course is to stand at the sides and hope and
pray that there may be room. We readily saw
that the handle bars of the bicycles were too wide
to be able to clear, and, quickly loosening the ad-
justments, we removed them, placing the machines
one before the other, standing them as closely to
the wall as possible, while we each selected a posi-
tion, standing with our backs closely pressed to

Around the United States by Bicycle 153

the side of the tunnel. All this had occupied but
a minute or two, but even now the headlight of
the approaching train bathed us in its dazzling
light. The hissing of steam and the thundering
roar of the train was made deafening by its rever-
beration in the enclosed space, and we almost lost
consciousness through sheer terror.

Three inches of space between our bodies and
the steam chest, as the first engine hissed by us!
There were still two more engines, one in the cen-
ter and the other at the end of the train, two more
ordeals and then we were safe!

The train had passed, leaving us limp masses
of flesh, quaking in every nerve. As we had ex-
pected the gas and smoke were terrible, and in-
credible as it may seem, we were unable to see the
light of the torch two feet away. Tying handker-
chiefs over nostrils and mouths, we endeavored
to go onward. Every moment made breathing
more difficult, until it seemed that unless we could
get a breath of fresh air we should suffocate. We
could stand it no longer, and, panic-stricken, we
turn and flee toward the entrance again as fast as
our shaking limbs will carry us. Several times
we were nearly overcome by the gas, but by ex-
traordinary effort we shook off the lethargic feel-
ing, knowing that our only hope was in reaching
the mouth. Suddenly we hear another thunder-
ous roar, and, instantly divining its cause, we
quickly place ourselves and the wheels at the side

154 Around the United States by Bicycle

out of harm's way, just as a monster of steel, a
single engine, rushes past.

Stumbling, half crawling, and half walking, we
at last reached the mouth through which we could
see the blessed daylight. Ah! it never seemed so
beautiful as now!

After we had recovered somewhat, we awoke to
the living present, and, as we looked at each other,
the ludicrousness of our personal appearance was
speedily conveyed to us. The bright yellow of
our khaki suits was mottled with huge blotches of
soot and dirt, and our backs were as neatly and
completely covered by the same commodity as
if we had been carefully painted, while our hands
and faces were so changed that we could easily
have been mistaken for natives of the tropics.

We found that the watchman had arisen, and we
held a conference with him, so that he finally
agreed to pilot us through for a certain sum, al-
though he said : ' ' 'Tis strictly agin the rules, ' '
then winked his eye, and bade us follow.

We walk meekly and obediently behind our
brawny guide. After we had covered perhaps a
mile, the alert ear of the watchman detects the
faint rumble which tells of a distantly approach-
ing train, though strain our ears as we might, we
are unable to detect the slightest sound. He bade
us increase our speed, and we finally reach a large
recess cut out of the solid rock at the side of the
tunnel. This recess is sufficiently large to accom-

Around the United States by Bicycle 155

modate a hand car and a half dozen men. Our
friend explains to us that these are built for the
safety of the employees in case they are caught by
an approaching train.

As the long freight train rolls slowly past us,
it leaves the tunnel filled with gases and smoke.
Our guide waits a number of minutes until the
draught has carried out the gas-laden and impure
air, and then we proceed, and reach the other side
safely and without further incident.

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

WE CROSS THE SIERRA NEVADAS UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

We are now on the western slope of the moun-
tains, practically in the heart of the range. The
railroad wound and twisted in the most erratic
manner. At one place we see the railroad track
at five different points down the mountains. Here
again we see the awful results of forest fires, whole
forests being stripped of every green twig and
branch, leaving a mass of burnt and charred
trunks scattered over the ground, lying like gigan-
tic warriors after a terrific combat, out of which
occasionally rose the tall, straight trunk of a mon-
arch which had withstood the ravages of the des-
tructive monster.

Apparently but a few miles distant, but in real-
ity nearly sixty, we see the sharp glistening snow-
clad apex of Mt- Ranier, as it pierces the blue ether
at the enorm.ous altitude of 14,519 feet, a most
sublime sight.

The mountains are very heavily wooded, pre-
senting upon our eyes an expanse of solid green.
Frequently we find ourselves peering down into
a deep ravine or gorge, the bottom of which is so
far below, that even the tops of the tallest trees are
over a hundred feet beneath the railroad.

At Palmer, which is but a telegraph station, we

Arou7id the United States by Bicycle 157

find ourselves out of the Cascades, from which we
learn that it will not be necessary for us to walk
the track any longer, as there is a wagon road
from this point to Tacoma, and that there are
small towns scattered along the route, which news
we hail with delight.

We spend three hours in Tacoma, a city of 70,-
000 inhabitants, located on the famous Puget
Sound, and built on the side of a chain of hills,
which necessitates the use of cable cars and cleats
nailed cross-wise on the sidewalks to aid pedes-
trians to reach the upper part of the city. We had
occasion to shove our bicycles up one of these
hills, so that it was with genuine sympathy that
we thought of the weary hill climbers of Tacoma.

Here also we see something which appeals to us,
considering our long tour, and may possibly be of
interest to the reader.

On the outskirts of the city is a bridge which
is claimed to have been built exclusively for bicy-
cle traffic in 1896 by the wheelmen of Tacoma, its
length is 440 feet, width 12, and height from the
ground 127, and, as indicated by the inscription,
it is ^^the Longest, Highest, and only exclusive
Bicycle Bridge in the World.''

The run of forty-two miles from Tacoma to
Olympia was made in less than half a day, al-
though the road was covered by eight to nine
inches of flour-like dust, this condition having
been general throughout the state.

158 Around the United States by Bicycle

Olympia, as a capital city, was rather a sad
failure. A very common looking building, orig-
inally built for a court-house and purchased by
the state, is used as a state house. A population
of something like six thousand inhabitants ; nearly
all the principal streets covered with plank as
pavement; located on one of the many octopus-
like arms of Puget Sound and nearly surrounded
by a dreary and desolate expanse of pine stumps
with here and there dense forests of giant firs,
which give one a slight idea of what the country
consisted before it felt the magnetic touch of
civilization; are the leading characteristics of the
capital city of Washington. But when one con-
siders the youth of this state, whose territory was
formerly but forest primeval, one becomes more
lenient in his criticism.

On account of the heavy downpour of rain,
which continues through the winter months, plank
turn-pikes are constructed from town to town,
without the aid of which it would be almost impos-
sible to traverse the roads during the rainy sea-
son. Mile after mile we travel these roads, finding
them to be almost continuous through the re-
mainder of the state. However, we were not loath
to part with them, as the many punctures which
were caused by the myriads of splinters which
covered them, were far from pleasant and agree-
able as most of our time was spent in repairing
them.

Arou7id the United States by Bicycle 159

A distinct novelty in the way of a road was one
built ten feet from the ground, and extending for
nearly three miles, being virtually an exceedingly
long wooden bridge. This, it was our pleasure to
traverse on leaving Centralia.

We leave a small village, Toledo, at nearly five
o'clock in the afternoon, and several miles out
while in the endeavor to make some repairs on our
tires, darkness descends upon us before we are
aware of the fact. Dense forests of fir trees, some
of which are over a hundred feet high, with a
diameter of eight to ten feet, whose gloomy depths
causes a depression of the spirits, surround us.
Caught as we are, our only course is to walk until
we find a house and seek to obtain supper and
lodging. For two miles we walk, seeing no habi-
tation; while sitting down to rest amidst the
ghostly quietudes of the impenetrable forest, but
a short distance from us through an opening in
the trees we see a ray of light. We find that it
comes from a cabin. To our request a reply is
made that they are unable to accommodate us, that
they have no place nor room for us to sleep, that
they are just about to retire, but that we shall be
able to get supper at the next house where parties
by the name of Gleason reside, and that ^'it was
up the hill apiece, ' ' and we are forced to continue
our lonesome walk.

We had always supposed that ' ' a piece ' ' meant
but a short distance, but after plodding wearily

160 Around the United States by Bicycle

along for an interminable length of time through
the woods, now up and now down steep hills, now
through the ghostly remnant of a burnt section,
lone blackened trunks standing like sentinels, and
stumbling over rocks in the road, we learned that
the expression could mean almost any distance
from a few rods to several miles. We were medi-
tating on the miseries of life, when our reveries
were suddenly interrupted by the barking of a
dog, which in the darkness seemed but a short
distance from us. We turned in that direction to
find that there was a house set back in a small
space, cleared of underbrush and trees, surrounded
on all sides by dark woods. Had it not been for
the dog we should have passed without seeing it.
Upon attempting to open the gate, judging by the
vicious and threatening howls which came from
the canine, which in the darkness looked as large
as a Shetland pony, our presence was not wanted.
We speedily changed our minds and decided tQ
wait on the safe side of the gate for developments.
The continued growls and barks from our four-
footed friend aroused the people of the house, who
had retired, as it was nearly nine o^clock. The
front door opened, and a head was cautiously
thrust out. We were asked who we were and what
we wanted at this time of night, all in one breath.
Upon hearing the nature of our request, the feroc-
ious specimen of the canine race was compelled by
his master to retreat, a thing which immensely

Around the United States by Bicycle 161

relieved us, and we were invited to come in. A
lunch was given us, and then we were shown our
room.

Kalama, a small town, is located on the Colum
bia Eiver, which at this point is two miles wide,
a truly majestic stream. Upon the opposite shore
is the soil of Oregon; where rages a forest fire.
Tongues of flame ever and anon shoot into the
inky blackness of night. Occasionally with a
thunderous crash some forest giant gives up the
struggle and falls to earth, while the rush and
roar of the flames can be distinctly heard. The
illumination is superb, and is reflected in the dark
waters of the river.

We cross the Columbia at Vancouver on a ferry-
boat, which lands us upon the soil of Oregon. A
short ride brings us into Portland, the metropolis
of the state.

Unlike most of the western cities, we found
Portland to be very level. It is a very pretty city,
and nearly all streets are laid out at right angles.
The business portion is close and compact, but
there are no ''sky scrapers. '^ Here one can see
many ocean-going boats, a regular line making
trips to Seattle and San Francisco.

Passing through a number of villages and towns
which were but short distances apart, the principal
being Oregon City, Salem, the capital, Albany, and
Eugene; traveling over comparatively good roads,
even though they are covered with deep powdery
11]

162 Around the United States by Bicycle

dust; no longer through a wilderness of forest like
Washington, bnt through a farming and fruit-
raising country where the bulk of the prune out-
put of the United States is raised, a frequent sight
being orchards of vast dimensions, with trees
weighed down with this near relative of the plum;
all of which greatly reminded us of the thickly
populated eastern states.

First we see the snow-clad, cone-like summit of
Mt. Hood, and as we travel southward in the state,
the sparkling whiteness of Mt. Jefferson, followed
by the dim outlines of ^^The Three Sisters," and
lastly the shining and dazzling mass of pure snow
which caps the summit of ^^The Diamond Peak,"
and all of these, from the different localities of
the state from which we are able to see them, are
nearly seventy-five miles distant.

The northern part of Oregon is traversed by a
line of railroad known as the Oregon and Califor-
nia. Old style of engines, with the large, ancient,
funnel-like smoke-stacks are used, and wood is
burned for fuel instead of coal. All bridges are
covered with huge sheds, as was formerly the type
in early railroad construction. In fact, through-
out the state, we found nearly all wagon bridges to
be constructed on this plan. In the vicinity of
stations the track was lined with piles of wood,
stored up for use as fuel.

Salem, the capital city, proved to be a very
metropolitan town. There is a very novel and

Around the United States by Bicycle 163

attractive arrangement of three of the principal
government buildings, which stand in a row, each
occupying a whole square block, surrounded by
well-kept grounds. First is the state capitol, of
great architectural beauty, Corinthian style, with
magnificent dome, next is the County Court House,
and lastly the Post Office.

Eugene to Ashland, we have our troubles. Rain
compels us to walk the railroad nearly the entire
distance, while the country becomes wilder and
more rugged and very mountainous.

Ashland is directly at the base of the Siskiyou
Mountains. We had heard so much about the diffi-
culties of crossing these, that we viewed them with
awe.

However, we found that most of it was much
exaggerated. Truly it was a long and arduous
climb, and it took us nearly a half a day to reach
the summit. The extreme exertion of toiling up
the steep slopes bathed us in perspiration, and
caused us to pant and gasp for breath; but, aided
by an excellent road which seemed to continue to
wind around the mountain, each lap bringing us
nearer to the summit, our progress was much
faster than we expected. The railroad ascends
these mountains by a most circuitous route, twist-
ing this way and that, back and forth across the
slope, traversing eight miles and covering the
same ascent which we make on the wagon road in
three miles.

164 Around the United States by Bicycle

Siskiyou, a telegraph station, marks the sum-
mit. From this place, as the railroad cuts its way
through the mountains by a 1,300 foot tunnel,
while the wagon road makes a long detour, we fol-
low the track and walk through the tunnel.

It was now dusk, yet there were no indications
of any kind of a dwelling, only the densely wooded
slopes of the mountains which towered on every
side.

From out of the gloom we are able to distinguish
the shadowy shape of some large building. It is
but a short distance from the track, and upon in-
vestigation we find that it is an abandoned sum-
mer hotel. A noisy stream ripples merrily on its
way over a rocky bed near one side of the building,
while its desolate, dark, and gloomy appearance,
surrounded as it is on all sides by dense forest
and underbrush, and the soft sighing of the trees
as they are stirred by a slight breeze, produces a
general feeling of melancholy and loneliness. We
try all the doors and windows, but we find that
they are securely fastened. A shed, which stands
back of the main building and seems to be used
as a sort of general storehouse is not so secure
against intruders, for after a little persistence,
we succeeded in forcing open the door. With the
aid of some pieces of carpet and our blankets we
made quite a comfortable bed upon the floor.

Daylight lifts the hand of Darkness revealing
the fact that unintentionally we have wandered

Around the United States by Bicycle 165

into what is known as ^^The Siskiyou Soda
Springs, ' ' of which we had heard much. Not two
hundred feet from where we had slept was a large
summer-house, in the center of which was the
largest of the three springs from which this won-
derful water flowed. We drank our fill, it seemed
to be heavily impregnated with gas and tasted
very similar to carbonated water, virtually Na-
ture's Soda Fount.

By following the railroad we reached a small
village called Hornbrook, which was in the state
of California, the boundary line of which we had
passed several miles back. This now brought us
down out of the Siskiyous.

Our route followed along the railroad as far as
a village called Sisson, which consisted of nothing
but saloons, dives, and gambling dens, a most cor-
rupt place, and thence going eastward to McCloud,
at the southern base of Mt. Shasta, which has an
altitude of 13,350 feet above sea level.

Before reaching Sisson, our cyclometers regis-
ter the fact that we have traveled five thousand
miles since leaving Jackson, Michigan, on May 2,
having been continuously traveling for nearly ^ve
months through eighteen different states.

The snow-covered summit of Mt. Shasta can be
distinctly seen at a distance of fifty miles. In com-
ing from the north we were in constant view of it
until we reached Sisson, which is at its western
base. It is one of the most majestic of all the high

166 Around the United States by Bicycle

peaks. Standing alone like a huge and mighty
sentinel, far from any other mountain range, it is
monarch of all it surveys. The whole upper half
is covered with perpetual snow, the lower half be-
ing very heavily timbered, causing the glistening
whiteness of the summit to be intensified.

McCloud, a lumber camp containing three thou-
sand souls, more closely resembles a prison or a
fort. The entire town, including the only railroad,
a branch line which connects with the Oregon
and California at Sisson, which enters the city;
the electric lighting plant; the only hotel and a
general store which handles every known article
of merchandise, compelling all to patronize it, is
owned by the company which operates the saw
and planing mills. Rows of houses constructed as
near alike as is possible, form the streets, and all
things are done in a systematic manner according
to a certain rule. A mass of red tape, rules, and
regulations surrounds every employee, until each
has lost his personality and becomes a small part
of a huge machine, his position being very similar
to that of a convict in a penitentiary, so strict are
the regulations.

Through dense forests of towering pine and
spruce, with nothing to relieve the monotony, we
travel all day until we reach a village. Fall River
Mills, just after Darling has a serious accident
which breaks the frame of his bicycle.

With the aid of a young electrician, who is a

Around the United States by Bicycle 167

sort of *^Jack-of-all-trades," Darling's wheel is
wired up so that he is able to ride it until he can
get it more substantially repaired.

We learn that from this place to Susanville, we
cross the Sierra Nevadas, a distance of ninety odd
miles, through a most uncivilized district, there
being but one house in the entire route. The road
can hardly be called by that name, being simply a
trail on which it is very easy to lose our way.
However, with the assistance of an old settler,
who draws us out a rude map of the trails, etc.,
we leave Fall River Mills behind us and face the
knotty proposition.

Something like an hour's travel brings us where
it is necessary for us to cross a lava bed. Porous
rock, from pieces not larger than a hen's egg to
masses weighing tons, covers the ground. It is
several miles through this bed, across which, pick-
ing our way among the rocks, and trundling our
wheels, we travel with difficulty.

Soon we begin the ascent of the mountains. The
steep slope is covered with underbrush and dense
forest. We climb upward for several miles, then
seem to travel on a level for a distance, after
which we again climb a gently ascending acclivity,
and it is an hour or more before we reach the sum-
mit.

It is now nearly four o'clock in the afternoon,
we have long since exhausted the supply of water
which our canteens contained, and have found no

168 Around the United States by Bicycle

springs nor running water of any description. "We
also have a sort of empty feeling, which reminds
ns that the last time that we had food was at
breakfast. We had been told that the only house
between Fall Eiver Mills and Susanville was but
thirty miles distant, and as we have already trav-
eled twenty-five miles as registered on our cyclo-
meters, we are keeping a careful lookout for it.

As we reach the top of a hill, we see nestled at
its foot the object for which we are so earnestly
looking. A large, spacious barn on one side of
which is a long, low house surrounded by a fence.
As we dismount in front of the barn, a pack of
dogs seem magically to appear from out of the
ground, all endeavoring to snarl and growl at the
same time, and each striving to make more noise
than the other. The reader can easily imagine
what a delightfully pleasant sensation such an
onslaught would produce.

Although we tried all kinds of coaxing and teas-
ing, we were unable to make friends with the ca-
nines. Evidently the owner of th<^ house was ab-
sent, as this commotion would almost have aroused
the dead. At the back of the house we could see a
pump, but here we were held back from procuring
the water which we needed so badly, by the yelp-
ing and savage curs. As an interval of several
moments brought no change, we decided to beard
the lions in their den. Arming ourselves with
large clubs, we climb the fence and advanced in

Around the United States by Bicycle 169

force on the enemy. Strange as it may seem, the
dogs no sooner saw this sally, than their attitude
changed immediately, and they came running to-
wards us, barking and capering in play, jumping
on us in the endeavor to lick our hands. Natur-
ally we were somewhat suspicious of this change
of tactics, but after we reached the pump and be-
ban to put it into operation, all our friends de-
parted, each hunting a sunny spot to stretch him-
self at full length, to go immediately to sleep,
utterly oblivious of our presence.

We waited sometime, but as the owner did not
appear and we were very much in need of food,
which we knew must be in the house, we began an
investigation and found a window which was un-
fastened, through which one of us climbed, unlock-
ing the front door of the house.

We had no trouble in locating the pantry, and
the amount of edibles with which we covered a
nearby table caused a feeling of joyousness.

Just as we were finishing our sumptuous repast,
and were preparing to clear up the table, with a
clatter of wheels the owner drove up to the barn!
A nice predicament, now! To enter forcibly a
man's house and help himself to what one wished,
was bad enough, but to be caught in the act itself,
was far worse. We lost no time in interviewing
the gentleman, although it was a very embarrass-
ing position, apologizing for our actions and offer-
ing to pay whatever the charges were for food

170 Around the United States by Bicycle

consumed, or any other damage, telling how very
hungry we were, having not had anything to eat
since leaving Fall Eiver Mills that morning. He
was a short fleshy man, almost as long as broad,
with sandy hair and a large, sandy mustache,
above which two merry blue eyes kindly beamed
upon us, from the midst of a round, good-natured
face. He listened to agitated apologies and frank
admissions of our guilt in silence, and, after we
had quite finished, remarked, in a soft m.odulated
drawl, which betokened a native of the South,
^^ You 'all needn't feel so bad; we 'all doan cahw
jus' so you 'all left the house and did 'en caiw it
away with you 'all." Here indeed was a specimen
of the hospitality of the true Southerner. Would
that our travels through the southern states found
more of his type. Forcibly enter a man's house,
and then have him almost thank you for doing it!
Back in the East, we should have been immedi-
ately jailed.

The name of our genial host was Shird Eldridge.
He was a native of Tennessee, and that evening
entertained us with anecdotes of the South.
Among other subjects the large manufacture and
consumption of whiskey in his native state was
discussed. Here he confidentially informed us:
^^Boys, Ah've drang 'nuif whiskey in ma life, so
ah could swim from heaw to the bawn in it,
'swraght!" We spent a very pleasant evening,
and after a most restful sleep in the downy depths

Around the United States by Bicycle 171

of a feather bed, we arose the next morning shortly
past daylight.

Our host gave us all the instructions that he
could to aid us in following the rather faint and
indistinct trail, admonishing us to be very care-
ful, as it was a very easy matter to get lost in the
mountains, where we might wander until we died
of starvation. In the sixty miles to Susanville,
we should find but one place where we could get
water. Filling our canteens, and giving us a lunch
to carry with us, he bade us Godspeed with tears
in his eyes. Owing to the novelty of our under-
taking, he had been very much interested in us.
We also were rather loath to depart, the warm,
affectionate, and genial manner of our host having
completely won our hearts.

The sun was just peeping over the mountain
tops, the air was almost freezing cold, causing us
to stop ever and anon to plunge our hands deep in
our trouser's pockets to warm our stiff and ach-
ing fingers, or to clap a hand very suddenly and
unceremoniously over an ear; but as the sun be-
came higher in the heavens the atmosphere be-
came warmer.

Many times we nearly lost the trail, which
twisted in every conceivable manner through the
dense forest. Now we would ascend for a mile or
more, then go down the other side, following an
almost level stretch for a long distance. Nothing
relieved the death-like stillness of the forest as

172 Around the United States by Bicycle

we were winding in among the tall forest giants,
whose trunks rose straight as an arrow, not a
branch until near the top, where an interlaced
mass of green foliage majestically swayed to and
fro a hundred feet from the ground.

Twenty-eight miles from our sfarting point we
are brought to the stream of water which our host
had described to us. As it is nearly noon, we eat
our simple lunch, washed down with the clear,
limpid waters of the mountain stream. So far,
at least, we are on the right trail, even though we
walked nearly the whole distance. From here to
Susanville we had been told that we should find a
more traveled trail, and that we should be able
to do more riding, and this we found to be the case,
arriving at our destination at a little past five
o'clock, the last five miles of our travel being a
heavy and steep descent, the village being at the
foot of the mountains.

A most delightful, neat, and attractive little
hamlet, situated on a small plateau, on each side
of which is a range of mountains, entirely inland,
being connected by stage with the railroad, was
Susanville.

We cover the distance of nearly a hundred
miles, from here to Eeno, Nevada, under adverse
circumstances, crossing a sage-brush alkali desert,
composed of loose sand, through which it is an im-
possibility to ride, sinking nearly a foot at every

Around the United States by Bicycle 173

step and laboriously pushing our machines under
a sweltering sun.

For a long distance we follow the shores of
Honey Lake, surely a misnomer, as the waters are
deadly poisonous, so greatly are they impregnated
with the dreaded alkali. It is a very large lake,
and, standing as it does surrounded by a desert
waste, and its terrible qualities being known, it
gives one a most uncanny feeling.

As we near the boundary line between Califor-
nia and Nevada, vast and massive mountains of
bleak and bare rock frown down upon us. Here
we cross the dry bed of a lake, hard-baked ground
covered with a white crust, evidently alkali, re-
vealed by the evaporation of the water, across
which it is nearly two miles.

We cross the line into Nevada, where we follow
near the diminutive tracks of a narrow gauge rail-
road all the way to Keno, something like twenty
miles.

Over a sort of rocky plateau, surrounded by
mountains of solid rock, the toy railroad wends its
way. Near one edge of this plateau, one of the
curious little trains, consisting of several passen-
ger coaches drawn by a midget of an engine,
laboriously puffing, its speed being not much
faster than a horse could trot, slowly creeps by
us. "We again pass it, and keep ahead for a time,
but by traversing a very long tunnel, it wins the
race, and as we are descending the steep sides of

174 Around the United States by Bicycle

the plateau into Eeno, we see it slowly moving
away down below us at the foot of the mountains.

At Eeno we are delayed nearly two days by a
steady downpour of rain, but the time is very
pleasantly spent, as we are guests of the Eeno
Wheelmen 's Club, a very strong bicycling associa-
tion which has a membership of six hundred, their
own club house, containing reading and writing
rooms, large gymnasium, swimming pool, and
numerous other conveniences, which make it an
ideal place to come for rest and recreation.

On the afternoon of the second day, during a
slight cessation in the continuous and heavy rain-
fall, we decide that if we wish to make any pro-
gress at all, now is our opportunity. The roads are
very muddy, so we walk the track. All the after-
noon, at frequent intervals, showers compel us to
take shelter under trees or bridges; but finally
these gave place to a very slight and disagreeable
drizzle, which lasted nearly all night.

"We reach Truckee, walking the track the entire
distance, in a continuous downpour of rain. This
town boasts of a thousand inhabitants, and is a
collection of saloons and gambling dens, with not
one store in the place which did not partake of the
nature of a dive, truly a cesspool, and headquar-
ters for gamblers and criminals.

Two miles from Truckee we enter a continuous
thirty-five mile stretch of snow sheds and tunnels,
practically a subterranean passage, as but little

Around the United States by Bicycle 175

light is admitted, all being in a state of semi-dark-
ness. This chain extends over the summit and
half way down the other side of the Sierra
Nevadas.

These snow sheds are very large, and bnilt of
heavy and massive timbers. The top forms a solid
roofing, but the sides have openings of several
inches between each timber, through which some
of the light of day penetrates; during the severe
winters upon these mountains tons upon tons of
snow fall upon these sheds.

The track makes the most erratic twists and
turns, the grade is very great, causing even three
engines on a train to make but very slow progress.

We have been traveling in the snow sheds but
a short time, when we have our first hair-raising
experience, as one of the Southern Pacific Flyers
passes us.

We hear it slowly and laboriously ascending
the grade behind us, and take steps to place our-
selves and our machines in a safe position on the
sides. Soon it approaches with a deafening and
thunderous puff and chug-chug of the engines,
sparks, fire, and dirty black smoke belching forth
from the smokestacks, fire shooting from beneath
the fire-boxes on each side of the track, for on
these engines oil is burned, every sound made
a thousand-fold louder by being enclosed in such a
small space. To us, with our nerves at their high-
est tension, eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.

176 Around the United States by Bicycle

it seems as if we shall never live throngh the
ordeal. It seems an age until the two foremost
engines pass us, and then comes the long string
of passenger coaches, which gives us a chance to
recover and be prepared for the puffing and hiss-
ing monster which brings up the rear. But there
is an end to all things, and at last as from a dream
we find ourselves to be staring vacantly after the
departing train.

Before we reach the summit we have many such
experiences, trains passing us frequently, coming
from each direction. Great watchfulness had to
be exercised in listening for trains coming down
from the summit, as the grade was so great, that
the momentum would carry the train swiftly and
it would approach almost noiselessly, so that it
would be upon us before we were aware.

We pass through many tunnels, ranging from
four hundred to thirteen hundred feet in length.
In one of these, which was almost semi-circular,
it was as dark as Egypt, and as we had no light
nor torch, we could see nothing whatever; by
walking the rails we manage to keep in the track.
There was no room on the sides, so that we knew
that if we should be caught by a train, we should
immediately be made into mince-meat. As we get
well into the center, we find our courage oozing
out at our toes, our knees knock together, hair
stands on end, and perspiration springs from every
pore at the slightest noise which resembles the

Around the United States by Bicycle 177

** chug-chug" of a locomotive. Nevertheless, we
arrive at the other end in safety.

This is indeed almost one continuous tunnel,
even the telegraph stations being built into the
sides of the sheds.

We reach the summit, which has an altitude of
7,017 feet, to find that while it has been continu-
ously raining lower down on the mountains, here
a fierce snow-storm is in progress, there being a
covering of fifteen inches of the beautiful, accom-
panied by a freezing temperature.

Owing to the many fires occurring in the snow-
sheds, a fire train stands at the summit in readi-
ness to respond to an alarm.

Twenty-three miles more of walking brings us
out of the subterranean passage of the snow-sheds,
and it is still raining steadily. We had many
thrilling escapes from being run down by trains
which came from our rear down from the summit.
Eunning almost without a sound they would glide
around a curve bearing down upon us, causing
consternation and terror, which would nearly
paralyze our muscles. There we would stand un-
able to move ; but even though each time it seemed
as if this surely would be the end and that even
now we were staring into the cadaverous features
of Death, we always succeeded at the very last
instant to avoid the danger, the train passing us
leaving limp masses of flesh stunned with fright
and terror.

12]

178 Around the United States by Bicycle

Now that we were out from the protection of the
sheds, we have the full benefits of the shower bath
so unsparingly dealt by the elements, and we are
soon wet to the skin. It rains nearly all the next
forenoon, but sometime past noon the rain ceases
and we have the pleasure of again viewing the
beaming countenance of ^'Old Sol.''

Unhidden by any snow-sheds the glorious and
majestic grandeur of the Sierras lay before us.
Now we find ourselves high on the side of a moun-
tain ; nearly two thousand feet below us is a seeth-
ing, rushing, roaring mountain torrent angrily
leaping like a thing of life. Here the track dizzily
describes a complete half circle traversing a
mountain but a short distance from its summit,
clinging to a narrow ledge, and as one looks into
the terrible abyss, a tremor shakes one's frame.
Now from the heights we look down upon a pano-
ramic view of a beautiful valley, hemmed in by
mountains on each side, where across from us
apparently a river seems to be flowing along the
side of the mountain. Here we nervously and
cautiously pick our way across a high steel trestle,
where nearly a hundred and fifty feet below us
the diminutive tracks of a narrow gauge railway
pass under this gigantic structure.

We are nearly out of the mountains, coming
down into the fertile valley of the Sacramento.
Vineyards dot the slopes of the mountains.

Now beside the track is a portion of a mammoth

Around the Ufiited States by Bicycle 179

vineyard, its other side lost in the distance. The
vines are in the form of small bushes, so that the
whole at a distance resembles an orchard. We
hasten to drop our wheels and help ourselves to
the luscious fruit, but in our haste we fail to note
that the gaze of a man who carries a gun over his
shoulder is upon us, until we stoop to pick some of
the large bunches of grapes when we are very-
much surprised to be challenged by a stentorian
voice, and we abdicate immediately in favor of
the man with the gun.

From Auburn to Sacramento we are able to ride
over a good wagon road, a pleasant change, as we
have followed the railroad continuously since leav-
ing Eeno.

We pass through a most enchanting and beau-
tiful country, a specimen of the kind from which
California gets its great reputation. Koses and
other flowers in full bloom; farm houses sur-
rounded by palm and magnolia trees; all kinds of
fruit growing by the roadside; occasionally we
spy orange and lemon trees on which we can see
the green fruit.

Sacramento, the capital, is a most beautiful city.
The capitol building is a very fine structure, sur-
rounded by spacious grounds half a mile square,
which contain every known variety of palm tree.

In one section of the city is what is known as
** Chinatown.^* Although we afterward saw the
famous one in San Francisco, we were far more

180 Around the United States by Bicycle

impressed by this in Sacramento. The streets
are rather dimly lighted by the sickly glow from
Chinese lanterns, several hanging in front of every
business place. Quaint and dirty looking dens,
which are so small that an American would hardly
be able to turn around in one, much less find room
for a stock of goods. On one side of the street
was a sort of free show of some Chinese musicians,
who according to appearances seemed to be itin-
erant. There were four of them, one played on a
reed-like instrument, which gave forth a sound
similar to the high notes of a clarinet, droning
a weird chant; ever and anon, apparently on im-
pulse, one of the other performers would strike a
cymbal which would clang forth like a fire-bell;
a third kept a monotonous accompaniment by con-
tinuously pounding a Chinese drum; the fourth
member of this glorious orchestra, during the
very few minutes when he was not engaged in
puffing at a long-stemmed pipe, played an instru-
ment which somewhat resembled our violin, but
on which there was but one string. This sounded
like the wail of a lost spirit. Truly it was a great
aggregation, and yet the Chinese call this music!

Nearly all the way to Benicia, which is situated
on the northern arm of San Francisco Bay, we are
compelled to walk the railroad track on account
of the low and swampy condition of the country,
which is not more than ten to twenty feet above
the level of the sea. Fourteen miles of this dis-

Around the United States by Bicycle 181

tance, between Sacramento and Davisville, are
almost a continuous chain of trestle-work. On
each side of the railroad is but a swampy low-
land. We had many hair-breadth escapes from
being knocked off the trestles by trains, which
pass frequently. As the railroad has virtually
built its way across this morass, during the pass-
ing of a heavy train the track vibrates terribly,
causing engine and cars to sway dangerously from
side to side.

For several hundred yards along a trestle we
see the bloody dismembered portions of some ani-
mal, a little farther on we find its head, which for
some reason or other is intact, having been cut off
the body at the neck. The head tells us that it
must have been a most gigantic Newfoundland
dog. The poor creature had been killed instantly,
not knowing what struck him.

From Vallejo, which is but seven miles from
Benicia, and is also located on the shore of the
bay, we take a ferry-boat for San Francisco. It
is nearly two hours' ride, a distance of thirty
miles, and a most interesting trip. First we pass
the black hull of a Kussian war sTiip, which lies
dismantled, as necessitated by international law,
and near by are several American gun boats, one
of which is the ^ ^Petrel,'' the baby gun boat of the
U. S. Navy. Here we pass the famous Mare Island
Navy Yard, and we see a grim and black torpedo

182 Around the United States by Bicycle

boat destroyer, and in its immediate vicinity the
diminutive hull of a torpedo boat.

As we approach *Hhe city," we pass Alcatrez
Island, which is used by the government as a mili-
tary prison. By one of the passengers on the boat
we are told many tales of the sufferings of the
poor wretches confined here. No visitors are al-
lowed on this island under any circumstances,
and only certain government boats are allowed
to approach it.

Here we obtain our first view of ^*The Golden
Gate." A small channel between rocky cliffs, be-
yond which the broad expanse of the Pacific Ocean
is seen. Just now the sun, a golden orb of fire, is
sinking below the horizon, throwing its ruddy
glow across the bosom of the ocean, transforming
the rock and bleak sides of ^^The Golden Gate"
into masses of burnished gold, a sight which is
really worth traveling across a continent to see.

From the bay San Francisco's sky-line im-
presses one greatly- The tops of many tall sky-
scrapers are silhouetted against the blue empy-
rean.

We spend three days here, in which we see
the leading attractions of the city, the most im-
portant of which are the United States Mint, the
Cliff House, Golden Gate Park, and Chinatown.
In the Mint we are shown the various departments
where money is made, first seeing it in large ingots
of gold and silver, and following it through the
various processes, until we see its last examina-

Aromid the United States by Bicycle 183

tion before it is placed in sacks preparatory to be
shipped to the Treasury Department at Wash-
ington, D. C. In one room on a small truck, we see
one million dollars in twenty dollar gold pieces,
tied securely in small sacks.

The Cliff House was formerly constructed and
used as a hotel, but of late years it has been con-
demned as unsafe, now being used as a cafe in
part of which all manner of drinks and refresh-
ments are served. As the name infers, this mam-
moth building of architectural beauty is built upon
a high cliif which is directly above the waters of
the Pacific.

Stretching away to the southward of the Cliif
House until lost in the distance is the sandy beach
of the ocean. Here the sands are black with all
kinds and types of people of both sexes lounging
in all attitudes, some lying flat on their backs,
others amusing themselves by playing with the
pure white sand, but the majority dreamily gazing
out upon the placid and calm waters of the bound-
less Ocean.

Under the direction of a licensed guide we see
the wonders of San Francisco's famous *^ China-
town, ' ' about which so much has been written and
told. Although there were many interesting local-
ities shown us, and we learned many of the peculi-
arities of our almond-eyed cousins, we were im-
pressed but little, as the most of this section is so
Americanized, that there are left in it but few
characteristic Chinese mannerisms.

CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.

THE "GOD'S OWN COUNTRY" SECTION OF CALIFORNIA.

We finally leave the glories of the western
metropolis behind ns, going southward into what
is really the garden spot of the state. Here we
find the country thickly populated, fruit groves
on every side, beautiful residences completely hid-
den from view by myriads of flowers, from which
emanates a delicate perfume permeating the entire
atmosphere, and lastly, and to our idea, the best,
a fine hard wagon road on which we spin along in
supreme enjoyment.

We pass through San Jose, a most beautiful city,
where the streets of the residence portion are lined
with palm and magnolia trees, which lent to it a
distinctly tropical appearance. After a severe
climb over the Coast Range of mountains, but over
an excellent wagon road, which is nearly as hard
as pavement, kept in this condition by constant
sprinkling, we descend into San Cruz, which is
on the coast.

From Salinas, which is about one hundred and
fifty miles south of San Francisco, the topography
and general characteristics of the country are very
much changed. Although there are many small
villages ranging from ten to twenty miles apart,
a wildness and ruggedness with very little of the

CASINO AT SANTA CRUZ, CAIvIFORNIA.

Around the United States by Bicycle 185

ground under cultivation, farm-houses being in-
deed few and far between, takes the place of the
fairy-like scene which has met our eyes in the
region between this and the metropolis.

Here at Salinas we spend a most memorable
night, having our first experience with real, live,
genuine Californian mosquitoes.

We found on retiring that we were not the only
occupants of our room for, judging by the audible
buzzing and humming which seemed to fill the
air, there must have been a small army of mos-
quitoes flitting to and fro in supreme contentment
and enjoyment. Although we tried our very best
to transport ourselves into the land of Nod, all to
no avail, we were forced to listen to sweet lulla-
bys sung by the winged insects in our very ears.
Many of the more venturesome would light on the
exposed parts of our bodies, immediately to plunge
their probosces deep into our tender and quivering
flesh, extracting their fill of blood. We killed
hosts of them, but it did not seem to lessen the
number. Finally, after waging warfare an hour
or more, we decided that it was a hopeless under-
taking to try and exterminate these pests, and,
wrapping ourselves in sheets until we resembled
ancient Egyptian mummies, we succeeded in pass-
ing the remainder of the long night in compara-
tive safety.

In the morning our features were so puffed and
swollen that we might have been mistaken for vie-

186 Around the United States by Bicycle

tims of that dreaded pestilence, small-pox. The
number of dead mosquitoes which lay around our
pillows told well of the able manner in which we
had defended ourselves.

At San Miguel we have the pleasure of seeing
the ruins of an old Spanish Mission, which was
constructed in 1797 A. D. The entire structure is
made of adobe, sun-baked brick, with red-tiled
roof, altogether a very quaint affair. It was in
charge of a priest, an old man, who kindly gave
us permission to inspect the building. This priest
had a voice of such shrill nasal tone, that it re-
sembled the creaking of a rusty door hinge. Much
of the main part of the Mission was in a fairly
good state of preservation, considering its great
age. When originally built it was enclosed by a
high wall of adobe, as a protection against In-
dians, answering as a fortress, but time has left
but the mouldering ruins of this wall. At one
side of the building which was formerly the court-
yard, lying on the ground, nearly buried by weeds
and grass, is an old Spanish cannon. The priest
told us that this cannon was forged in Spain vnd
was brought over by the old Spanish missionar-
ies, and took an active part in many a conflict
with the red men.

Every mile southward finds the country partak-
ing more generally of Spanish mannerisms and
customs, and the majority of the buildings are
constructed of adobe, a large percentage of the

SAN MIGUEL MISSION.

Around the United States by Bicycle 187

inhabitants being Mexicans and Spaniards.
Nearly all the villages and towns have Spanish
or Aztec names, to pronounce which it is almost
necessary for an American to have his tongue slit,
this being a few of the easy ones: Atascadere,
Chaular, Hueneme, Tehachapi, Encinitas, etc.,
some of which nearly twist the alphabet out of
shape.

Following the coast, passing through San Luis
Obispo, we are in a mountainous territory all the
time, and finally make the ascent of the Coast
Range over the Refugio Pass, down into Santa
Barbara, a resort town of three thousand inhabi-
tants located on the ocean beach.

The climb by the Refugio Pass was over one of
the finest mountain roads it has yet been our plea-
sure to traverse. The road reaches the summit
winding completely around the mountain several
times. At one point we look down and see the
road over which we had traveled but a short time
before, at four different elevations. At the summit
a most delightful view lies before us, the shim-
mering, vast expanse of the Pacific stretching
away until the earth and sky become one. It
seems to lie at our feet, but in reality we are over
ten miles from its shore line.

Summerland, a small village six miles south of
Santa Barbara, is very famous, as here are situa-
ted the noted ocean oil wells. The village is lo-
cated directly upon the ocean beach, and extend-

188 Around the United States by Bicycle

ing out into the waters are innumerable piers,
where the creaking, pumping oil wells draw crude
petroleum from the ocean's bed.

We spend a night as guests of a Spaniard whose
house is a few hundred feet from the ocean, being
lulled to sleep by the thunderous pounding of the
waves on the beach.

In the morning we partake of a breakfast which
is strictly Spanish. A stew containing meat and
all kinds of vegetables, seasoned with cayenne
pepper and a few other '^hot things'' of a like na-
ture, a mouthful of which made us feel as if a red-
hot iron had been thrust into our lips. Our host,
learning that we are strangers in this country,
courteously shows us the interesting features of
his home and fruit farm. We see olive trees, on
which hangs a reddish, dark-colored fruit, closely
resembling a cherry. We pick one and bite into it,
to make immediately a very wry face and to hurl
what is left of the offending olive far from us.
Ugh! For nearly an hour this bitter and nauseat-
ing taste remains. A tree on which is fruit looking
very much like small green apples, but pear
shaped, the Spaniard tells us bears the luscious
lag, requesting us to pick one and eat it, but as our
experience with the olive is suddenly recalled, we
decline. He picks one and cracks it open revealing
a pinkish seed-like pulp, which he ate, throwing
the outside peeling away. Next we are shown sev-
eral lemon and orange trees, but he explained that

Around the United States by Bicycle 189

these were far from good specimens, being dwarf-
ed by some cause unknown to him.

For sixteen miles we ride on the wet sand of the
sea-shore, until we reach Ventura. It is fairly
good riding and a distinct novelty. But a half
mile back from the sandy beach are large cliffs
of rock, rugged and bleak, along the foot of which
the railroad picks its way. As a train passes by
slowly, many of the passengers watch us curiously
from the car windows, and doubtless it is an inter-
esting sight to behold bicycles being ridden on
the edge of the sea.

Sitting on some rocks we rapturously gaze out
upon the ^^sad sea waves." It is indeed a most
sublime and impressive scene. The huge combers
just before breaking would be a solid wall of green
water, eight or ten feet high, then the top at one
end would curl over, changing into a mass of foam,
gradually traveling along its surface until the
whole was a churning white mass, to hurl itself
upon the beach with a thunderous sound, and with
a force which separates the gigantic mass of water
into a million particles of foam. We watched this
glorious action of the elements, as wave after wave
comes crashing upon the sands, fairly fascinated
by the scene.

Ventura was also situated directly upon the
ocean beach, and suggested a Spanish town, there
being flat-topped adobe houses in large numbers.
An ancient Spanish church which had a bell strik-

190 Around the United States by Bicycle

ing the hours of the day, producing the most mel-
ancnoly tones imaginable, reminding one of a
death-knell; a small hut made by the Indians in the
year 1790 out of the adobe bricks and tiles from a
Spanish mission, on each side of it two stately
palms, while the sides of the door are decorated
by the ribs of a whale ; these form the chief attrac-
tions of the town.

We leave Ventura behind us, bidding farewell
to the ocean, as this is the last time that we shall
see it, and are bound for Los Angeles.

For many miles we travel over a road sprinkled
with oil for the purpose of adding consistency to
the sandy soil. We had had experience with these
oiled roads before on approaching Sacramento
and this was far from satisfactory. There seemed
to be a great resistance to our wheels, possibly
owing to the rubber tires, and we had as much
difficulty as when traveling through heavy sand.

Through a most desolate region, practically a
desert waste, we cross a range of mountains by the
Santa Susanna Pass, not a very difficult climb, but
over a fearfully bad road, strewn with numerous
rocks. Through these mountains the railroad
makes its way by the aid of a four mile tunnel.

Thirty-five miles' travel from the mountains
brings us into Los Angeles. Many orange groves
line the way, at most of which we stop and fill our
interiors with juicy oranges. Occasionally we pass
a grove of English walnut trees. As the ground

Aroimd the United States by Bicycle 191

is strewn with the ripe nuts, we lose but little time
in taking advantage of our golden opportunities.

A short distance from the road we see the ruins
of an old Spanish mission now used as a stable
for cattle. A decayed mass of ruins, the remnant
of an adobe wall which surrounded the buildings,
lent to it a most desolate appearance. Three ma-
jestic palms, standing in the near vicinity, seem to
bow their bush-like tops in sympathy, grieving
for the former owners, to whom they undoubted-
ly owed their existence.

All the land is very sandy, but notwithstanding
this fact many orchards of various kinds of fruit
and a large number of vineyards can be seen on
every side.

Los Angeles proved to be a most disappointing
failure. Our idea had been that it was a metrop-
olis, one that would compare favorably with San
Francisco, but we found instead a confused col-
lection of adobe and one-story wooden structures,
intermingled with mammoth ten and twelve story
buildings, with no uniformity of architecture,
which gave it the appearance of an overgrown
town rather than a large city. Owing to the ex-
ceptionally fine climate, which is of an even tem-
perature the entire year, inhabitants of all the
tropical countries flock hither in great numbers,
Chinese, Japanese, Italians, Spanish, Mexicans,
etc., being in every nook and corner of the city.

The resident section, however, is truly beauti-

192 Around the United States by Bicycle

fill. Magnificent dwellings surrounded with
palms and flower beds galore, seem to breathe of
rest and comfort.

In one section of the city every available square
foot of ground is covered by the huge tower-like
derricks of the oil-wells, for here is a most unlimi-
ted supply of oil.

Six months ' travel had brought us a distance of
six thousand miles, an average of a thousand
miles a month, and although this was the first part
of the month of November, the average daily tem-
perature was eighty odd degrees in the shade.

The route from Los Angeles to Eedlands was
through a portion of the large orange growing
district of Southern California. Orange groves of
every size and kind are on every side.

Pomona, which gets its name from the mytho-
logical goddess of the Eomans, is a beautiful little
city of seven thousand inhabitants, and a most en-
chanting spot. It is located between Los Angeles
and Redlands. Wide streets lined with tropical
trees; a most neat and metropolitan business por-
tion; and a general air of prosperity characterizes
the town. One street called San Francisco Ave. is
so beautiful that it deserves especial mention.
Possibly half a mile in length, an exceptionally
wide street, lined with rows of majestic, awe-in-
spiring palm trees, and magnificent mansions
which are almost hidden from view by orange
and lemon trees, and whose lawns are beautiful

SAN FRANCISCO AVE., POMONA, CALIFORNIA.

Around the United States by Bicycle 193

with gay flower beds; certainly a most desirable
place to spend the remainder of one's days in
peaceful contentment.

Eedlands, also, is a very beautiful little city,
somewhat larger than Pomona, but it is peopled
mostly by aristocrats. Here is situated the hotel
Casa Loma, which caters to the most aristocratic
guests, and, as it is generally well-filled, it is a
most popular hostelry with that class. Some of
the modern improvements which this ideal and
progressive little city possesses are such as only
the larger cities can afford, a conclusive evidence
of the enterprise and public spirit of its wealthy
citizens.

13]

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH.

ACROSS A THOUSAND MILES OF DESERT AND WILDERNESS.

Since leaving Los Angeles we had heard much
concerning the perils of the tract which we were
soon to cross. This was called the Colorado Des-
ert, and extended from a few miles east of Red-
lands to the Arizona line, a distance of 162 miles.
We were also given to understand that this strip
was but a beginning; that all the way until we
reached Western Texas we should have desert
and wilderness, on which there would be no in-
habitants except those employed on the railroad.

At Colton, which is several miles east of Red-
lands, we made the acquaintance of a most pleas-
ant and affable old gentleman, who was a circuit
judge. He was very much interested in us and
the trip, and gave us rather a lengthy talk, dwell-
ing upon the horrors of this barren waste, calling
our attention especially to the fact that there were
many wild and desperate characters who would
not hesitate to take a life for a paltry sum. This
he knew to be a fact as in his vocation he had op-
portunity of personally coming in contact with
these individuals, as the law gathered them into
its toils. He also told us that it was most fortunate
that we were about to cross at this time of the
year, for should we have attempted it in either

Around the United States by Bicycle 195

September or October, it would bave been a pbysi-
cal impossibility as the heat would have been un-
endurable and that even now the temperature
would average nearly ninety in the shade. He ad-
vised us to be well armed; to be very careful and
not overdo, as the heat was terrible and might
cause complete prostration, resulting in death;
to see that our canteens should be well-filled at
every telegraph station or section-house; under
no circumstances to be lured away from the rail-
road track to some lake which seemed but a
short distance, as we should never reach it for it
would prove only a mirage.

Bright and early on a Sunday morning we leave
Banning, a small village on the western edge of
the desert, this being the last of civilization until
we reach Yuma, Arizona, nearly one hundred and
seventy miles distant! Eather a pleasant pros-
pect, is it not, gentle reader?

Financially we were in far better shape than
we had been at any time since leaving our home
city, for our souvenirs had sold very readily
through all the coast states, this being especially
the case in California, so that we now had the
round sum of $160.00, with the aid of which we
surely ought to be able to cross this wilderness
of sand, which was represented to us as extending
to Western Texas, nearly a thousand mile stretch.

By walking all day long and well into the night,
we reach Indio, which consists of a telegraph sta-

196 Around the United States by Bicycle

tion, a depot, a water tank, and coal sheds. We
passed several telegraph stations during the day,
but, though we used all our powers of persuasion,
mixed with diplomacy and stratagem, being very
particular to convey to the ^'men with the grub"
that we had the almighty dollar and were willing
to pay almost any fancy price for eatables, when
we reached Indio we had tasted no food since leav-
ing Banning that morning. The chief arguments
put forth by the operators had been that they or-
dered their supplies but once a month, simply
ordering enough for their own needs, that every-
thing was in the form of canned goods; if they
should sell to all the travelers who passed through
the desert, and these were many in number, as
there were a constant stream of tramps passing
to and fro at all times, that they would sell
themselves short, and as there was no nearby
place to buy more, it meant go hungry for them.
For once we found that there was a place where
even money would not buy food. We had no
trouble for water, as we found that every
section-house and telegraph station had a large
cistern, the interior of which was cemented,
dug down into the sandy soil of the desert,
and this was kept filled with water which was
hauled in mammoth steel tanks, similar to those in
which crude petroleum is carried on the eastern
railroads, the railroad company having a regular
water train, which at certain intervals made trips

Around the United States by Bicycle 197

across the desert to see that every cistern was
well-filled.

As Indio was headquarters of a freight division,
we found here a lunch counter which was operated
by the railroad company for the accommodation
of its employees; only after much pleading and
begging, we succeeded in breaking down the frigid
exterior of the man in charge, at last obtaining
at a most exorbitant price the food which we
needed so badly.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday still found us
wearily following the gleaming lines of steel which
stretched away in the distance. The heat was al-
most intolerable during the day, but at night the
temperature was almost freezing cold, and, as we
slept on the floors of telegraph stations, we were
not any too warm. We found stations at inter-
vals of eight to nineteen miles at which we could
obtain water, but that to purchase food was not
so easy a matter, and in the last three days, since
leaving Indio, we had had two cans of beans, a can
of sardines, and a quantity of soda crackers.

The character of the desert seemed to change
from time to time: here a white blinding expanse
of shining sand, not a blade of grass nor a growing
thing to be seen, on which the sun glared in fiery
intensity, making a veritable furnace. Again a
gravelly formation, stretching away in the dis-
tance on every side, as level as a floor, until earth
and sky merged, a blue indistinct line, far, far

198 Around the United States by Bicycle

away. Now low-lying, jagged mountains, com-
posed of bare and bleak rock, could be seen but a
short distance from the track ; again we would see
mountains composed apparently of innumerable
miniature volcanoes, the whole merged into one
mass, producing a jumble of ragged mounds and
jagged points.

In the region surrounding Salton, which is 265
feet below sea level, and is one of the lowest places
in the United States, the surface is furrowed,
rough, and baked, in many places there being
deep cracks and fissures, which indicate that in
some prehistoric age the whole was innundated
by a raging torrent. Also, in this vicinity,
we frequently see mirages. The clear limpid
waters of a lake beckon to us from out of
the desert waste, inviting us to bathe our hot,
aching bodies in its cool depths, but we know all
too well that to attempt to reach it would be an
endless search.

We meet many tramps, some of whom are in-
deed disreputable and villainous pieces of human-
ity, who, unable to steal a ride, are walking across.
All are very curious, attracted by our bicycles and
outfits, to know who we are, and what we are do-
ingj and where we are going, etc., stopping to chat
in the most friendly spirit. There was not one
but wished us the best of success, one even making
the remark: ^^Look yere pals, I ain't got only a
nickle, but if yez think that yez'll need it, why

Around the United States by Bicycle 199

take it along.'' Owing to the novelty of our un-
dertaking and our extreme youth, we were not
molested in any manner, but all seemed very much
interested.

Forty miles distant from Yuma, chains of sand
dunes appear off to our left, while in places the
loose, drifting sand nearly covers the track, lying
in wavelets. No matter which way one looks, it
is the same bare, dreary, monotonous, barren
waste.

It had been our custom to walk until nearly nine
or ten o 'clock at night, as we found that we could
make much better progress in the cool night air,
than in the torrid heat of day-time. The night
before reaching Yuma, which was Wednesday, we
walked until midnight, when we reached a station
called Ogilby, and, as there was a night operator
here, we obtained his permission to sleep on the
floor of the office. The next morning he invited
us to help him dispose of his breakfast, a thing
which we were not loath to do.

Nearly all the section men are Mexicans, a dirty
lot, swarthy in color, and mostly inferior in stat-
ure. They are but half-civilized, ignorance and
filth seem to predominate, living in squalor in a
long, low building which is constructed from old
railroad ties, something like two hundred feet
long, divided into small pig-pen like compart-
ments about eight feet square by five and one-half
feet high; Mother Earth provides the only floor.

200 Around the United States by Bicycle

Here they live on cigarettes and a baked cake
made of flour and water, called a ^Hortilla," baked
in the most primitive manner on heated stones.
They receive but a dollar a day, but will easily
support a wife and several children on this
amount. The women are very slovenly and coarse
looking. Nearly all wear a sort of mantilla closely
wrapped about the head.

At noon on Thursday, after having spent exact-
ly four and a half days on the desert, we cross the
railroad bridge which spans the Colorado river
on the boundary line between California and Ariz-
ona, and enter Yuma.

Here, indeed, is the '^getting off place" at the
end of the world. A most infamous place, a verit-
able den of iniquity and hot bed of crime. Gam-
bling and all other forms of dissipation seem to
hold sway. Owing to the proximity of the Yuma
Indian Reservation, the town is filled at all times
with Indians, who cling to their barbarous cus-
toms, wearing their hair plaited, are wrapped in
gaudy colored blankets, and some being grotesque-
ly and hideously daubed with war paint. Most
of them are physical giants, masses of bone and
muscle. The majority of the inhabitants of Yuma
are Spanish and Mexicans, with numerous
^^ chinks" scattered broadcast here and there.
Nearly all the buildings are made of adobe, one-
story and flat-topped, with side walls whitewashed
and blazing in the sun-light. The main street is

Around the United States by Bicycle 201

a chaotic and incongruous mass of odds and ends,
a typical Arizona town as caricatured by the
eastern magazines and newspapers, but even in
its very oddity there is a picturesqueness.

The water supply is obtained from the Colorado
Eiver, the waters of which are heavily impreg-
nated with alkali. By a filtering process much of
this is removed, but still there was enough remain-
ing to make both of us deathly sick. For three
days we ate no food and drank no water, and were
hardly able to raise our heads. The morning of
the fourth day found us extremely weak, but that
deathly sickness had left, and we resolved to tarry
no longer in Yuma. For the length of time that
we had thus unavoidably been detained, the tem-
perature had hovered around ninety-two degrees.

"We found that our short period of sickness had
cost us exactly seven pounds of flesh. This illus-
trates what a fearful thing is alkali sickness.

Walking the railroad track almost continuous-
ly, buying canned food when it was possible and
eating on the average about once a day, sleeping
nights in the Mexican tie houses with the tem-
perature down to thirty odd degrees, experienc-
ing much trouble with cactus and mesquite, which
punctured our tires galore, after eight days ' travel
from Yuma, and having covered two hundred and
fifty-seven miles, foot-sore and weary, with khaki
suits ragged and torn, hair long and unkempt, we
slowly came into Tucson, and surely two more

202 Around the United States by Bicycle

forlorn or tramp-like pieces of humanity could
not be found anywhere.

In this two hundred and fifty mile stretch the
country remained unchanged and there was but
very little to relieve the monotony. Sixty odd
miles east of Yuma, occasionally the barren waste
would here and there be dotted by cactus and mes-
quite bushes. The mesquite is a low bush which
is but a mass of long, sharp thorns. As we con-
tinued to travel eastward the number of these in-
creased until no matter which way one looked in-
numerable cacti met the eye, of all kinds and spec-
ies. One species to which I wish to call the read-
er's attention grows like a tree, one straight horny
trunk, sometimes two feet in diameter, and rising
sixty to seventy feet. Twenty feet or more from
the ground there would be several branches from
the main trunk. The mesquite bushes also be-
came thicker until the sandy waste was but an in-
terlaced mass of thorny briars.

For the entire distance mountains could be seen,
sometimes but a short distance away, and again
their jagged outlines would be seen silhouetted
against the horizon. There were no towns nor
communities, the only inhabitants being the tele-
graph operators and the section foremen, these
being white men, but all others, section men and
track walkers, were Mexicans, in fact, there was
nothing whatever to relieve the monotony, the

A TVPICAIv SCENE OX AN ARIZONA DESERT.

Around the United States by Bicycle 203

same scenes every day, the same dreary waste, no
roads, nothing but mesqnite and cactus.

One day we had a narrow escape from being
caught in a sand storm, but a change in the wind
carried it away off to our right. We could hear
the howls and shrieks of the wind and see the air
a dull yellow, so closely was it filled with swirl-
ing sand. We heard much concerning these
storms, how the torrid temperature in the twink-
ling of an eye will change to almost freezing; a
fierce wind, almost a hurricane, will blow, catching
up swirling sand as if by magic to hurl it along
at an immense velocity, until the particles of sand
will cut like razors, blinding one, until dazed and
bewildered he loses his way, wandering this way
and that, until from sheer exhaustion he falls and
freezes to death.

Tucson, the lung town, with a population of
twelve thousand souls, is the largest city in Ari-
zona. Owing to the dry atmosphere, and being
situated as it is, in the heart of the desert, it is an
ideal place for the cure of consumptives, this really
supporting it. Although in some portions, owing
to the large number of adobe habitations and the
narrow streets, one is reminded of a foreign city,
for the most part it is quite American, and has sec-
tions which are very respectable. Like nearly all
the western towns, it has its quota of infamous re-
sorts, gambling dens and saloons.

Considerably refreshed by two days' rest, we

204 Around the United States by Bicycle

leave the precincts of Tucson behind ns and con»
tinue to wend our way across the wilderness, with
the railroad track as our guide.

We reach Deming, New Mexico, on December
2nd, having traveled 228 miles since leaving Tuc-
son, through the same kind of desert and wilder-
ness which has characterized the country for the
past six hundred miles.

We have many startling adventures, one of the
most important of which is when we are forced
to spend the night in company with eight treach-
erous Mexicans, at a tie house where we are the
only white persons, the section boss having gone
away to spend Sunday, a most lonely place in the
heart of the desert, where we are at the mercy of
the villainous Mexicans. They are able to under-
stand but a very few words of English, while we
know but very little of their language. We sit
at the end of the den-like room with hands on our
revolvers, and alternate in keeping watch all
night, while our unpleasant companions, muffled
to the eyes in blankets from over the top of which
their black and treacherous eyes watch us fur-
tively, all lie stretched in all positions, at the op-
posite end of the room. In a sort of fire-place, we
keep up a roaring fire, as the night is almost
freezing cold, but at last, although that night
seems never-ending, a cold gray dawn informs us
that day is close at hand. We lose no time in leav-
ing our unpleasant companions behind us.

Around the United States by Bicycle 205

At two days' travel from Tucson Darling has
an accident which breaks the frame of his bicycle.
This can be repaired only by brazing, and will
necessitate our walking to El Paso, 236 miles dis-
tant. But as we have been walking most of the
time anyway, since we have been on the deserts,
we view this new misfortune with but little con-
cern.

Twenty miles' dusty travel across an alkali flat,
the surface of which is covered by a coating of
white powdery alkali dust, as level as a table,
stretching away on each side as far as one can see,
not a living, growing object to be seen, with no
water in the entire distance, nor a habitation of
any description. Down upon this the sun unmer-
cifully beats. These are the first things which
greet us immediately upon our arrival in New
Mexico.

We pass through several small villages, Benson,
Bowie, and Willcox, which consist of a cluster of
stores at which we are able to buy a supply of
canned goods from time to time. At one place
there is a telegraph station, water tank, and a sort
of *^make shift" restaurant, a building construc-
ted of rough boards, the front of which was orna-
mented with a scrawling sign on which was the
legend: ^'Meeles heer all oures." The proprietor
was a tall raw-boned six footer, whose face was
nearly covered by a magnificent growth of fiery,
red whiskers. He was dressed in a red flannel

206 Around the United States by Bicycle

shirt, cow-hide boots, and belted pants. This gi-
gantic specimen of humanity was indeed a fit rep-
resentative of the former inhabitants of the West
when it was in its infancy. In reply to our ques-
tion as to how much he would charge us for din-
ner, looking down upon us fiercely, and with a
savage roar, and with Spartan-like brevity, he
said: ^'One dollar and a half.'' We decided in-
stantly that we did not need any dinner, and lost
no time in putting ourselves on the outside of the
** restaurant."

We celebrate the annual holiday of ^^Thanks-
giving'' by not being able to get any food for
twenty-four hours, as unfortunately we had mis-
calculated, and our supply of canned goods had
become exhausted. But late on the night of
Thanksgiving day we reached a telegraph station
called Ochoa. This is in charge of a most kind
hearted middle-aged individual, who invites us
to stay with him all night. He makes prepara-
tions for supper, while we amuse ourselves in read-
ing some of the latest periodicals before a blaz-
ing fire. This surely is a dream! In a short time
he calls us to supper, and, wonder of wonders,
what do we see upon the table but chicken! We
learn that he has a chicken-coop back of the sta-
tion and has nearly fifty fowls, from which he
gets fresh eggs and occasionally a juicy stew, cer-
tainly a most clever idea. We find that he is an
excellent cook, and we are not in the least back-

Around the United States by Bicycle 207

ward in disposing of our share of the steaming
potatoes, chicken gravy, tea, and fried chicken.
This indeed is a most pleasant change from eating
sardines out of a can with one's fingers, munching
dry soda crackers, washed down with a scanty
mouthful of water, for this had to be used sparing-
ly, as it might be miles to the next place where we
should be able to get our canteens filled, our way-
side repast usually taking place alongside the
railroad track in the slight shade afforded by a
pile of ties.

While we meet many kindly and accommodating
people, there are some who are just the opposite,
and several times we were compelled to sleep out-
doors, or in some flimsy shelter, because the oper-
ator refused to let us sleep in the telegraph office.

Deming, a small town, is supported almost en-
tirely by the stock growing interests, cattle rais-
ing being the chief industry in this vicinity.

A heavy downpour of rain which lasted two
days prevented us from leaving Deming, but on
the morning of the third day we noted with sur-
prise a great change in the temperature. Blind-
ing sleet and snow, urged onward by a freezing
wind, took the place of the rain of the last two
days. The mercury was below the freezing point,
and already the ground was covered with a mass
of ice and snow, presenting a smooth and slippery
surface. However, we had been delayed too long
already, and decided to brave the elements. With

208 Around the United States by Bicycle

the aid of heavy gloves which we purchased, and
by wrapping our large bandanna handkerchiefs
around our ears and throat, and by walking ex-
ceedingly fast, we kept from freezing.

Just as the sun is about to set, which at this
time of the year is but a little after four o'clock,
we commence to have troubles galore. We are
over seven miles from Cambray, at which we had
been told there was a section-house, with telegraph
office, water tank and pump-house, and a small
store. The road-bed here was but a mass of soft,
sticky mud, which at every step would cling to
our shoes in the most brotherly way, and in a very
few moments there would be so much attached to
our feet that it was only with difficulty that we
could walk. The ground by the sides of the track
was even worse. Here it was utterly impossible
to take a step without sinking ankle-deep in the
soft clinging soil. We were surely in a predica-
ment, darkness had already closed upon us, to roll
our machines was impossible, as with but one revo-
lution of the wheels so much mud would be cling-
ing to them that they would not revolve; they
were too heavy to carry, and even to walk in this
awful stuff was bad enough without being ham-
pered by a heavy load; the outlook was indeed
discouraging.

By resting frequently we carry the bicycles
short distances, and making very slow progress.

Around the United States by Bicycle 209

we finally reach Cambray sometime past nine
o'clock in the evening.

We offer money, pleading and begging, to the
operator, section foreman, the night fireman in
charge of the pump-house, and even to the ranch-
man, all in turn, merely asking for shelter, so that
we may be protected from the freezing tempera-
ture, but all to no avail. One sends us to the other,
and he in turn sends us back again, while we find
that the first parties have extinguished all their
lights and have retired, and no amount of pound-
ing or knocking on the doors brings forth a re-
sponse from within. We tried them all, but ob-
tained no satisfaction, and our only course is to
build a fire out of some old railroad ties and en-
deavor to keep warm as best we may.

We try this for several hours, but instead of
getting warmer, we continue to become colder, so
that finally we could stand it no longer, and with
our ire fully aroused we make steps for the tele-
graph station. There we pound on the door with
the butt of our revolvers, telling him that we are
nearly frozen to death and demanding that he let
us in to get warm or there would be ^^ trouble in
the air. ' ' Evidently noting the rather determined
way in which we spoke, he unbolted the door and
invited us to come inside in the most gushing man-
ner. After we got thawed out, he allowed us to lie
on the floor the rest of the night, and treated us

14]

210 Around the United States by Bicycle

very courteously, for apparently a six-shooter is
a good persuader.

Eighty-eight miles' travel from Deming brings
us, on crossing the Rio Grande, to El Paso, which
we reach over a long steel railroad bridge over
half a mile in length, and we land upon Texas soil.

To get the machines repaired, obtain supplies,
and to get ourselves into such a condition that we
shall be able to stand the hardships resulting from
crossing a three hundred mile strip of wilderness
in western Texas, we spend several days here.

El Paso, the outpost of Uncle Sam's domain with
a population of thirty thousand souls, over half
of whom are of Spanish blood, is situated at the
base of a monster mountain of bleak, bare, and
cheerless aspect. The Pio Grande river, marking
the boundary between United States and Mexico,
flows through one portion of the city; a small,
muddy-colored stream, sluggish, filling one with a
loathsome feeling as he looks upon it. The busi-
ness section of the city is but a jumbled mass of
crooked, narrow streets, and is packed into an in-
credible small area. Most of the streets are un-
paved, and during our short sojourn here, we had
the pleasure of wading through a miry and muddy
mass. The city at all seasons of the year is
crowded by eastern tourists, attracted by its prox-
imity to old Mexico, and chiefly from them the
town derives its support.

As we are in El Paso over Sunday we cross the

Around the United States by Bicycle 211

river into old Mexico, to the unique and interest-
ing city of Ciudad Juarez, where we see a genu-
ine Spanish bull-fight.

One story flat-topped adobe buildings, with sides
whitewashed, forming streets which are so nar-
row that they are merely alleys, turning and twist-
ing in sinuous fashion, the inhabitants lounging
in doorways, most of them asleep, no one seems to
have work to do, with a general air of indolence
and neglect clinging about this collection of habi-
tations which the Mexicans call a town; this is
Juarez.

A '^fiesta'' is now in progress which lasts for
nearly a week, and during which the chief and, in
fact, as far as we could learn, the only diversion
is to gamble, in which sport, man, woman and
child participate.

A very large circular building surrounding a
court-yard filled with a horde of gesticulating,
shouting Mexicans playing the games ; these of all
manners and kinds; here one can play with centa-
vos, two of which are equal to an American cent,
up to an unlimited sum of money. Apparently
to lose is an impossibility, but as a matter of fact,
the impossibility is to win. The noise and din
made by the gamblers coupled with that made by
innumerable men and women who are scattered
throughout the building and squat before small
tables laden with various kinds of fruits and can-

212 Around the United States by Bicycle

dies, shrilly crying their wares, makes the scene
a bedlam of confusion.

The city jail is strictly guarded by a company
of Mexican soldiers in resplendent uniforms, with
guns and bayonets. Although we are not allowed
to approach very near to its walls, through the
barred door we can see the poor wretches who are
confined here, probably for an indefinite period,
as the wheels of Justice move but slowly in Mex-
ico.

It is now nearing the hour of the bull fight, the
streets are a jamming mass of humanity. Spanish
Senoritas resplendent in gaudy dresses, Mexican
peons with tight-fitting corduroy pants and sacos,
(short jackets) all surmounted by an enormous
sombrero, gorgeous with silver and gold tinsel,
perhaps weighing ten or twelve pounds, but car-
ried with perfect ease. Americans in great num-
bers, come from El Paso, are in great evidence.
There is a long empty space leading to the bull-
pen which is lined with the rude tables of huck-
sters, the majority of which have large upright
piles of sugar cane, of which the natives eagerly
buy. It is, indeed, a most ludicrous sight to see
a Mexican chewing on the end of a stalk of sugar
cane perhaps ten feet in length, but judging by
the immense number engaged in this novel occu-
pation it seemed to be very popular with the low-
er classes.

At last the ticket office opens and the sale of

Around the United States by Bicycle 213

tickets for the bull fight begins. For the small
sum of fifty cents (American money) we procure
tickets. The building in which the performance
is held is a large amphitheatre, the whole center
of which is an open court, a large circular space of
ground surrounded by stone wall, this being sur-
mounted by steel pickets, which make it impos-
sible for the frightened bulls to scale it. Tiers of
stone seats rise one above the other, while the top
part of the building is covered by a sort of roofing
under which wooden benches are arranged in tiers.

To the chants of a march played by a Mexican
band seated in a balcony in one end of the struc-
ture, the participants parade around the arena.
The Matador, the one who kills the bulls, gorgeous
in a black velvet suit, with knee pants and long
hose, and a black wig, which answers as a hat;
over his shoulder hanging in loose folds a bright-
colored red robe, precedes the procession; he is
followed by four assistants who are called Pica-
dors, whose duty it is to wave red cloaks in front
of the animal, then to dodge nimbly to one side as
he rushes past, the object of this being to enrage
the animal ; several Mexicans mounted on decrepit
horses which are blindfolded, and are hardly able
to walk, much less carry a man, completes the pro-
cession.

The matador and the picadors take their places
in the arena, amid the plaudits of the audience,
and through a gate a frightened and enraged bull

214 Around the United States by Bicycle

comes dashing, eyes wild and dilating. A picador
waves a red cloak, which the bull charges, but
just as he dashes forward another cloak is waved
at another point, and then on his other side an-
other, until the poor dumb brute becomes so con-
fused that he stands stock still unable to move.
If he does not move and charge the cloaks, long
steel barbs are plunged into his neck, one on each
side. We saw during the fight one bull which had
no less than six of these cruel barbs hanging from
his neck. After the picadors become weary, the
decrepit horses are put into the ring, and the bull
is permitted to gore them at will. Here, indeed, is
a scene to cause one to shudder at its atrocious
cruelty and barbarism. A horse which has been
terribly gored, with the life blood flowing in a
large stream from his shoulders, was being
spurred by the Mexican who bestrides it in the en-
deavor to make the dying animal gallop, while
another is scourging it with an ugly looking lash.
One horse, whose entrails were protruding, was
taken out of the arena, the opening was sewed up,
and then he was brought back to participate
anew in the performance. At every plunge of
the bull as he sinks his horns into a horse, the
Mexicans in the audience shout with pleasure
and delight. The bull is finally despatched by
the Matador, who hurls the sword into the an-
imal's shoulder, where it is buried to the hilt,
the point penetrating the heart. This is really
a clever performance requiring a great amount

Around the United States by Bicycle 215

of skill. According to the rules of this atrocious
and blood-thirsty amusement which is called a
bull fight, it is necessary to kill four bulls before
the performance is concluded.

In no sense of the word is it a fight, for the ani-
mal has no chance to protect itself in any manner.
It is positively a most barbarous and loathsome
custom, merely a torture and slaughter pen for the
poor dumb animals, and yet this race of people
call this sport! This was the first and only bull
fight which we had ever seen, and we were fully
satisfied that it would be the last.

Our past experience had taught us much, so that
upon leaving El Paso we carried upon our backs
large sacks containing all kinds of canned goods,
so that for once we were going to be prepared in a
measure to face the food question.

It is hardly necessary to weary the reader with
our many trials in crossing Texas. Suffice it to say
that it was absolutely necessary to follow the Tex-
as and Pacific Eail Road all the way to Big
Springs, 350 miles from El Paso, which we reached
on Christmas day, having walked almost the en-
tire distance. A few days' travel out of El Paso
we find that the ground is covered by a vine which
is called a grass burr, having innumerable sharp
and needle-like thorns which completely fill our
tires. Although we pass through many villages,
we are unable to purchase the kind of tires which

216 Around the United States by Bicycle

it is necessary for us to have to meet this difficulty,
and we are therefore obliged to walk.

A week's travel out of El Paso brings us into
the unlimited and vast ^'staked plains" of West-
ern Texas. A flat surface stretching away on
every side until earth and sky meet; this scene
greets our eye every day and becomes, possibly
monotonous, but as we have been in sight of moun-
tains every day for the past five months it forms a
great relief from the bluish indistinct outline of
a mountain range in the distance, or the rough
and jagged masses near at hand.

Cattle raising is the chief industry, all the land
being a range. Some of the ranches occupy as
much territory as several counties would in the
Eastern States. We find the Texans a most ac-
commodating and generous people, and we are
treated royally by them; it is, indeed, both amus-
ing and interesting to hear the native Texans talk,
for they seem to have an accent all their own, a
soft modulated drawl, a broadening of the sound
of ' ' r ' ' which gives it the sound of ^ ' w. "

Christmas morning dawns a warm, sunshiny
day, and surely this must be some mistake; we
pinch ourselves to see whether we are not dream-
ing. We find that this holiday is celebrated very
much as if it were Fourth of July instead of
Christmas. The discharge of fire-arms and the ex-
plosion of fire crackers and torpedoes can be heard
on every side.

•ROPING, STAKED PI^AINS, TEXAS.

Around the United States by Bicycle 217

From Big Springs to Fort Worth, 264 miles, we
are told that we will find the land more thickly
settled, as much of it is under cultivation, and
small agricultural communities will be but short
distances apart.

Although through Texas we had been having
most delightful weather, the nights and early
mornings being very cold, but during the day the
sun becoming so warm that it caused the perspir-
ation to flow freely, the first day after leaving Big
Springs the tropical temperature is speedily re-
duced to zero, during the time in which a genuine
Texas ''Norther'' holds all within its freezing and
icy grasp. That night we spend with a bridge
gang, and as we lie in one of the bunks with which
the interior of the car is lined, we hear the wind
howling and whistling outside, blowing with such
force that it sways the car from side to side. The
' ' Norther' ' rages for two days. We travel just the
same, but it is under difficulties, and we make but
little progress.

We remain over night at Sweetwater, a small
village, at a ''hotel" which is a ramshackle affair,
the proprietor is a lady whose native state is Geor-
gia. She was assisted by her daughter, who was
a young lady in the twenties, who waited at the
table. She was very solicitous to see that one had
a constant supply of edibles, particularly biscuits.
The plate containing them would be shoved under
our noses about every minute and a half, while the

218 Around the United States by Bicycle

maiden would hurl this bunch of English at you,
sounding like this : ^ ^ Habisct ! ' ' The first time she
shot this cannon ball interjection at me I dumbly
shook my head, and was so surprised that I nearly
choked on a piece of bread, but after the opera-
tion had been repeated several times, I regained
my self-possession, and by listening carefully con-
cluded that the English translation must have
been: ^^Have a biscuit?''

Every mile eastward brings us into a more civ-
ilized region, and farm houses become more fre-
quent.

One peculiarity, which we learn in rather an
amusing manner, is the fact that there are no wells
of water through this section, drinking water be-
ing obtained by catching rain water in what is
called ^' tanks,'' but which to the uninitiated
would be difficult to recognize as such. We stop
at a farm house to get a drink, and are told by the
lady who answers our query that we shall be able
to get a nice fresh drink at the tank, which is sev-
eral hundred yards back of the house, handing us
a cup with which to drink. We search diligently,
but find nothing that resembles a tank, and the
only water we see is a sort of mud-hole which is
filled with dirty, muddy water. We finally give
up in despair, and go back to the house telling her
that we could find no ^^tank," but we are in-
formed that the ^^tank" is the dirty puddle which
we had noticed. The water is kept in this by an

Around the United States by Bicycle 219

embankment which surrounds it, and is really used
as drinking water, but we concluded that we did
not want a drink of water anyway.

The roads continue to get better as we travel
onward, but still we must walk as we are unable to
get the tires. The distance from Weatherford to
Fort Worth is something like twenty-five miles,
and is over a crushed stone pike. Imagine with
what anguish we walk and trundle our wheels
along over such a road.

Fort Worth is a city of thirty-five thousand in-
habitants, very metropolitan in many respects.
The elements forcibly detain us here for two
days while it rains incessantly, but as we have to
make extensive repairs on our bicycles, (new sets
of tires throughout) we notice the delay but little.

Immediately after the rain ceased the tempera-
ture dropped to eighteen degrees above zero, with
the result that we walked the railroad track near-
ly all the way to Dallas, thirty-one miles. As we
neared the latter city there came a storm of sleet,
which as fast as it fell turned to ice, leaving the
ground an icy, slippery mass, over which we
walked with such difficulty that we had to relieve
our pent up feelings by delivering a few pet names
for the weather man, and the State of Texas,
rounding up by giving a generous slice of the same
kind of praise to bicycles, and bicycle trips in
general.

Dallas and Fort Worth being but a short dis-

220 Around the United States by Bicycle

tance from each other, and connected by two rail-
roads and an electric railway, are virtually ^'sis-
ter cities, ' ' which therefore causes a large amount
of rivalry between them. However, Dallas has a
population of nearly seventy-five thousand, and
in appearances is more the metropolis than Fort
Worth. •

As it is now the twelfth of January, and we are
to travel northward out of Texas via Sherman and
Gainesville, thence through Indian Territory
across Oklahoma to the Kansas line, which will
then be our most northern point, and we will trav-
el from there in an easterly direction, we look for
severe and rigorous weather, and, as events prove,
we are not in the least disappointed.

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.

A FIVE HUNDRED MILE WALK THROUGH DEEP SNOW.

Partly by walking the railroad track and partly
by riding the wagon roads which are a glare of ice,
we reach the Eed river, which forms the boundary
line between Texas and Indian Territory.

A distance of 107 miles nearly all of which we
walk brings us across Indian Territory. For a day
or so the weather became warmer, with the result
that the snow and ice melted to such an extent,
that the roads, or at least what is called by that
name, were transformed into muddy rivers, the
soil possessing that ^'stick-to-itiveness" that made
traveling by wagon road an impossibility, with
the result that the good old railroad track again
did the honors. The country generally is rather
hilly, but abounding in swamps and morasses;
small villages are short distances apart, but a neg-
lectful and dingy air hung about them suggesting
that prosperity was far distant. The inhabitants
generally seemed to be an ignorant and indolent
class, inclined to talk and gossip rather than work.
We learn that it is a most unhealthy country, to
which fact the innumerable drug stores, which
every village possesses, plainly testify. It is with
pleasure and relief that we cross the Canadian riv-
er and step upon the domains of Oklahoma.

222 Around the United States by Bicycle

Following is an interesting conversation which
we overheard in a depot, between the ticket agent
and a big, old farmer who had a long gray beard,
slouch hat, with pants tucked into his boot tops;
after stowing a monster plug of tobacco in one
side of his mouth so that he was able to talk, he
queried:

^'What's the fare to Perry r'

^^Just a minute, my friend, and I will look it
up." (After an interval of several minutes the
ticket agent announces: ^^ Eleven dollars and
thirty cents. Want a ticket 1 ' '

^^Naw, got a pass, just wanted to see how much
I saved.''

We find Oklahoma a great improvement over
Indian Territory, a most prosperous country, with
good wagon roads, all of which are laid out on
section lines running to the four points of the
compass. All of the towns bear a prosperous look,
and things generally seem to be in very good con-
dition.

We pass through Norman, Oklahoma City, Guth-
rie, Blackwell, and Newkirk, all of which are fair
sized towns; Oklahoma City especially being a
most metropolitan city, the largest in Oklahoma
Territory. Cold weather still remains, and a light
covering of snow is on the roads, but as the soil
is all frozen hard, we have but little difficulty in
riding.

A week's travel in Oklahoma, and we find our-

Around the United States by Bicycle 223

selves crossing the Kansas line, several miles from
which is Arkansas City.

The morning following our arrival in the state
of Kansas, the mercury dropped to zero, but not-
withstanding this fact, alternately riding and
walking, we cover a distance of thirty-six miles,
reaching a small village, Cedarvale by name, that
night, although it was necessary for us to stop at
nearly every farm house to thaw ourselves out.

During the day we pass through what is known
as the ^^ Flint Hills;'' since leaving Texas we had
heard much concerning the difficulties of crossing
this chain of rocky hills, but although we toiled
up many steep hills, we did not know that we had
traveled over these dreaded objects until, upon
reaching Cedarvale, we learned that we were on
the eastern side of them.

Thirty-six hours pass, and we arise on a bitter
cold morning when the temperature is down to six
degrees below zero, to note that during the night
there has been nearly a foot fall of the beautiful.
However, there is one alternative, and that is to
make what progress we can by following the rail-
road track. No train had yet passed, so that we
trudge through the deep, soggy snow and push an
unwieldy bicycle which rolls along like a two-ton
dray, the extreme exertion from which, although
the temperature is below the zero mark, causes the
perspiration to ooze from every pore. As it is a
physical impossibility to go much farther than a

224 Around the United States by Bicycle

vthousand feet without stopping to rest, our total
mileage for the day was but eight miles, at the end
of which we were so exhausted, that we were hard-
ly able to drag one foot after the other.

Plodding along a little each day, there having
been several light falls of snow since the first
heavy storm, which now increases the depth of this
snowy covering to nearly a foot and a half, and
with the temperature still hovering around the
zero mark, we cover 171 miles, traveling very near
to the southern boundary line of the state, and
reach Joplin, Missouri.

In Kansas we passed through numerous towns
and villages, the district being thickly populated,
as this is the famous natural gas belt and the oil
fields. The frame work of the tower-like derricks
of the oil wells dot the snowy landscape, while the
rhythmic sound of the pumps as the petroleum is
drawn from the bowels of the earth, fills the air.
Here we see natural gas burnt with such extrava-
gance and wastefulness, that we shudder to think
what the cost of ^Hhe gas bill" would be if it were
artificial gas. Oil was first discovered in this re-
gion two years ago, but now the land is honey-
combed with wells, there being the largest number
and the greatest oil field of the whole state in
Chautauqua County. We learn that the average
depth of these wells is 900 to 1,000 feet, while the
cost of boring is something like two thousand dol-

Around the United States by Bicycle 225

lars. The flowing capacity of the largest well in
the fields is 225 barrels per day.

While in Kansas we find that the date of Feb-
ruary 2 makes nine months that we have been
traveling continually, covering 8,000 miles. As
the snow brought us so very much trouble, we kept
a wary and anxious eye for the man that wrote
that most touching bit of poetry entitled: ''Beauti-
ful, Beautiful Snow.'' If we had succeeded in find-
ing him, there would undoubtedly have been an
opportunity for an undertaker to earn a few
''shekels.''

Joplin, a city of thirty thousand inhabitants,
situated in the midst of rich and vast mineral de-
posits of lead and zinc, is a bustling, humming
city of prosperity. Surrounding it for a radius
of ten or fifteen miles many shafts of lead and zinc
mines dot the landscape, some abandoned and rot-
ting, while from others, at regular intervals, the
droning of machinery attests the fact that mother
Earth is slowly and surely losing a small portion
of her mineral resources.

The weather in the last several days seems to
have become much colder, so that, as we dress
with chattering teeth in our room in a hotel in
Joplin, and make haste for the hotel office where
there is a roaring fire in a large stove, we find
that many have preceded us, there being a circle
of shivering individuals hugging the source of
warmth. There were all kinds of speculations

15]

226 Around the United States by Bicycle

and rumors hurtling througli the air as to just
how cold it was. A driver of a delivery wagon
declared that was at least twenty-five below;
the meat boy swore that he saw a dozen differ-
ent thermometers which registered twenty below,
and the laundry man said eighteen below; every
time anyone came in and made a weather re-
port, the group around the stove would hug up
just a little closer, congratulating each other
that they did not have to go out into the bitter
cold. Even after all these rather discouraging
comments on the weather, we said we were going
to start, and start we did amidst all sorts of ex-
postulations, remonstrances, and exclamations
from the frozen brethren who were solicitously
engaged in absorbing the heat from the stove.

After we got started and commenced to walk,
although it was extremely cold it seemed to be
a sort of dry cold, and affected us not so much as
we expected. We found that the actual tempera-
ture as registered by the government thermome-
ter was twenty-nine degrees below zero !

Naturally, under the circumstances, we look
upon this most marvelous SNOWY scenery with
tender and delightful feelings. On every side the
SNOWY fields glisten in the embrace of the
SNOWY SNOW; while even the SNOWY hills are
shrouded in the SNOWIEST of the SNOWY
SNOW; in fact, it is the most SNOWY of SNOW-
IEST scenery.

SCENE IN THE OZARKS.

Around the United States by Bicycle 227

We follow the tracks of the Kansas City South-
ern E. R. which travels in a directly southern
course, through Missouri to Arkansas. Five miles
out of Joplin, we commence to arrive into the out-
lying foot-hills of the Ozark Mountains while
every mile's travel onward found them larger and
wilder with rocks, the railroad winding among
them in the most erratic and tortuous manner.
The majority of them seem to be huge mound-like
masses, oval in shape, covered by a sparse growth
of scrub trees, near the top encircled by a large
ledge of bleak rock.

Here, indeed, we behold scenery which in its
wild and majestic grandeur greatly surprises us
in this region. Here the track winds at the base
of a huge bluff of solid rock, grayish and somber
tinted, which rises perpendicularly to the height
of a hundred and fifty feet, furrowed and seamed
in many strata ; at and near its top small, dwarfed
trees of the evergreen family grew out of crevices,
the green freshness of their foliage lending an ar-
tistic touch of color to the grim and rocky mass.
On the other side of the railroad the glistening
expanse of snow-covered ice which holds a river
within its grasp, this blinding whiteness on all
sides, the winding track, form a picture which
causes one to pause and look in deepest admira-
tion.

Fifty miles' travel brings us out of Missouri,

228 Around the United States by Bicycle

and we enter the much talked about and the much
abused state of Arkansas.

A few miles over the boundary line is a very
small village, a health resort, called Sulphur
Springs, there were three springs not less than
twenty feet apart, yet the water that flows from
each is totally different. The first is pure, ice
cold water, as clear as crystal; the second is what
is known as white sulphur water, while the third
is black sulphur water, the strongest in minerals
of all. We were very eager to taste of this water,
but after our desire had been gratified, we were
very, very sorry that we had been so enthusiastic,
and felt that we should have been much better
satisfied had we viewed it at a distance, as the
taste of this water resembled that of an egg which
could boast of a ripe old age.

We reached Gravette, a small village, from
which we follow the line of a branch railroad
which connects with Bentonville, traversing what
is in reality the plateau of the Ozarks, having left
the mountains behind us on approaching Gravette.
In following this railroad, we see a fair specimen
of a railroad ^4n ole' Arkansaw.'^ The curves
are so many and so short that it was necessary for
an engine to have a hinge in its boiler, while we
had to exercise great care and caution to see that
we did not become confused and find ourselves
traveling back over our route. A train creeps
slowly, very slowly, upon us, and for a long dis-

Around the United States by Bicycle 229

tance as we walk alongside the engine we hold an
interesting conversation with the engineer, but as
we are in a hurry, we can ill afford to lose so much
time, bid good-bye to the man on the engine, and
walk onward.

The following is characteristic of travel in Ar-
kansas: A lady passenger on one of the prover-
bial ^ ' slow trains ' ' becoming provoked at its slow
progress asked the conductor if it were not pos-
sible to travel faster; that august official gives re-
ply, that if she is not satisfied with the speed of the
train she is at liberty to get off and walk. But this
is the spicy answer which he receives: ^^I would
with pleasure, but my friends are not expecting
me until the train arrives.''

Dizzy and giddy from following the many twists
and turns of the railroad track, we reach Benton-
ville. Here we have the pleasure of seeing a the-
atrical attraction which in itself and its surround-
ings is put before the audience in true Arkansas
style. We find that the '^opery house" is a large
forlorn looking, bleak and cold, brick-lined hall.
There are chairs in rows for the accommodation
of the audience, while back of these are perches
built on the same plan as circus seats, and con-
structed of old boxes, kegs, and boards. These
may be regarded as representing the balcony or
gallery, but judging from the appearance of them
one would place his life in jeopardy should he
climb to the heights and endeavor to enjoy the

230 Around the United States by Bicycle

performance from so lofty and wabbly a perch.
At one end of this modern cold storage, an impro-
vised stage has been bnilt which is sufficiently
large for a good sized man to comfortably turn
around without bumping into himself; the heat-
ing department consists of a small wood stove, in-
to which a continuous stream of fuel is fed, and
which nobly and heroically struggles to reduce the
zero temperature of the barn-like structure, so
effectively, that if one should stray six feet from
the source of the heat, he would be frozen stiff.
We paid our admission fee, but on taking an in-
ventory decided that we didn't believe we cared
to see the performance anyway, and departed.

Plodding and trudging through deep snow
which still covers the ground, we travel south-
ward, passing through many small villages which
are typical of the state, arriving at Fayetteville,
a town of several thousand people, at which the
University of Arkansas is situated with an at-
tendance of nine hundred students.

It is sixty miles from Fayetteville to Van Buren,
through a mountainous district called the Boston
Mountains. Between these two towns there is
nothing but very small villages, consisting of a
few stores and a cluster of houses.

The scenery through these mountains possesses
many of the characteristics of the Ozarks. Bleak
and grim rocky walls frequently line the track, a
snowy covering over all.

A 125 FOOT TRESTI.E, BOSTON MTS., ARKANSAS.

Around the United States by Bicycle 231

Winslow, at the summit of the range, is reached,
from which we are compelled to walk through an
1,800 foot tunnel. We reach the other side just as
a passenger train comes dashing after us, a nar-
row escape. In turn, we walk over three high tres-
tles, the first of which is 125 feet from the ground
at one point, and is over a quarter of a mile long,
the other two being 120 and 105 feet respectively
in height.

As we come down out of the mountains, the
snow becomes less, so that when we reach Van
Buren there are only a few patches of it here and
there. We reach this town at nine o'clock at
night, having walked a distance of twenty-five
miles during the day, over a rock ballasted track,
a mass of sharp and jagged points which nearly
cut our shoes. For the last eight miles of this lone-
ly walk we are accompaned by an Italian, whom
we dubbed ' * the Count. ' ' His general appearance
would have made a scare-crow wild with envy.
The most impressive features of this were a pair
of pants which were easily large enough for two
men, the surplus wrapped around the wearer's
waist in the manner of a sash; the large balloon-
like pant legs idly flapping in the wind like the
sail to a ship, for evidently the former owner must
have been a ^* heavy weight;" a pair of shoes
which were a wonder, immediately absorbing our
attention, large enough for an elephant to wear;
a dilapidated coat; a shock of greasy, black, un-

232 Around the United States by Bicycle

kempt, and matted hair, which would have made
a manufacturer of hair mattresses a fortune; a big,
heavy Scotch cap set rakishly on the back of the
head; all this crowned by an exceedingly large
specimen of red nose, to which Cyrano De Ber-
gerac's would have been small indeed; a pair of
mild looking, large eyes, of a type unusual for an
Italian, having the most appealing of looks. His
knowledge of English consisted of about six
words. By motions and grimaces, he succeeded in
conveying the fact to us that he had had nothing
to eat for a long time, and we gave him a small
sum of money to purchase food. ^^The Count'' was
also very much fatigued and wearied, as he
dragged himself along, stumbling over the rocks
on the track with his huge brogans, as if every
step caused him pain. The darkness was intense,
and as we cross several trestles, where a false step
would jeopardize life and limb, it is not to be won-
dered at that we hear the ^' Count" creeping across
these trestles on his hands and knees. Foot sore
and weary with aching limbs, we stop often to rest,
^^the Count" squats immediately down on the
track near us, and when we start, he starts, for all
the world like a huge Newfoundland dog. We
have much amusement at his expense, although
we know that the poor fellow is suffering, for he
is so ludicrously grotesque and awkward in his
actions that it would make a dead man laugh.
We inspect our machines at Van Buren and find

Around the United States by Bicycle 233

that they are in exceedingly bad shape, as pushing
them through the deep snow has played havoc
with the tires and rims. We endeavored to get
repairs here, but found that it was impossible.
We now are to travel along the northern side of
the Arkansas Eiver, going in an easterly direc-
tion to Little Rock, 160 miles distant.

Van Buren, a town of several thousand inhab-
itants, is a typical southern community. The
larger part of the population consists of negroes,
with which the streets are crowded, lounging here
and there; about everything there hangs an air
of indolence and sleepy repose.

Spring weather, with warm sunshiny days and
melting snow, which leaves small trickling streams
of water and the soil transformed into a sticky
and oozy mass ; walking the railroad track day by
day over the worst kind of rock ballast; follow-
ing near to the Arkansas River the most of the
distance, where in some places the scenery is very
picturesque; the railroad winding along the foot
of rocky bluffs for miles, passing through innum-
erable small villages and several towns of fairly
good size; having many and varied experiences
with the native Arkansawyers in canvassing with
our souvenirs; we finally reach Little Rock, the
capital and metropolis of the state.

Before reaching the capital, at a small village,
which boasts of a tavern for the accommodation
of strangers and the traveling public, we spend

234: Around the United States by Bicycle

the night. As we sit in the '^office'' of this so-
called hotel, it is with interest that we view the
scene before us. Although the days are very
warm, the nights are still quite chilly, so that a
fire is necessary, and there is a small wood stove
in the center of a low-ceiling room; a bare floor
and the only article of furniture to accompany the
lonely stove is a small table, on which a smoke be-
grimed lamp throws out a dull, yellow light. This
heroically endeavors to penetrate the darkness
in the corners of the room, but even as it tries, it
realizes that it is a hopeless task, and contents
itself with lighting the darkness for a radius of
a few feet, while the remainder of the room is in
semi-gloom. Sitting in various awkward and
unique postures, some with tilted chairs, are eight
or nine fairly good specimens of the native Arkan-
sawyer. Tall, slim, and bony, heads and faces a
mass of hair, from which at first sight it is diffi-
cult to distinguish the features, all trying to talk
at the same time, this being a few of the things
discussed: *^Did yew hear heow Sam Jenkins'
little mare has dun got the heaves?" ^^Widder
Brown h'aint been deown to the Post Office tew
get her mail since last Friday, reckon as heow
maybe she's sick." ^'I 'low Skinny Perkins is get-
tin' better, as I heern tell that he's takin' the
^^ Weekly Breezer" agen, an' he aint the man to
throw away money for a paper 'less he cud read
it." Generally each remark was punctuated by

Around the United States by Bicycle 235

a resounding splash of tobacco juice on the floor.
Truly Arkansas is a great state !

On the southern shore of the Arkansas Eiver,
which at this point is but a dirty muddy colored
stream perhaps a half mile wide, Little Eock,
boasting of a population of nearly 50,000, is lo-
cated. An air of ease, refinement, and wealth
seems to be predominant here. Innumerable
strangers and tourists seem to aid with their ready
money in supporting the city. Large, wide streets,
well paved, lined with the best type of buildings,
form the business section. The capitol building
is a very inferior structure of ancient style of ar-
chitecture, and is far from impressive, but we
understand that plans are under way for the con-
struction of a new state capitol which is to be
magnificent, the estimated cost to be something
like $6,000,000.

CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.

"TROUBLE, TROUBLE, TROUBLE, MORNING, NOON, AND
NIGHT," UNTIL WE REACH NEW ORLEANS.

Having succeeded in getting all the necessary
repairs for our bicycles, leaving Little Rock,
RHDING all the way to Pine Bluff, a distance of
forty-five miles, we enjoyed our first ride on our
machines for just an even month!

After nine miles' travel over the wagon road
out of Pine Bluff, we began to get into what is
virtually a swamp. Pools of water stand in the
road, a sticky mass, which clings to our bicycle
tires, making riding impracticable; to increase our
discomfiture, it begins to rain. For a half hour
or more we plod along through the mud, while the
rain descends in torrents, and we see no habitation
or place where we can get shelter. By the time
that we are nearly wet to the skin, we espy the
log shanty of a negro, which is in the midst of a
most lonely and desolate region. Here we stay
until the rain slackens somewhat, and learn from
him that the swamp becomes worse as we go on-
ward, and that the railroad track is but two miles
distant through the swamp, and that there is a
makeshift road which we can follow. We decide
that we will risk the road, and so head for the
railroad. After getting mud-bespattered from

Around the United States by Bicycle 237

head to foot; wading through deep water, crossing
running streams by walking the decayed trunk of
a tree; carrying our machines over morasses; at
each step sinking nearly a foot in the slime;
forcing our way through apparently impassable
underbrush; we at last unexpectedly stumble
upon the tracks of the railroad. This is indeed
*^the Wilds of Arkansaw."

We follow the railroad all the way to Camden,
and from thence to Eldorado, being able to ride
nearly all the distance, as there is a very good
path alongside the tracks, and through this sec-
tion there are innumerable lumbering camps, from
two to five miles apart, and many people walk
the track in visiting back and forth. Although
this is very low land through the whole southern
part of the state, and is known as the * ^ bottom.s, ■ '
it is heavily timbered with yellow pine, lumbering
being extensively carried on.

Occasionally we see a belated native, with long,
tangled, tawny beard and a shock of unkempt hair
on his head, whose general appearance and cos-
tume would make the **wild man from Borneo '^
look like a member of New York's Four Hundred
in comparison.

As we near Camden we cross many long and
dangerous wooden trestles, one of which in par-
ticular was curving, forming nearly a half circle,
and was a mile in length. Camden proved to be
a town of five thousand inhabitants, and was the

238 Around the United States by Bicycle

largest place after Pine Bluff, almost a hundred
miles.

A thirty-four mile stretch from Camden to El-
dorado is through a wilderness, no settlements in
the entire distance. Here and there we would
occasionally see the dilapidated remnants of for-
mer prosperous saw-mill camps abandoned and
rotting.

Eldorado, a county seat, the court-house occu-
pying a square, surrounding which the business
portion of the town is built, in neatness and attrac-
tiveness greatly surprises us. This is one of the
prettiest little towns which we have seen in the
whole state of Arkansas.

A downpour of rain which continues for nearly
forty hours detains us here, so that when it did at
last stop nearly all the surrounding country was
overflowed.

In many places the road bed of the railroad is
washed away. It is a most desolate and dismal
scene. The country is but a low-land, covered
with forest and heavy underbrush, which is now
transformed into a vast lake of dirty, muddy
water. As we proceed, even the railroad for short
distances is nearly covered with water, so that it is
necessary to walk the rail to escape getting wet.

Now we come to a wash-out, where the water
is rushing over the track like a miniature Niagara
Falls, being completely overflowed for nearly a
half mile. It is a stiff proposition, but our only

Around the United States by Bicycle 239

course is to wade it. Eemoving pants, shoes, and
stockings, and carrying our bicycles, we start.
The current is so swift that it almost carries us
off our feet, while judging by the way the water
feels it must be around the zero mark in tempera-
ture. But we reach the other side with nothing
more serious than with feet blue and aching from
the ice cold water.

Before the day is over we are compelled to wade
through another wash-out, where the track is over-
flowed for a mile to the depth of nearly three feet,
but as this is still water, we have not so much
trouble as in wading through the former.

We reach Junction City, half of which is in the
state of Arkansas, while the remainder lies under
the jurisdiction of Louisiana.

Through a swampy wilderness, heavily timbered
with dense forest, lumbering camps being the only
communities, still clinging to the railroad track,
we travel into Louisiana down to Euston, which
is a fairly good sized town; from thence to Winn-
field; thence to Colfax, which is well into the in-
terior part of the state. We are hindered and de-
layed much by the rain, and sunshiny days are un-
known. Most of the time there is a drizzle, for we
have chosen, or rather have been forced to choose
the very worst time of year to travel through this
state, as this is the rainy season.

Colfax is a little village, where there are per-
haps a dozen stores. Green sward, in fresh virid-

240 Around the United States by Bicycle

ity, surrounds the stores and all tne dwellings,
while rest, quiet, and contentment seem to invite
us to linger longer in this oasis in the wilderness.

We find that from this place to Boyce about
twelve miles, we can travel by a good wagon road.
We follow near to the Eed Eiver, the banks of
which, owing to recent flood-water, have been
washed away so that they are now perpendicular
embankments rising thirty feet or more above the
waters of the stream. The road in places runs
dangerously close to the edge of the bank. In some
inexplicable manner I lost my balance, and to-
gether with my bicycle went tumbling head fore-
most down this steep declivity. The machine re-
bounded, rolled, and tumbled, going away to the
bottom, finally stopping on the very edge of the
river. However, I was more fortunate, as I
dropped straight down for about six feet, landing
on a ledge of dirt, somewhat dazed but unhurt; it
was surely a miraculous escape, for the river at
this point was very deep, and should I have fallen
into it, the story might have been different, or had
the bicycle fallen into it and sunk to the bottom,
its recovery would have been extremely dubious.
With the aid of a long rope which we borrowed,
and with much tugging and pulling, we finally got
the machine on top of the bank, and it proved on
examination to be none the worse for its fall.

The remainder of the ride to Boyce was indeed
interesting. We were now commencing to see the

Around the United States by Bicycle 241

South in all the peculiar mannerisms for which it
is so noted. This region is very fertile, cotton
fields line the road; the stalks are nearly twelve
feet high; at frequent distances the shanties of
negroes, surrounded by laughing, boisterous pick-
aninnies; while at one particular place the harsh
voice of the ^' mammy" can be heard on the inside
calling her off-spring into the house, whereupon,
as they do not respond, she appears at the door,
dressed in a flaming red calico wrapper, with her
head wrapped in a red turban, and with arms
akimbo on her fat hips, delivers the following
harangue: *^Aw say dah you all Gawge Wash'n-
ton Jones, and you all Cynthy Jones, ef you all
doan cum raght into this hyar house, ah's sholy
goin' to give you all a lickin'.'*

To reach Boyce, it is necessary for us to be fer-
ried across the river in a skifp; the stream being
nearly a mile wide.

All the way to Alexandria we follow the rail-
road track, and most of the distance we are able
to ride. We find Alexandria a typical southern
town of twelve thousand inhabitants. It has many
modern improvements, chief of which is an abund-
ance of asphalt pavement. It boasts of a very fine
government building and postof&ce, and other very
fine public edifices.

To a small village which is called Morrow, and
is nearly fifty miles south of Alexandria, we are
able to ride the wagon road most of the distance,

16]

242 Around the United States by Bicycle

traveling through, a most interesting scene. Nearly
all of the land is under cultivation, sugar cane,
rice and cotton being the chief products. Fields
on every side are being ploughed by negro labor-
erSj while here and there will be a cluster of cabins.
The day is ideal, warm and clear, wild flowers are
growing in profusion, and occasionally we see a
meadow of greenest grass.

From Morrow southward until we reach the
Mississippi Eiver, which flows but a short distance
from Baton Eouge Junction, is through a country
very swampy and low, through which we travel
the railroad the entire distance. For the most
part it is necessary to walk, although for short
distances we are sometimes able to ride.

There are many small villages, all with French
names, to pronounce which correctly at first sight
is an impossibility. We find that many of the old
French customs still adhere to these villages, and
learn that this state of affairs will increase the
farther south we travel.

We note that there are many methods employed
in this state which are behind the times. Most of
the wagons are drawn by yokes of oxen. Along
the road we pass several large and heavy wagons
piled high with household effects, each of which
is drawn by six yoke of brawny, mild-eyed steers.
Surely this is a slow manner of moving from one
locality to another.

In places we see the most tropical of scenes,

'MEEKLY WENDING THEIR HOMEWARD WAV.

Around the United States by Bicycle 243

especially through the low-lands and swamps
which line the track for long distances. Here in-
numerable trees, whose branches are literally cov-
ered with festoons of moss hanging in long ragged
pieces, sometimes twenty feet in length; the
ground is covered with moss and a small plant
which is three feet in height called the Palmetto,
practically a small-sized palm tree, the leaves be-
ing of the same shape and growing in the same
profusion; while there is but little of the ground
that is not covered with pools of stagnant water.
Here all running streams are called bayous, and
some of these are black and treacherous looking.
They are but short distances apart, and over them
we cross on railroad trestles.

As illustrating the contemptuous and unfeeling
manner in which the negro is regarded here in
the South, here is an incident which came under
our personal observation. In a most lonely spot,
morass and swamp on each side of the track, the
nearest village four miles away, at the bottom of a
twenty foot railroad embankment, blood-stained
and dirt covered, lies the body of a negro, who m
the darkness of night had been murdered, robbery
being the motive. The body is discovered by a
section foreman at 7 a. m., which fact he reports
to the coroner, whose presence is necessary before
the remains can be removed. In the hot sun the
corpse lies all day, and up to daylight of the next
morning, as the coroner had not yet arrived. The

244: Around the United States by Bicycle

section foreman then digs a deep hole near the
remains and tumbles the body into it, with the re-
mark : ^ ' Well, there 's another nigger got rid of. ' '
Buried much in the same manner as an animal,
even though the man was married and had a fam-
ily who lived at a village not many miles away!
Could anything be more brutal or barbarous I

As this state was originally laid out by the
French, the political divisions instead of being
called counties are parishes, and we find many of
these are prohibition, although occasionally we
find one in which the statutes permit liquors to be
sold. The Atchafalaya Eiver forms the boundary
line between two parishes, one of which has pro-
hibition, while the other on the opposite side of
the river has not. Milville, a small village, is
located in the prohibition parish, situated on the
banks of the stream. The only means of crossing
this swift-flowing river, almost a mile wide, is by
skiff. If one wishes to ^'partake of the flowing
bowl," a negro will row you to the opposite bank,
to which is moored a large scow, which is fitted up
as a saloon. After you have satisfied your desires,
the negro will row you back to Milville across the
river, there being no charge whatever for ferriage.

Again we view the turbid waters of the mighty
Mississippi, after having been absent from it for
over nine months, our last sight of it having been
at St. Paul, Minnesota, in June, 1904. For thir-
teen miles we ride northward on the levee to Port

Around the United States by Bicycle 246

Allen, from which it is necessary to take a ferry
across the river to Baton Bouge. The levee is a
very high embankment, two feet wide on top, and
sloping at the sides which are covered with green
turf. At the bottom this huge dyke is nearly forty
feet wide, and boasts of a height of nearly eighteen
feet from the ground. There was a fairly good
path on the top, from which, owing to our high
position, we had an excellent view of the surround-
ing territory. Occasionally, we pass stately and
majestic mansions with spacious grounds beauti-
ful with a wealth of shade trees. These remind
one of the old times when slavery was in vogue.
Possibly a half mile from the plantation house
would be a cluster of negro cabins.

The Mississippi winds with devious twists and
turns on its way to the gulf. Something like a
mile wide, a dirty muddy color, immense quanti-
ties of driftwood and large masses of earth borne
onward by its irresistible current, one stops to
wonder and doubt. Can this really be the famous
river about which there is so much written! Sure-
ly this is not impressive, nor is it beautiful. Fre-
quently we pass negroes whose sole occupation is
to row out into the stream and tow in driftwood,
which they chop into firewood, and sell to the
natives. A great many of these do nothing but
this and are able to save money, beside earning
their living.

As we cross from the western bank of the river

246 Around the United States by Bicycle

to the eastern, it is with exuberant feelings, for
we are leaving the uncivilized country of the West
and again landing in ''God's country."

Baton Eouge, the capital city of the state, with
a population of 12,000, is virtually a French city.
The architecture is mostly of French type, large
iron balconies being in front of nearly every busi-
ness place. The streets are narrow, but well paved
with asphalt, and a magnificent hotel and a very
fine Post Office building, help to offset the other
peculiarities.

The Capitol is constructed of gray granite, and
as it was built by the French settlers of Louisiana,
it bristles with turrets and battlements, with the
result that it more closely resembles a prison or
a castle of the medieval period, than a modern
state capitol building.

We learn that New Orleans is one hundred miles
distant, and that we shall be able to travel the
wagon road nearly all the way. Leaving Baton
Eouge at two o'clock in the afternoon, we travel
over a fairly good road for ten miles, when sud-
denly without warning, rain descends in torrents.
We take shelter in a house and stay there for an
hour or more, at the end of which, as it slackens
slightly, we decide to start. We have not gone far
when the water again commences to come down in
bucketfuls. We can find no shelter, and are com-
pelled to ''grin and bear it." Covering several
miles in the driving rain, with every stitch of our

Around the United States by Bicycle 247

clothing wet, we finally come to tlie tumble down
shanty of a negro, which is located in the heart
of a swamp. Near the house is a dilapidated shed
in which we take shelter. There are several
negroes in the house, which number is increased
at frequent intervals by the arrival of others, some
walking, some on horseback, and some in carts,
until there are nearly a dozen, all of whom are
burly, villainous and treacherous looking. They
all stand on the porch and look in our direction in
a furtive manner. We are not in the least desirous
of becoming acquainted, and ^ ^ stay in our own cor-
ner. ^ ' We stay here for nearly two hours, during
which every passing moment makes the outlook
more dubious. We are not in the most pleasing
position, assuredly; here alone in the center of a
wilderness, with a dozen black ruffians as our com-
panions. But finally, as we see that there is not
likely to be a cessation of the rain, and noting
that the negroes appear to be more uneasy and
restless, we decide that we can easily part com-
pany with them, and so, when circumstances seem
most favorable, we quietly depart, and our depar-
ture is not noticed until we are seen down the road
nearly a quarter of a mile from the shanty, from
which a chorus of derisive yells bids us farewell.
The soil, which is of a clayish consistency, is
now transformed to a sticky mass, through which
we are unable to push our bicycles, and we are
compelled to carry them; the road is covered with

248 Around the United States by Bicycle

water at different places, and altogether we have
a most delightful time in the endeavor to make
any progress through the pouring rain. After an
hour of this sort of adventure, glory of glories, we
behold a large plantation house, which is but a
short distance from the road. Yv^e look upon this
with delight, and make haste to inquire if it be
possible for us to be permitted to get a lunch or
supper, lodging, and a place to dry our wet cloth-
ing, for which we offer to pay any price. But we
are refused on the excuse that they have company,
and it would be impossible to accommodate us.
We argued, pleaded, and begged, all to no avail;
offered any sum of money just for shelter, said we
were accustomed to '^ rough it," and almost
anything was good enough for us, anything to be
sheltered from this driving rain, but notwithstand-
ing all our entreaties, we are given a curt refusal,
and the door is closed in our very faces. Ah! Is
this a specimen of the famous southern hospital-
ity! Hospitality, indeed! One must have a heart
of iron to turn a human being out into such a
night !

A short distance from the mansion, we see the
shack of one of the negro laborers, for which we
make steps. We approach it noiselessly, and
through the open door we see a most humble and
touching scene. Two middle-aged men, one
woman with a sleeping babe at her bosom, all
negroes, closely hugging a scanty fire which burns

Around the United States by Bicycle 249

sleepily in a fireplace at one end of the small room;
the only articles of furniture are a rickety rocking
chair, a make shift bed, and a rude wooden table
on which are a few dishes containing the remnants
of the evening repast, by appearance far from
bountiful. We pause a moment, and look at this
scene of dejection and misery, before we make
known our presence. We are told to come in
amidst a bowing and scraping by the inmates; all
arise, and we are offered the only chair which
they are able to afford, together with a small box
which answers for the same. We ask them if we
can sleep there for the night, and are told by one
of the men that: ^'Ah 'spose we all can fix you'-
all." After a short conversation in an undertone
in which the spokesman and the woman take part,
the latter arises, and laying the baby on the pile
of rags which answers for a bed, she goes into the
other room of the shanty, from which after a very
few moments she returns, carrying what was sup-
posed to be a mattress, but more closely resembled
a huge, very heavy and ragged quilt; this she
spread on the floor in the room in which we were,
then told us that we could occupy the other room,
and could retire at any time. We thanked her and
went into the other room, and made haste to re-
move our wet and soaked clothing. Evidently this
was the room which the woman occupied with her
offspring, and which she had vacated in our favor;
what a contrast between these simple-minded peo-

250 Around the United States by Bicycle

pie and the rich owner of the plantation who lived
next door. Even though they were black, they
were at least human.

The bed had no springs over the slats, and no
mattress, nothing but a couple of blankets, with
the result that when we arose in the morning there
were several small depressions worn into our
bodies into which the slats neatly fitted. We had
spent far from a pleasant night, but we were very
thankful to be able to be sheltered from the ele-
ments, as it rained a continuous downpour during
the whole night.

When we arose in the morning it was still rain-
ing, and as we saw that the negroes had but very
little to eat themselves, much less feed two hungry
individuals like us, we paid them for our night's
lodging, and started out in the pouring rain to
walk three miles to a point where the negro told
us was a grocery called Hope Villa, located on the
bank of a bayou, across which as there was no
bridge, it would be necessary for us to be ferried.
Although it was but three miles, before we reached
the store it seemed like ten. We were compelled
to carry our bicycles on our backs for the entire
distance, slipping and sliding through the slippery
clay, now wading through water knee deep, and
completely submerging the road for a half mile
or more, with exactly three hours' travel to cover
three miles. We finally reached the store, where
we purchased food, this being the first since leav-

Around the United States by Bicycle 251

ing Baton Eouge yesterday at twelve o'clock,
nearly twenty-four hours.

We continue to wade all the afternoon through
water which covers the road, passing many houses
at each one of which we endeavor to obtain lodg-
ing and accommodations for the night, but upon
different pretexts we are refused. At almost ^ve
o'clock in the afternoon we apply at a house,
where, after a slight discussion, we are told that
we can remain all night. We are so surprised,
shocked, and dumf ounded, that we are hardly able
to stammer our thanks. Is it a dream, or really
true!

Here we stayed all night, while it rained inces-
santly. The house, like the majority in the South,
was constructed of rough boards, unpainted, the
inside being finished in the same manner; the
floors are bare, carpet being almost unknown; a
porch, which in this region is called a ^* gallery,''
extends across the entire front, while through the
center of the house there is a long hallway, which
extends from the front to the back, the rooms
opening from the sides. All the furniture is of the
most simple and practical kind, there being a
noticeable absence of small knick-knacks which
are so dear to the feminine heart. Like all south-
ern homes, a fire-place serves to heat it, from
which amidst the cheerful crackling and sputter,
enough heat radiates to dry our dripping clothing
in a short time. We find our host, an industrious

252 Around the United States by Bicycle

and very simple-minded individual of middle-age,
whose wife is also possessed of the same charac-
teristics, they being blessed with three children,
all of which were very young. The fare was most
simple, consisting of corn-bread, or pone, as it is
called, and pork, but of which there was a goodly
quantity, so that, if one was not particular regard-
ing the quality, he would not go hungry.

We spend a most delicious night in profound
slumber, buried in the depths of a feather bed, and
arise in the morning to find that it has finally
stopped raining, although the sky is overcast and
cloudy. Before we are dressed our host enters
bearing two steaming cups of coffee, which he
bids us drink. We afterwards learn that this is
an old French custom which has been handed
down from one generation to the other, and that
this coffee is ^'French dripped," being made by
pouring water on coffee which is in a receptacle,
the bottom of which is a sort of sieve. This stands
for twenty-four hours or more, the water which
has percolated falls into another dish, from which
the beverage is made, with the result that it is as
strong as lye and as black as can be, neither milk
nor sugar being used when it is drunk.

We bid our host a cheery good-bye, and start
to wade the roads again. He had told us that it
was eleven miles to the railroad, and that it was
very low country the entire distance, and undoubt-
edly the most of the wagon road would be under

Around the United States by Bicycle 253

water, so that we foresaw a most pleasant and de-
lightful experience in store for us. We were not
in the least disappointed, as the water was very
cold, and the roads were so awfully muddy that
we removed neither shoes nor stockings, but
waded through the deep water with our clothing
on. At one place the water was so deep that it
was necessary for us to remove all our clothing,
first carrying this in a bundle over our heads, then
to return and carry our machines in the same man-
ner. Through this it was almost half a mile.

At another point a big stream had swollen until
the road was submerged to the depth of three feet
for a half mile on each side of the bridge, and even
over it the water was quite deep. We hesitated
somewhat in attempting this, but while we wait
we see a negro on horseback start across from
the other side, and we watch his progress with
interest. The water mounts to the animal's
flanks, but horse and rider safely reach us, so that
we conclude that we will risk it. Eemoving our
clothes and tying them upon the machines, we
hoist the whole above our heads and start. Dar-
ling is perhaps twenty feet ahead of me as we near
the middle, when suddenly I see him sink out of
sight in the swift-flowing muddy waters, machine
and all, and as he goes down with terror depicted
in every feature, he hoarsely ejaculates: ^^My
God! Save me!'' I rush to his assistance as soon
as possible, and succeed in pulling him out after

254 Around the United States by Bicycle

much difficulty, and as lie had tenaciously clung
to his machine, that also was safe, which was very
fortunate. Apparently he had made a misstep,
and fell oif the edge of the bridge into the swirling
depths where the water was ten or twelve feet
deep. With exception of this mishap, we reached
the other side in safety.

Darling took an inventory to find that his blue
flannel shirt was gone, and that one of his leather
leggings was also counted among the missing, both
of which were doubtless decorating the bottom of
the river bed.

After much wading and paddling we succeeded
in arriving at a point from which we are told it is
but two miles to the railroad track, but here we
learn that the difficulties that we have been
through are nothing compared to what is in store
for us. Although this stretch of road between us
and the railroad is not covered by water, it is far
worse. A mass of sticky adhesive clay, in which
one sinks at least a foot at every step, and from
which it is almost impossible to extract one's foot.
Here we are indeed in trouble in its very worst
form. To make a long story short, two hours
pass before we reach the railroad, after such an
experience as we shall not soon forget. This in
all probability will seem fictitious to the reader,
that we should consume two hours in covering two
miles, but when it is considered that we were
forced to carry our bicycles, that we were not

THE WAY WE FIND THE WAGON ROADS IN LOUISIANA.

Around the United States by Bicycle 255

physically able to take a dozen steps without stop-
ping to rest, and that the clay stuck to everything
in the most brotherly manner, our slow progress
can possibly be understood.

After scraping a few tons of mud off the wheels
and ourselves, we overhauled the machines to find
that Darling's was away beyond repair, the water
having so badly warped the rims, that the wheels
would revolve only with difficulty. However mine
was in much better condition, except that both
tires were punctured, but, after repairing this
slight damage, it was all right. All the way to
New Orleans, which was sixty-nine miles, we fol-
low the railroad, and use our now famous ^^ relay
system" the entire distance, i. e. one walks a mile
with the broken machine, while the other rides, in
the next mile to alternate.

We now pass through immense sugar planta-
tions. There are a few straggling and scrawny
villages, but for the most part the entire land is
under cultivation with sugar cane. Sm.all armies
of negro laborers can be seen at work in the fields,
while at frequent intervals are the mammoth
plants of sugar factories. Here we learn and note
that the negro is not in much better condition than
when he was a slave. He receives sixty-five cents
a day, for which he must agree to work for a cer-
tain period of time, signing a paper to that effect.
They live in small shanties, which are in clusters,
possibly a hundred or more, which are built so

256 Around the United States by Bicycle

near alike that it is almost impossible to distin-
guish one from another.

As we enter New Orleans, we note that the out-
skirts are nothing but swamp and low-land, the
majority of the houses being built on piles.

We remain in this, the twelfth city in size in the
United States, but a day and a half, in which time
we see the leading and most interesting features
of this French City. Canal Street, which has a
width of two hundred feet, is the principal busi-
ness street, and divides the American from the
French Section. St. Charles Street is practically in
the heart of the American district, a rather narrow
and twisting thoroughfare, on which the famous
St. Charles Hotel is located, the finest hostelry in
New Orleans. We stroll through the French sec-
tion which is most interesting and quaint. Very
narrow streets, twisting and turning in the most
devious manner, resembling alleys rather than
streets; the buildings are small, musty and dingy,
the majority constructed of a sort of cement,
which is of a somber color and helps to increase
the general gloomy aspect. The buildings are
adorned with immense iron balconies which pro-
ject over the walk into the street itself, and all
the windows are equipped with iron shutters.
French is the chief language spoken in this sec-
tion. At one place I remember a group of negroes,
who were engaged in a very active conversation
carried on in French; these we were told are called

Around the United States by Bicycle 257

** French Niggers.'' French customs, architec-
ture, and mannerisms face one no matter which
way he turns, so that one does not need to possess
a very vivid imagination to think himself in the
heart of Paris.

Owing to the fact that the city is built on vir-
tually made land of the Mississippi, there is prac-
tically no system of sewage, nor is it even possible
to bury the dead in the ground, but they are laid
away to their last resting place in stone vaults
which are built on top of the ground in tiers, one
above the other. Even here in New Orleans we
find the same state of affairs existing with respect
to drinking water as in the remainder of the
state, at least in the portion through which we
have traveled. Owing to the swampy condition
of the country it is not possible to get water from
the ground, the drinking water being obtained by
catching rain water in huge tanks, which in the
majority of cases are constructed of wood, and to
drink the water from which is to take the most
nauseating of doses. In fact we have not had a
good drink of water since leaving Arkansas; all
over the city behind every house is a large wooden
tank where the water is caught, while there hangs
about nearly every dwelling the mustiest of
smells. Although New Orleans is a very large
city, it is far from being modern, up-to-date, or
metropolitan, and the highest building is but eight
stories. The scene along the levee is a busy one.

17]

258 Around the United States by Bicycle

Here one can see cargoes of sugar, spices, coffee,
and bananas unloaded from ships which hail from
all the South American countries, there being a
continuous swarm of negro laborers passing to and
fro, which remind one of bees in a hive. Here are
the stately and majestic outlines of an Ocean
Liner, which plies to foreign climes, and moored
next to it is the awkward but picturesque typical
Mississippi River boat, which makes trips up the
river as far as Memphis, Tennessee; now a string
of barges laden with coal which have been towed
all the way from Pittsburg, down the Ohio, thence
into the Mississippi; innumerable one-masted
oyster luggers, lined up to the wharves, whose
owners are busily engaged in unloading their car-
goes of oysters preparatory to making another
trip; and so no matter which way one looks one
sees something interesting, a continuous change
of scenes and transactions, at which the stranger
and tourist is never tired of looking. Now we
pass along toward the cotton wharves, where
every foot of available space is piled high with
huge bales of cotton, whose monetary value is
fabulous, when one considers the immense quan-
tity.

Small parks, whose cool, shady nooks invite one
to rest in peace and comfort, abound in almost
every section, chief of which are Lee Circle, Jack-
son Square, and Lafayette Square.

CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.

IN WHICH WE DISCOVER THAT THERE. IS "STILL SOME-
THING DOING."

We leave this quaint city in the same manner
as we entered, over the railroad track. For forty-
four miles, until we cross the Louisiana-Missis-
sippi state line, it is low-land, swamps, and salt
marshes, there being only small hunting and fish-
ing lodges, which are built on piles at the sides
of the track, and even they are few and far be-
tween; in this space there are also a great number
of trestles, but the longest is but half a mile in
length, and although there are many trains con-
stantly passing, which travel at a high rate of
speed, we have no very narrow escapes from being
run down, our chief difficulty lying in the fact that
we are compelled to walk the entire distance, as it
is impossible to ride on the track or alongside.

After four miles ' travel into MississiiDpi we find
that the country is higher and better, and we have
an excellent wagon road of powdered oyster shells,
and packed so that it is almost as hard as pave-
ment. This condition exists for nearly fifty miles,
in which space we pass through some of the lead-
ing resorts of the Gulf of Mexico, chief of which
are Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach,
Gulfport, Mississippi City, Beauvoir, Biloxi, Ocean

260 Around the United States by Bicycle

Springs, and Scranton. The wagon road follows
the shore of the Gulf nearly all the way, and on
one side we look out into the placid expanse of
shimmering water, which lies calm and undis-
turbed; on our other, the shore is lined with mag-
nificent dwellings, which breathe of sumptuous
elegance, surrounded by palatial grounds. This
surely is a haven for the wealthy and the aristo-
cratic. In front of each mansion there extends
out into the waters of the Gulf a long pier, perhaps
a quarter of a mile in length, at the end of each
is a summer-house and bath-house combined, as
the shore is so strewn with shells tJiat it is impos-
sible to bathe on the beach. Although there are a
number of distinct resort towns, it is virtually one
continuous city, as the shore is lined with houses
the entire distance. Another thing which we
hailed with delight upon entering this state is the
fact that the drinking water is most excellent, no
small matter, and one which we are able to appre-
ciate at its true worth and value.

At Bay St. Louis we cross a trestle two miles in
length. We reach the center, when a fast mail of
the Louisville and Nashville R. R., bound from
New Orleans to Mobile comes rushing upon us.
The telegraph poles are connected to the sides of
the trestle by a large plank, and on one of these
we stand in safety until the train dashes by us.

All of these resorts are very pretty and attrac-
tive, there being numerous, large, and palatial

Around the United States by Bicycle 261

hotels at each; but the largest of these is Biloxi,
which has a population of nearly twelve thousand,
an ideal place, neat business portion, streets well
paved and very neat in appearance, while the resi-
dence section is truly magnificent. On the shore
of the Gulf there stands a lighthouse, painted
white from top to base; beside it is the glistening
powdery whiteness of the shell road which threads
the shore line; these, contrasted with the mass of
green foliage which surround the magnificent resi-
dences, together with the many colors of myriads
of blooming flowers, form a color picture which is
indeed ideal and divine.

In leaving Biloxi it is necessary for us to walk
across another long trestle, a mile and a quarter
long, and reach the other side just as the train
passes us, but, as, according to the old adage, ^^a
miss is as good as a mile, ' ' we are safe.

We follow the railroad all the way to Mobile,
necessarily, as the land all the way from Biloxi is
very low, and after we cross the Alabama line, ow-
ing to the large amount of sand, it is also our only
recourse. Within fourteen miles of Mobile we find
a shell road over which it is delightful riding, but,
^ve miles from the city, Darling who had had his
wheel repaired at New Orleans, has the misfortune
to have a blow out, which entirely destroys the
tire, an injury which it is impossible to repair on
the road, so for the remainder of the distance we
use our ^^ relay system.''

262 Around the United States by Bicycle

We find Mobile to be a city of forty thousand,
and almost a pocket edition of New Orleans, nar-
row streets, with many buildings of French type;
but, unlike New Orleans, it has a very fine water
supply, and the land on which it is built is high.
Government Street is the main residential street
of the city and is well paved, very wide, lined with
a wealth of shade trees and most beautiful dwell-
ings; while Eoyal Street is the main business
street. It has many miles of asphalt pavement
kept extremely clean, and in the heart of the city
there are many parks and jDlazas, which lend to it
a most pleasing aspect. This also, like New Or-
leans, is a very large banana center, in fact it is
represented that more of this luscious fruit is
brought into this port than into that of its com-
petitor.

As has lately been our wont we leave Mobile
over the railroad track, which we are compelled
to follow for twenty-six miles, as the country is
very swampy, and there are many rivers which we
cross over long trestles. We have never seen so
many rivers in so short a space and we come to
the conclusion that they must have been placed
there for our especial benefit. On one long half
mile trestle, we reach the center, when we hear the
rush and roar which tells of an approaching train,
but as there is a draw-bridge over this river, the
Alabama, which is navigable, we get upon this
out of harm's way just in the nick of time.

Around the United States by Bicycle 263

We reach a small village which is called Bay
Minnette, from which we take a short cut over
land for Pensacola, Florida, which is said to be
some fifty miles distant.

Before we reach our destination, we find that
though we had thought that upon crossing the
Mississippi we had left the wilderness behind us
and henceforth would travel through a thickly set-
tled territory, we now discover that such is far
from the case, as in this tract we thread our way
with difficulty through a wilderness of pine
stumps, with here and there, few in number, a lone
and solitary tree. The soil is very sandy, and the
road is but a logging trail which runs at will, up
hill and down, turning and twisting in the most
erratic manner, across a barren waste on which
fences are unknown, and where to espy a settler's
cabin is a rare occurrence. Owing to the fact that
our rather indistinct road is frequently crossed
by others, some of which run parallel for a short
distance, then merge with the main road, leave it
altogether, starting in another direction, we have
much difficulty in keeping on the right way.

For thirty miles all is beautiful as far as our
machines are concerned, and we are able to ride
most of the distance, although occasionally an
exceptionally heavy bed of sand compels us to
walk, then events change, and the bearings in
Darling's rear wheel grind into pieces; he repairs
the damage by replacing new balls, but he rides

264 Around the United States by Bicycle

it hardly a half mile when it occurs again. He
replaces these broken parts three different times,
but in vain, until finally he has used all his extra
supply, so that for the remainder of the distance,
which is seven miles, to a lumber camp called
Muscogee, we are compelled to adopt again that
now familiar ^^ relay system.'^

At two o'clock in the afternoon, when our in-
teriors are loudly clamoring for the noon-day
meal, and, as we have not seen a house since we
left Bay Minnette, we are rapidly coming to the
conclusion that we shall be unable to get food until
we reach Muscogee. We reach the summit of a
hill, and, 0 joy! what do we see but the cosiest
of cottages surrounded and almost completely hid-
den from view by a wealth of shade trees, nestling
almost at our feet.

We find the people here very accommodating
and hospitable, as they had' once been residents
of Michigan. We partake of a most bountiful re-
past served in the good old Michigan manner, for
even though these people are at present residents
of Alabama, their northern method of cooking still
clings to them. Here indeed is an oasis in the
wilderness, for the interior of this diminutive and
cozy little nest is fully as attractive as the exterior.
As to the latter, innumerable beds of flowers, the
fragrant perfume from which fills the air, are on
all sides; the green clinging tendrils of vines of
ivy tenaciously hang to the sides of the house;

Around the United States by Bicycle 265

while several large tree-like masses of purple flow-
ers, fairly dazzle the eye with their rich colors.

We cross the Perdido River, which forms the
bomidary line between Alabama and Florida, and
immediately upon the other side is Muscogee.

This IS but a large saw mill, employed in which
there are perhaps two hundred men. A company
store, which deals in all kinds of merchandise, sup-
plies the needs of the people; outside of these there
is virtually nothing, the whole being merely a
large lumbering camp.

We are now but twenty miles from Pensacola,
and we cover three-fourths of this distance by
using the ^^ relay," but as we find that in the last
■^ve miles there is an excellent built road all the
way to Pensacola, we tie the machines together
and tow the broken bicycle, the man in front doing
the pulling while the other calmly sits upon the
disabled machine and views the passing landscape.

Although Pensacola has a population of but
twelve thousand inhabitants, this is greatly in-
creased for the time being by hordes of ^' Uncle
Sam's Blue Jackets," there being at present in
the harbor the entire Atlantic Coast Fleet of war-
ships, consisting of nearly thirty-five battleships,
cruisers, gunboats, and torpedo boats. The com-
plement of one of these battleships is something
like seven hundred men. On each day a hundred
men are given shore leave from each vessel, with
the result that the small and tranquil town of

266 Around the United States by Bicycle

Pensacola fairly bristles with ^^Jackies." Owing
to the fact that the majority of them had been
kept on the sea for such a long time, more privil-
eges were allowed them, so that with this immense
number of ''salts'' turned loose and bidden to do
what they chose, pandemonium reigned supreme.

Pensacola Harbor is counted one of the best
south of Boston on the Atlantic Coast; long and
narrow, almost land locked, and even though a
storm be raging upon the Grulf, the waters of the
harbor are affected but little.

On a small gasoline launch we take a trip across
the bay to the life-saving station, which is situated
on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico. A strong gale
is blowing so that the rollers are dashing upon the
shore line with terrific and thunderous force. On
our passage over and back we dodge among the
battleships, colossal masses of steel, the hulls of
which are painted white, while the upper works,
turrets, etc., are yellow.

HARBOR SCENE, PENSACOI.A, FI^ORIDA.

CHAPTEE EIGHTEENTH.

THE FAMOUS LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AT CHATTANOOGA,

TENNESSEE.

As Pensacola is the only city whicli we are com-
pelled to pass through in Florida, our route now
lies directly northward back into Alabama to
Montgomery, the capital city.

For sixteen miles we traverse the same road
over which we so recently entered Pensacola. This
is the only distance in the entire tour of 13,407
miles that we doubled on our route. For the re-
mainder of the state of Florida, until we enter
a small village called Flomaton, which is just over
the state line in Alabama, it is heavy sand, very
hilly and through dense pine forest, over a greater
part of which it is necessary for us to walk. It is
now the first week in April, and the weather is
very torrid, so that we toil wearily along under
a blazing sun with perspiration trickling down
our faces and arms, and welling from every pore.
But as Flomaton is but forty-four miles from
Pensacola, an end soon comes to this state of
affairs.

Five days' travel from Pensacola brings us to
Montgomery, 119 miles from Flomaton, our way
alternating between the railroad and the wagon
road. As the latter was in poor condition, we

268 Around the United States by Bicycle

made ^^slow but sure" progress. The soil is of
reddish clay, and but a small percentage of the
land seems to be under cultivation; copses of tim-
ber several acres in size dot the landscape. The
bulk of the labor is performed by the negroes,
their dilapidated and tumble down shanties being
a frequent sight. There are quite a number of
small villages and fairly good sized towns, but in
many features it is far behind the general march
of civilization.

We pass through a fruit belt, where strawber-
ries and garden vegetables are raised, the entire
output being shipped to northern consumers. At
one farm radishes are being packed with ice into
barrels and for these the producer receives from
the jobbers nine dollars per barrel, it is left for the
reader to calculate how much the poor frozen
Northerner is compelled to pay for this toothsome
delicacy.

Since we have entered the southern states, we
note that the snuff habit is very general amongst
the women. This is a most disgusting and loath-
some habit, especially for the fair sex. The snuff
is tobacco ground to a powder. A conversation
with a ^ ^ snuff fiend ' ' is punctuated by her stopping
ever and anon to expectorate, while the sides of
the mouth are artistically decorated with a brown-
ish streak.

Montgomery, population 38,000, is a most beau-
tiful city built in a hollow from which it is impos-

Around the United States by Bicycle 269

sible to reach the outskirts without climbing steep
hills. In the heart of the business section five
streets radiate from a common center forming the
points of a star; in this large paved area, known as
Court Square, is a magnificent fountain. The most
of the streets are very wide, and an air of refine-
ment and wealth hangs about the residence sec-
tion. A vast horde of northern tourists have
homes here in which they spend the winter, and
from these the city gets much of its prosperity.
The state capitol is very old and is built on a hill.
At its side is a massive monument consisting of
a stone column nearly a hundred feet in height
surmounted by a statue which represents ^'The
Confederacy;" at the base are four statues, one at
each corner, representing different types of Con-
federate patriots. The corner stone of this monu-
ment was laid on April 29, 1886, by Jefferson
Davis. This state house boasts of having been the
first Capitol of The Southern Confederacy; a large
bronze plate inlaid in the floor at the entrance
bears an inscription which states that Jefferson
Davis stood upon this exact spot when taking the
oath as President of the Confederate States of
America.

We leave Montgomery, taking a northeasterly
course until the state line between Georgia and
Alabama is reached, from which we will travel
in a direct northerly course to Chattanooga, Ten-
nessee.

270 Around the United States by Bicycle

For twenty-seven miles out of Montgomery
everything is beautiful, and we travel over a built
road which is as hard as pavement, and over
which we fairly fly. But darkness envelopes us
within its folds seventeen miles from the first
town, which is Tuskegee, immediately following
which we cross a long stretch of low-land and
swamp, where the mud is sticky, and puddles of
dirty and stagnant water are in the road. Our
cyclometers by the light of a match show that we
have walked five miles through this mud, and as
there is no hope of reaching the town tonight, and
we are nearly exhausted, we keep a wary eye for
some place where we can sleep for the remainder
of the night. Nothing but the occasional shacks
of negroes, which are dilapidated and tumble
down affairs, can be seen along the road. But we
finally come to a church, which, after a slight in-
vestigation, we enter through an open window,
and prepare to stretch our weary bones on the
floor.

About midnight we are awakened from a pro-
found slumber by most terrific peals of thunder,
accompanied by frequent and vivid flashes of
lightning, while the rain beats against the roof
and sides of the church as if it might at any time
wash it away. This is accompanied by a terrific
gale of wind, a veritable hurricane, causing the
building to creak and groan like a human being.
We listen to this unusual frenzied disturbance of

Around the United States by Bicycle 271

the elements with trepidation, expecting at almost
any moment to have the rickety church crashing
down upon ns. But nothing so serious happens,
although the storm rages until almost daylight,
when it suddenly subsides, and we arise at five
o'clock just as the sun in all its ethereal glory
rises above the horizon, causing the dripping
twigs and branches of trees to sparkle like dia-
monds.

The heavy rainfall had increased the muddy
condition of the road so that the red clay persisted
in adhering to any object with which it came in
contact, and for the remainder of the way to Tus-
kegee we have the delightful recreation of carry-
ing our machines on our backs while we slip and
slide in the mud.

Here is located the famous Booker T. Washing-
ton Colored Institute, which is doing much to
improve the condition of the negro. This school
has many large and spacious buildings, and has
an enrolled attendance of thirteen hundred stu-
dents. In connection with and owned by the col-
lege are six thousand acres of land. The aim of
this educational movement for the uplifting of
the negro is to teach the different crafts of prac-
tical benefit to the working class.

In the course of one day we pass through three
towns, the names of which are tongue twisters,
Loachapoka, Notasulga, and Opelika.

Now following the track, then again for a few

272 Around the United States by Bicycle

miles traveling the wagon road, delayed consid-
erably by night rains, which keep the soil muddy
and soft, we travel through the remainder of Ala-
bama and cross the line, entering Georgia at a
small but neat little town called West Point.

From here we journey in a northward direction,
passing through numerous small villages and a
few towns, chief of which are Newnan, Tallapoosa,
Carrollton, and Rome.

Here at Rome we find that we have traveled 190
miles from Tuskegee, Alabama. This is a small
city of possibly twenty thousand, metropolitan in
some ways, and like its ancient namesake built on
seven hills.

Following is a clipping from a weekly news-
paper in one of the small Georgia villages, the
proprietor and editor being an exceedingly crusty
old individual, who always makes it his policy to
print items of local interest in an honest straight-
forward manner, and one wonders how it is pos-
sible for him to have any circulation at all.

Here are several items reproduced word for
word from the issue of the paper which we saw :

^'John Doyle, our grocer, is doing a poor busi-
ness. His store is dirty, dusty, and odoriferous.
How can he expect to do much?''

^'Rev. Styx preached Sunday night on charity.
The sermon was punk. If the reverend gentleman
would live up a little closer to what he preaches
he'd have larger congregations."

Around the United States by Bicycle 273

^^Dave Sonkey died at Ms home in this place
last Sunday. The doctor gave it out as heart fail-
ure. The fact is he was drunk, and whiskey is
what killed him. His home was a rented shack on
Eowdy Street.''

^^ Married — Miss Sylvia Ehodes and James
Canaan, Saturday evening, at the Baptist parson-
age. The bride is a very ordinary town girl, who
don't know any more about cooking than a rabbit,
and never helped her mother three days in her life.
She is not a beauty by any means, and has a gait
like a fat duck,"

All over the South we find that the negro is not
considered as a human being, but more as a chat-
tel, something made to work like a machine, with
no human feelings or desires such as the white
man possesses. He is treated with contempt and
scorn, with the result that a negro lives in abject
terror of a white man. So closely is the color line
drawn that in all public places a separate com-
partment is always reserved for the negro. At
all railroad stations and all trains signs of
** Waiting Eoom For Colored Only," and ^^This
Car For Colored Passengers Only, ' ' will be seen.

Now as we proceed northward, toward the Ten-
nessee line and approach the southern end of the
Alleghanies, the country becomes more rugged
and very hilly, while in the distance the blue and
indistinct outlines of mountain ranges are seen.

If the gentle reader has infant offspring which

18]

274 Around the United States by Bicycle

he is at a loss how to name, we suggest the follow-
ing, all being names of rivers in Georgia: Chat-
tahootchie, Oostanaula, Etowah, and Coosa.

We cross a small range of mountains through a
gap, the road winds and twists, and the grade is
very steep, but we succeed in crossing without
difficulty.

La Fayette, a small hamlet twenty-eight miles
from Chattanooga, we reach by an excellent turn-
pike built by the government.

When within ^ve miles of Chattanooga, we enter
into the boundaries of the Chickamauga National
Park, which consists of 5,000 acres, and is reserved
by the government to commemorate the Battles
of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge fought
here during the Civil War. Huge metallic tablets
giving names and detailed description of the
bodies of troops which occupied this ground dur-
ing the battles, have been erected at hundreds of
places all over the battle ground, so that even a
child could follow the movements of the armies
during the battle. In many places batteries of
cannon are drawn up, occupying the very position
which they held during the engagement. There
are monuments without number scattered all over
the Park in memory of different divisions and
regiments, some of them works of art and costing
fabulous sums of money.

Chattanooga, with a population of thirty-five
thousand, is completely surrounded by mountains,

Around the United States by Bicycle 275

chief of which is Lookout Mountain, which vir-
tually overhangs the city, although its base is two
miles from the city. Through this valley, with
many devious twists and turns, the Tennessee
Eiver, a yellow, dirty, and muddy stream, flows
through the city. The city itself is a conglomera-
tion of odds and ends, and impresses one but lit-
tle.

The summit of Lookout Mountain is three thou-
sand feet above the level of Chattanooga. It is
reached by a cable car, which ascends almost per-
pendicularly up the side of the mountain, and is
a most daring engineering undertaking, as in some
places the grade is fifty-seven feet to every one
hundred, and as one looks at it from the city it
appears as if it were indeed a vertical incline.
For a novelty we decide to climb up the mountain
side, although we are told that it will be a most
arduous task. We consume several hours in mak-
ing the ascent, but as we near the top, the govern-
ment has built steps, with the assistance of which
we easily reach the summit. The mountain is in
the shape of a triangle, and terminates in a most
abrupt and sharp point. A perpendicular wall of
bare, bleak rock, nearly fifty feet in height, ex-
tends around it near the summit, and this wall is
called ^ ' The Palisades. ' ' All the way up the slope
of the mountain we see many markers and monu-
ments which are commemorative of the Battle of
Lookout Mountain.

276 Around the United States by Bicycle

On the extreme point, with one of its extended
ends overhanging an abyss which is a sheer drop
of several thousand feet, stands what is known as
^^ Umbrella Eock,'' a huge balanced mass which
somewhat resembles an umbrella.

As the top of the mountain was held by the Con-
federates during the battle, but was afterward
evacuated, it has a great deal of historical import-
ance attached to it, so the United States Govern-
ment is building a massive wall which will en-
close this space, the entrance through a most
artistic gateway, on each side of which are tur-
rets, a very clever arrangement.

There are many beautiful mansions here, a
street car line, and a magnificent and mammoth
hotel, which is called ** Lookout Inn.'' We walk
farther back on the mountain, where we see ^ ' The
Natural Bridge," one of the many strange works
from the hand of Dame Nature.

We descend by means of the cable car, and al-
though several of the lady passengers aboard sit
in the bottom of the car and fervently pray for
their safe arrival at the bottom, there is nothing
very thrilling or hair-raising in the ride down-
ward.

NATURAI, BRIDGE, I^OOKOUT MT., TENNESSKE-

CHAPTEE NINETEENTH.

ACROSS THE CAROLINAS BY MEANS OF "SHANKS MARES."

From Chattanooga we head for Atlanta, which
is 138 miles distant, passing through Dalton, Cal-
houn, Cartersville, and Marietta, all of which can
boast of a population of several thousand, and are
very neat and attractive. For fifty miles south-
ward it is very mountainous, but we at last get out
of the real mountains, yet find that the country is
very hilly all the way to Atlanta, while the wagon
roads are so very poor, that we are compelled to
follow the railroad nearly all the time, although
occasionally for a few miles at a time we are able
to ride the dirt road.

At a village called Einggold we spend the night
with an ex-Confederate General, who was in the
Civil War from the beginning to the bitter end,
taking active part in thirty-two different battles,
in all of which he received but one slight wound,
certainly a most remarkable record. He enter-
tained us with many glowing accounts of various
battles, one of which, the Battle of Einggold Gap,
was fought in the immediate vicinity of the vil-
lage. He exhibited many relics of this battle, giv-
ing us out of his large collection, a rusty old bayo-
net and several bullets, which we appreciated very
much.

278 Around the United States by Bicycle

Along the entire distance to Atlanta, we are
constantly passing battle grounds. We spend the
night at what is known as Kennesaw, but during
the Civil War was Big Shanty, which occupies a
most prominent page in history. Here it was that
Capt. Andrews of the U. S. A., together with twen-
ty volunteers, who were afterward dubbed **The
Andrews ' Eaiders, ^ ' in broad daylight, and in the
heart of the enemy's country, captured a valuable
and important railway engine of the Confederates,
known as "The General." They were immedi-
ately pursued, but not until they had traveled
nearly a hundred miles, and had almost reached
their destination in safety did lack of fuel compel
them to abandon ^ ' The General, ' ' and these daring
Yankees were compelled to flee for their lives.
This is counted one of the most daring acts of
the war.

We finally reach Atlanta, capital of Georgia and
metropolis of the South, having the usual run of
troubles with our machines, and delayed and hin-
dered by rains.

Atlanta is sometimes called ^ ^ the Chicago of the
South," owing to the numerous high buildings
known as ''sky-scrapers," there being a number
of fourteen and seventeen story structures, while
the ''Coca Cola Co." are building one of twenty-
three stories. However, the business section is far
from artistic, it being jumbled into a small area^
a bewildering mass of irregular streets.

Around the United States by Bicycle 279

As it is Saturday evening, and the day preced-
ing Easter, we stroll down Decatur Street, which
is narrow, dimly lighted, and lined with infamous
resorts, a veritable den of iniquity. The bulk of
the ^'dens^' are operated by negroes, and it is a
<< nigger street.'' Here we enjoy a sight which is
certainly unique. The sidewalk is a seething mass
of negro men and women, all of whom seem to be
in the best of spirits, laughing boisterously and
chatting in loud exuberance; innumerable low-
class lunch rooms are crowded to overflowing with
both sexes, who seem to be eating as if their very
lives depended upon it, meanwhile being active
participants in the hilarous scene which is taking
place around them; here surely is a most happy-
go-lucky race of people, whose chief desire in life
seems to be to have a light heart and a full stom-
ach always.

At Grant's Park, which is located near the out-
skirts of the city, we gaze upon a most wonderful
painting which is supposed to represent the Battle
of Atlanta as it was originally fought during the
War. This is in a large circular building called
^ ^ The Cyclorama, ' ' the painting forming the entire
side walls of the structure, which one views from
a raised platform in the center of the building. In
the enclosed ground space are strewn rusty and
dilapidated cannon, while through the center there
extends what is remaining of a railroad, the orig-
inal road-bed now being strewn with twisted rails

280 Around the United States by Bicycle

and debris from the battle, while at different
places are dummies representing dead soldiers
lying prone upon the ground. The whole is so
constructed, and the painting and the real so
blend, that for a moment one is unable to distin-
guish one from the other. The painting itself is
a panoramic view of the battle, and represents
territory which has a radius of twenty miles. The
soldiers, cavalry, artillery, and even the topo-
graphy of the surrounding country, is so realistic,
and the desultory firing, volleys, and discharge
of cannon, so accurately depicted, that one almost
imagines himself an eye witness to the battle.
The cost of this most wonderful painting was
$37,500, and ^ve years were consumed in pre-
paring it.

From Atlanta our objective point is Greenwood,
South Carolina, which we reach after five days'
travel through a most hilly country, where the
roads run at will and are bounded by neither
fences nor section lines, twisting and angling in
all directions, so that many times we are at a loss
to know which is the right one.

We are entertained at "Winder, Georgia, by one
of the officials of the town, which has a population
of nearly five thousand; and while on our way to
a lecture scheduled for that evening and consid-
ered one of the social treats of the year, our atten-
tion is attracted to a large blaze which seems to be
on the outskirts. We lose no time in rushing to

Around the United States by Bicycle 281

the scene of the conflagration, for as there is no
fire protection whatever here, the aid and assist-
ance of each person is more than welcome. It is
a long run of more than half a mile, now across
a ploughed field to vault a fence, now to run at
break-neck speed down a steep hill, up the other
side, and so on. Our august friend, who was very-
portly and had exceptionally short legs, was eas-
ily distanced, and the last time I remember
seeing him was when, upon looking over my
shoulder, I saw him frantically endeavoring to
crowd his huge avoirdupois through an eighteen-
inch opening between a pair of bars which
answered as a gate, meanwhile puffing like the
exhaust on a locomotive, while an ejaculation of
surprise and disgust at his failure to crowd
through this small space was hurled in rather
slow and uncertain accents upon the air. This
I pieced together as being: ''B-B-B-1-e-s-s M-M-y
S-S-S-o-u-1 b-u-t this is HELL!''

The fire proved to be a barn from which a house
was not far distant, and as there was a stiff wind
blowing, there was danger of this catching fire.
By this time half of the population of the town
was present, some carried buckets of water, while
others made haste to carry the furniture out of
the house, and all helped in any way that it was
possible.

As soon as the night watchman had discovered
the fire, he shot his revolver into the air, mean-

282 Around the United States by Bicycle

while shouting like a maniac with all his might
and main; every school and church bell rang fur-
iously; while the whistles of several manufactur-
ing institutions located here tooted in ear-piercing
shrieks, so that pandemonium was on all sides.

But at last the fire is under control, after the
structure is almost razed to the ground, and we
depart for the lecture, after having been taken in
tow by our fat friend.

We find that the state of Georgia on the whole
is much better than Alabama, and as we proceed
northward and eastward, we note that there are
fewer negroes and more white men at labor in the
fields. The country seems to be somewhat better,
although the houses are of the same type which is
predominant in all the southern states, small one-
story, unpainted, dreary, and bleak looking cot-
tages.

The Georgia-South-Carolina Boundry is crossed,
and we are compelled to take the railroad track
for a short distance, after which we find a wagon
road which looks fairly good, but we travel less
than five miles when we meander off into an im-
penetrable forest where the road loses itself. We
wander around for a time and play hide and seek
with ourselves. Accidentally straying upon a lone
individual chopping trees into firewood, we are
directed aright and go on our way rejoicing.

Here at Greenwood we find that we have trav-
eled 10,031 miles, and have been on the road con-

'THREE OF A KIND."

Around the United States by Bicycle 283

tinuously a year, lacking four days, covering
twenty-nine states and four territories in that
time.

Owing to a heavy rain we are compelled to
walk the track for fifty miles, passing through
small villages, thus consuming two days and fin-
ally spending the second night at a place called
Whitmore. Here, through the courtesy of one of
the officials, we are shown through a cotton mill.
We see the raw cotton fed into a huge machine
which is located in the basement ; then we are tak-
en to the top floor, -Q^e stories up, and shown the
next process, then every floor in turn until we come
to the first floor, where we see the cotton cloth be-
ing packed into large bales, the size of which are
nearly the same as those which contained the raw
cotton when it was first fed into the machinery.
Our guide tells us that the machinery alone in this
mill cost something like a million dollars, and some
of these machines are so complicated and perform
so many almost impossible things that they ap-
pear almost human. Owing to the fact that there
is no compulsory school law in this state, we see
innumerable small children, both boys and girls,
some of them mere tots, ranging from five to ten
years of age, employed at simple tasks, thread-
ing their way among the dangerous, roaring, and
humming machinery with apparent unconcern.
This is surely a touching sight, and is a disgrace
to modern civilization. "We are told that many of

284: Around the United States by Bicycle

the older employees are unable to read or write,
having been employed since childhood in the mills,
so that no opportunity was given them to acquire
an education.

With a walk of thirty more miles on the rail-
road, during which we cross numerous long and
high wooden trestles on which the ties are nearly
two feet apart, so that one has the enjoyable sen-
sation of peering down into the depths below,
Chester, a town of three thousand inhabitants, is
reached. The weather now is very hot and sultry,
and we perspire freely.

For thirty-six hours, during a continuous down-
pour of rain, we are held in Chester, but on the
morning of the second day, although the sky is
overcast and threatening, we make what little
progress we can by walking the railroad track.
As Chester is but a short distance from the North
Carolina state line, during the afternoon we enter
into this, our thirtieth state.

Covering a little over one hundred miles, and
passing through Monroe and Wadesboro, we ar-
rive at Eockingham, having been compelled to fol-
low the railroad track all the distance, and having
several rather peculiar mishaps.

Across a most dangerous trestle spanning the
Peedee Eiver, a half mile long, from which on the
preceding night a man was hurled into eternity,
we pick our way with trembling and shaking
limbs, momentarily expecting a train to dash upon

Around the United States by Bicycle 285

us, perhaps to throw us into the waters of the
swift-flowing stream fully a hundred feet below.
But it is the only way by which we are able to
cross, and though the risk is great we reach the
other side to find that we are still together and
alive.

At another point, while we step off the track to
permit a freight train to pass, an iron rod fully
eight feet long, projecting from the trucks of one
of the cars deals me a teriffic blow on the leg
which fells me to the ground like a log. The pain
is so great that I almost faint, but though Darling
afterward tells me that my face became as white
as chalk, I succeeded in retaining consciousness.
Gradually the faintness leaves me, and in the
course of twenty minutes, with Darling's assis-
tance, I hobble beneath the shade of a tree nearby.
By chafing and constant rubbing I am somewhat
relieved and an hour later I am able to proceed,
very slowly, it is true, and then only with acute
pain at every step. But as we are only a few
miles from a village where I procure medical as-
sistance, and where we spend the night, I think
myself most fortunate.

We leave Eockingham headed for Ealeigh, and
after a few miles' travel we find ourselves in an
immense wilderness consisting of sand, grub oaks,
and underbrush, not a habitation of any descrip-
tion to relieve the monotony, and counting our-

286 Aro2md the United States by Bicycle

selves fortunate that this is traversed by a rail-
road.

But like an oasis, after an all day's weary,
weary journey in the wilds, Southern Pines, a very
pretty resort town, settled by northern people ex-
clusively and dubbed "The Yankee Town" by the
natives, is reached and forms a delightful surprise.

At Southern Pines we learn that Raleigh is sev-
enty-five miles away. We follow the railroad until
within eight miles of that capital city, but I have
great trouble with my tires. I stop frequently
to repair punctures, and, at one place, I spend
nearly half a day in this pleasing occupation. But
strange to relate, I succeeded in riding all the way
to Raleigh, a distance of eight miles, over a most
excellent road without a single further mishap.

Raleigh is a very pretty little city. The resi-
dential portion is traversed by wide streets, well-
lined with shade trees and paved with asphalt.
At the head of Fayetteville St., the main business
thoroughfare on which the brick pavement is so
rough that it is really a disgrace to the city, the
state house is located. This occupies a square
block and is surrounded by well-kept grounds.
The building is of very ancient architecture, and
the interior is gloomy and forbidding. For such
a small city there are quite a number of small
park-like resting places in different localities.

An all night rain which extends into noon of the

Around the United States by Bicycle 28T

next day prevents us from leaving Ealeigh, but
finally, at two o'clock, ''Old Sol" presents his
beaming countenance from behind the clouds, and
we make haste to depart.

For fifteen miles we have good riding, up hill
and down over a built macadamized road, but after
this we accidentally stray into a bed of red clay
which extends for nearly four miles, and which,
for adhesiveness, we found unequaled.

Six o'clock finds us 21 miles from Ealeigh at a
small town called Wake Forest, at which there
is located a small college. Owing to commence-
ment exercises in progress, every available lodg-
ing and boarding house in the place is filled to
overflowing, of which we are fully satisfied when
we make a house to house canvass, all to no avail.
Just as we enter this place, I discover that I have
a puncture in one of my tires, and as it is now
too dark to attempt to repair it to-night, and we
can find no accommodations here we walk four
miles to the next village, and arrive only to meet
another disappointment. There are only three
places in the village where accommodations are
to be obtained, and these, owing to the fact that
there is a traveling concert company from a re-
form school giving entertainments here, are com-
pletely filled. We buy a lunch of crackers and
cheese in a grocery and succeed in obtaining the
consent of the night operator to stretch ourselves

288 Around the United States by Bicycle

out upon the floor of the station-room, using our
shoes for pillows. During the night a terrible
storm rages, the wind blows a gale, while terrific
peals of thunder rend the air, which is illuminated
by the ghastly flashes of lightning; meanwhile the
rain falls in torrents, and all this is made more
enjoyable by the passing fast trains which shoot
through as if hurled from a catapult.

A PECUI.IAR RAII^ROAD TRESTLE, N. C.

CHAPTEE TWENTIETH.

IN WHICH WE HAVE A FEW PLEASING EXPERIENCES
WITH THE "OLD DOMINION ARISTOCRACY."

We follow the railroad through the remainder
of the state, and cross the line into Virginia, which
is the last of the Southern States, for which we are
extremely thankful. We pass through Hender-
son, where we are delayed by rain; while we are
canvassing the town, a sympathetic barber takes
compassion upon us, and donates to each of us a
shave. We certainly do need it, as before the
*' shearing act'' was performed we both looked as
if we might be near relatives of '^ Jo-Jo, The Dog
Faced."

We cross several wooden trestles, which are
very high and are constructed in the most pecu-
liar manner. A long, shed-like affair, completely
enclosed; on the top of which the track is laid, vir-
tually on the roof.

Since we have entered the Southern States, we
have experienced a very poor sale for our souve-
nirs, and this we account for in many ways. The
South is far from being in a prosperous condition,
and consequently money is not plentiful; there is
more prejudice existing against the Northerner,
or ^ ^ the Yankees, " as we are called, than one can

19]

290 Around the United States by Bicycle

imagine; upon canvassing towns, onr accent very
readily branded us as such, so that the sales were
few and far between. Of the $160.00 which we
possessed on leaving California, we have but twen-
ty-five dollars, which includes monies received
from souvenirs sold in the meantime. According-
ly we have far from a pleasant prospect. Moreover
we shall soon travel from Washington, D. C. on-
ward up the Atlantic coast to Portland, Maine,
through almost a continuous chain of large cities,
so that we shall hardly be on the outskirts of one
before we shall find ourselves within the precincts
of another, which state of affairs will hardly be
propitious for a large sale of souvenirs, so that we
begin to have forebodings of not being able to live
up to the conditions of the wager for the purse of
$5,000, but we resolve at least to do our best.

One hundred and six miles of travel over the
railroad track in Virginia brings us to Eichmond,
passing through a country which is not much bet-
ter than any of the other Southern States, more
particularly Alabama, Georgia, South and North
Carolinas, presenting a wild and barren appear-
ance, although there seems to be more acreage cul-
tivated in Virginia than in some of the others.

We have several amusing experiences with the
aristocratic Virginian families, many of which, af-
ter the war, having lost all their negro servants,
are forced to earn their living by other means than
tilling the soil. Many, especially in the smaller

Around the United States by Bicycle 291

towns and villages, conduct a sort of combination
hotel and boarding-house.

At a small village in which there is only one
place where strangers are accommodated and
which a family, descendants of the old aristocracy
of Virginia, are the proprietors, after much hag-
gling and pleading and being compelled to pay our
bill in advance, we are finally admitted, but even
then only with suspicion and overbearing con-
tempt, to which we are subjected chiefly because
our apparel does not appear genteel. The hostess,
gowned in spotless white, is accompanied by her
mother, and both examine us much as if we are
a species of animal recently discovered, but, as the
scrutiny appears to be dissatisfying, each with an
aristocratic toss of the head, which has doubtless
been practiced many times until proficiency has
been acquired, turn on their heels and leave, ad-
vising us, in a voice which would transform burn-
ing flame into icicles, that if there is anything
about which we need information we shall find
the negro porter in the back room.

At supper we are not permitted to eat at the
table with the others, but are given a small table
at one side, and by many ways we are given to un-
derstand that we are social inferiors to these aris-
tocratic lineal descendants of the blue-blooded
Virginians. Instead of being hurt by these many
snubs, on the contrary we are much amused. We
learn that these people are dependent upon quests

292 Around the United States by Bicycle

for their support, and that even the house in which
they conduct their hostelry is rented, and yet they
think themselves AEISTOCRATS! This is a fair
sample of many of the old Virginian families, too
proud to work, some of which nearly starve them-
selves that they may be able to dress in the height
of fashion.

We have much difficulty on account of frequent
rains, and nearly every night there is a thunder
storm, followed the next day by a hot, sweltering,
and blazing sun.

So far in this state we have passed through but
one town, which is Petersburg, and outside of this
there are only a few scraggy and forlorn-looking
villages.

Richmond is but twenty-two miles from Peters-
burg, and to reach the capital we follow the rail-
road the entire distance, there being little villages
and stations but a few miles apart.

Of all the cities which it has been our pleasure
to see, Richmond has positively the worst and
roughest pavement of any. It is situated in a most
hilly region, and it is hardly possible to travel over
a quarter of a mile on any street without being
compelled to climb a steep ascent. If one desires
to live in Richmond, lessons should first be taken
of the famous and world-renowned Swiss moun-
tain-climbers.

There are innumerable historical features at-
tached to this rather sleepy old city. We view the

Around the United States by Bicycle 293

former residence of Eobert E. Lee and Jefferson
Davis; an old and quaint building used by George
Washington as his military headquarters during
the Eevolutionary War; the famous Washington
monument which stands in the capitol grounds;
the Robert E. Lee monument; the former site of
that den of horrors, Libby Prison, and many oth-
ers of a like nature.

The state capitol is situated on the side of a hill
and is a most common affair, but is placed in the
midst of a spacious park, at one side of which is
the Governor's Mansion.

Directly back of the state house, on Broad St.,
stands the city hall of Richmond, a most magnifi-
cent building, a bewildering mass of turrets and
spires, the interior of which is resplendent in mar-
bles and color decorations.

There are but few metropolitian features in
Richmond, and the architecture of the buildings
is of very old style, although the residential sec-
tion does much to off-set the uncouth appearance
and narrow streets of the business portion. There
are innumerable small parks, while ^^The Jeffer-
son," ^^ Murphy's,'' and ^'The Richmond" are the
leading hotels in the city.

Li many sections throughout the South we have
noticed that prisoners are compelled to labor in
digging excavations, improving roads, and many
other menial tasks of a like nature, dressed in the
regulation striped suits under the scrutiny of a

294 Around the United States by Bicycle

guard who carries a loaded gun ready for instant
use.

We find that we are 116 miles from Washington.
We travel nearly seventy miles on the railroad
track, a double track system nearly all the way, on
which there is fairly good riding. The country is
fully as wild as it was in the southern part of the
state, and small villages consisting of a few stores
and about the same number of houses range sever-
al miles apart.

We reach Fredericksburg, which is a town of
six thousand inhabitants, and, judging from ap-
pearance, about that many years old. Narrow
streets, with styles of architecture which were in
vogue during the Revolutionary times, while a
quietness and air of indolence and repose hovers in
the air. Certainly a most sleepy town. Here is
located the home of George Washington's mother,
a very small yellow brick house.

Shortly after leaving Fredericksburg we cross
the historic Rappahannock River over a very high
and long steel railway trestle, beneath which at
least a hundred feet the yellow waters eddy and
boil.

At a small village called Quantico, we are unable
to purchase either meals or lodging, and are com-
pelled to buy a lunch in one of the stores and spend
the night in the depot.

Mile after mile we follow near the shore of the
mighty Potomac, which at its widest point is four

'THK WAY THEV DO IT IX THE vSOUTH.

Around the United States by Bicycle 295

and a half miles in width. This is a beautiful riv-
er, its clear limpid waters rolling onward without
a murmur or ripple.

When fourteen miles from Alexandria we learn
that from this point onward there is a good wagon
road, and we gladly leave the track to travel over
the hilliest kind of country, but over a fairly good
road. When within seven miles of our destination,
Darling has the misfortune to break the frame of
his machine, which necessitates our covering the
balance of the distance by the aid of the ^^ relay."

Alexandria is practically a suburb of Washing-
ton, being but seven miles distant, and has a pop-
ulation of about twenty thousand. There are
many historical features attached to it, chief of
which are, ' ^ the Old Christ Church, ' ' where Wash-
ington worshipped; ^^Ye Braddock," and ^^Ye
Carlyle'' hotels, very ancient and interesting
structures ; while seven miles from the city, at Mt.
Vernon, is the birth-place and home of Washing-
ton. In various portions of the city are many an-
cient and old-style colonial structures suggestive
of Revolutionary days.

As Darling is unable to get his bicycle repaired
in the manner that he wishes here in Alexandria,
we arise early and use our * ^ relay, '^ reaching
Washington, the capital city of the glorious
United States of America, before the city is astir.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.

BEAUTIFUL, WASHINGTON AND HISTORICAL, PHILA-
DELPHIA.

Without doubt Washington is the most beautiful
city in the whole United States. Wide, park-like
streets, lined with a wealth of shade trees, even
the main business thoroughfare, Pennsylvania
Ave., being softened and made beautiful by the
green foliage of occasional trees.

Washington Monument, rising to the stupen-
dous height of 555 feet, being the highest monu-
ment in the world, and undoubtedly one of the
most famous, towers above the city, a grim and
austere sentinel. It is surrounded by spacious
grounds, which are in the form of a circle, in the
center of which is situated the monument, con-
structed of huge granite blocks. The base is fifty
feet square, and from this the monument gradually
becomes smaller, until, five hundred feet from
^' terra firma," the four sides begin to slope more
abruptly inward until they form a sharp apex, 555
feet from earth. On the interior the top is reached
by an elevator which is in charge of a most cour-
teous uniformed attendant, an employee of the
G-overnment, there being no charge whatever; or
if one wishes to walk, there are iron stairs, by

Around the United States by Bicycle 297

climbing which one can see the innumerable
memorial stones which are inlaid in the walls at
various places from top to bottom, there being
one from every state and territory in the Union,
and from the majority of the large cities. Five
hundred feet upward is as far as one is permitted
to ascend; here are four small windows, one on
each side of the towering structure, through which
one can obtain a view of the city. Owing to the
enormous height it seems as if the wind is blowing
a gale.

The Executive Mansion, or ^' White House," by
which it is better known, we visit. A portion is
open to tourists and strangers, so that we have an
opportunity of seeing the much talked about and
famous ''East Room," in which the Presidential
receptions and the more important social functions
are held. The interior is so beautiful, that the
furnishings and decorations fairly dazzle the eye;
the chandeliers by which the room is lighted are
hugh masses of cut-glass which shimmer and
sparkle like myriads of precious jewels. The ex-
terior and interior of the mansion is most closely
guarded by innumerable Secret Service men, but
while the visitors are treated by them in the most
courteous manner, beneath their suave manners
one can detect a most wary watchfulness.

In turn we are shown through the Army and
Navy building, a most magnificent and imposing
edifice, in which are the offices of the heads of the

298 Around the United States by Bicycle

Army and Navy, the two departments employing
some hundred of clerks; the United States Treas-
ury Building, in which, under the leadership of a
guide, we see more currency and money than we
ever hope to see at any future time. In this insti-
tution there are a host of ladies employed, young
and old, and we are told that the salaries paid are
very good, so that it makes a most pleasant and at
the same time, lucrative occupation; the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving, which is also a most
interesting sight; the National Capitol, which is
situated at the head of Pennsylvania Ave. We in-
spect it from the top of the dome to the basement
and from wing to wing, and surely it is a most
wonderful and beautiful structure, and the native
American can well feel proud that America has
such a building as the real seat of the Nation. The
interior decorations and furnishings are most
beautiful. As we ascend to the dome, we pause
an instant in horror to observe several painters
on a narrow ledge not much more than two feet
wide, which extends on the interior of the dome,
where a slight misstep or a sudden giddiness
would precipitate them through space to be
dashed, a pulpy mass of flesh and bones, on the
marble floor fully two hundred feet below! Next
we visit the Congressional Library, which is lo-
cated directly back of the Capitol, and is without
doubt the most wonderful and most beautiful
building in the whole world. The interior is im-

UNITED STATES CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Around the United States by Bicycle 299

possible to describe with justice; suffice it to state
that the total cost of this magnificent edifice was
$6,500,000, and on its shelves are 2,300,000 vol-
umes. Immediately upon entering an exclamation
of delight and surprise is forced from the most
apathetic, and one pauses to wonder how the hand
of man could possibly construct such a veritable
scene of enchantment, transported apparently
from the realms of fairy land. Many kinds of mar-
bles and precious stones aid in making this the
most artistic achievement of the age, as even the
best connoiseurs of the world admit.

It is with feelings of regret that we leave this
most beautiful and attractive city behind us, and
travel to Baltimore, which is fifty miles distant,
and at which we arrive at ^ve o ^clock in the after-
noon, having left the capital city at 8:35 a.'m.

We ride over a fine stone road nearly all the way,
and are constantly either climbing hills or being
dashed with terriffic velocity down a steep decline,
but as the road is excellent, we notice this rug-
gedness but little. A little more than an hour's
travel brings us out of the boundaries of the Dis-
trict of Columbia into the state of Maryland.
From here on until we arrive at Baltimore our
way is through a most beautiful and picturesque
country, all land under cultivation, green fields on
every side, either of growing crops or green mead-
ow, here and there dotted by small clumps of trees,
surely a most pleasant and refreshing scene after

300 Around the United States by Bicycle

having traveled through the barren and desolate
Southwestern and Southern States.

In this entire ride we have no trouble with our
machines except that we are compelled to stop to
repair one or two punctures. When within ten
miles of our destination, we virtually enter into
the precincts of Baltimore, as from here onward
the space is occupied by suburbs, of which there
are many, and which seem to adjoin one another,
so that it is almost a continuous thickly populated
district, until we reach the heart of Baltimore.

Although this is the sixth city in size in the
United States, it gives one the impression of a
small boy who has outgrown himself. It is located
in a most hilly region, and the most of the pave-
ment in the business section is of a rough-hewn
granite block, which makes far from a beautiful
or smooth surface. The extensive area of the
burned district, in which the principal business
houses of the city were located, and was practical-
ly the city's heart and industrial center is larger
than any one could imagine. Laborers and skilled
mechanics are laboring with all possible haste in
constructing huge and massive ^^sky-scrapers;"
everywhere in this region is a scene of confusion
and bustling, and of teeming energy; the air is
filled with the hoarse shouts of men in command,
the wheeze and clatter of dummy engines, and the
hissing and escaping steam from the colossal
cranes. Although innumerable mammoth struc-

V f^^-nj •*•

nwi iF^'iB

EXACT LOCATION (x) OF BEGINNING OF GREAT
BALTIMORE FIRE.

Around the United States by Bicycle 301

tures have already been erected in this district, to
the casual observer it hardly seems noticeable.

The city has many beauty spots, chief of which
is Mt. Vernon Place. It is a small park, a square
block, which is situated on the side of a hill in the
most aristocratic portion of the city, in the center
of which is an impressive monument, a stone tower
something like a hundred feet in height, the top of
which is surmounted by a bronze statue of George
Washington. The bottom has several fountain
arrangements, which lend to the scene attractive-
ness and freshness.

This is positively a city of flats, there being
block after block and mile after mile of nothing
else. We also see the Johns Hopkins Hospital,
which is claimed to be the largest institution of its
kind in the world.

We leave Baltimore in the afternoon bound for
Wilmington, Delaware. Darkness finds us at a
small village Which bears the name of Abingdon
at which we are unable to obtain accommodations,
es there is no hotel or boarding-house, or any peo-
ple who make a practice of sheltering the weary
traveler. Although we are ravenous, we can find
no place to buy a meal, and are forced to resort
to a grocery, where the old story is repeated, and
we fill our interiors with a lunch of sardines,
crackers, and cheese. While we eat our rather
scanty repast, we are plied with many questions
with reference to our trip by several persons, who

302 Around the United States by Bicycle

with a number of others are lounging in all atti-
tudes on cracker barrels, boxes, etc., as is the cus-
tom in small villages, to all of which, between
courses of cheese and crackers, we do our best to
reply. One of the group, an old man, upon learn-
ing that we have no prospect of a place to sleep,
proffers his assistance, telling us to come with him
down to his house, and that even though he and his
partner were living together, and sort of keeping
bachelor's retreat, he thought that possibly he
would be able to find some place for us to stretch
ourselves.

Our friend, with the aid of several horse blank-
ets and pieces of carpet, makes us a most comfort-
able ^'bunk" on the floor, in which we spend a
very restful night in delicious slumber.

We are awakened the next morning at five
o'clock, and bidden to partake of a breakfast
which is most appetizing, and to which we surely
do justice, fully attesting to the success of the cul-
inary efforts of our hosts.

We make a ride of fifty-four miles today, reach-
ing Wilmington, over very fine roads, with no dif-
ficulty with our machines, through a pretty coun-
try with small towns and villages scattered every
few miles, and what more can we wish! This cer-
tainly is '^Grod's Own Country."

From Havre De Grace, which is situated on the
banks of the Susquehanna Eiver, we are compelled
to cross the river on a trestle nearly a mile across.

Around the United States by Bicycle 303

We ride over this on a ten incli board which is laid
between the tracks, rather a ticklish experience,
but made necessary by the frequent passing of
trains.

Wilmington, although it has a population of
eighty thousand, has a business section which is
more fitting for a large village, there being a not-
able absence of the high buildings which are so
common to the Eastern cities. This also is a city
of tenements, and their grim, forbidding, and
squalid rows greet one on every side. This me-
tropolis of the state of Delaware boasts of forty-
eight miles of paved streets, and the same mile-
age of street car lines.

Here is situated the Old Swedes' Church, built
in 1698 A. D. by the Swedish colonists, the origi-
nal building now standing and in use, being the
oldest church in America founded by the colonists
now in actual use. The walls at the base are sev-
en feet thick and at the eaves two feet, a most
quaint looking building, located in the midst of
a grave yard, where are buried bodies which have
lain at rest for the last two hundred years. The
inside of this ancient structure is fitted with pews,
the same style as those in vogue in colonial times.

Something like a half mile from the church in
the midst of a dumping ground for the city's sew-
age and garbage, there is a small rock enclosed
by an iron fence, which bears the following in-
scription: '^This stone is a portion of the rock on

304 Around the United States by Bicycle

whicli landed the first Swedish colonists in Amer-
ica, 29, March, 1638. On this spot stood Fort
Christina. Here the Swedes held their first civil
courts, and in the chapel of the fort celebrated
their first Christian worship in the New World. ' '

A scanty stream of water which flows sluggish-
ly with extreme difficulty over innumerable rocky
boulders with which its bed is completely covered,
and which closely resembles a brooklet, is the not-
ed Brandywine, which Washington made famous
during the unequal struggle for independence in
'76.

A thirty mile ride over the best kind of roads,
all turnpike, brings us into Philadelphia. This
road is so thickly populated that it is almost the
same as traveling through a continuous city. Ches-
ter, which is sixteen miles froih the metropolis,
and located on the Delaware Eiver, has connected
with it a most historical event. Standing on the
exact spot on which William Penn landed on the
soil of America in October 28, 1682, protected from
the unscrupulous by stout iron bars, is a portion
of the original rock on which this most historical
individual disembarked in his new domain.

Philadelphia, which ranks third in size of the
large cities of the United States, is the most per-
fectly laid out city in the Union. No crooked, ang-
ling streets here, but all extend directly to the
four points of the compass, and this, together with
the most simple method of numeration of dwelling

Around the United States by Bicycle 305

and business places, makes it an ideal city for the
tourist and stranger to visit. Most metropolitan
in build, with innumerable towering and frowning
structures, the highest of which is the Land and
Title Building, boasting of twenty-three stories,
and the next highest being that of the Philadel-
phia North American, two stories lower than its
neighbor. The main business street of the city is
Broad St., which extends due north and south, 113
feet wide and of uniform width in its entire length,
the longest street in the world, being exactly twen-
ty miles from end to end, paved m^ostly with as-
phalt. As the city occupies the entire County of
Philadelphia, the City Hall is also the Court House
and is a most impressive and magnificent struc-
ture occupying a whole square, situated in the
very center of the bustling life of the metropolis.
This is built in the form of a castle, the center of
which is a huge court yard ; seven stories in height,
surmounted by a colossal tower on the top of
which rises a statue of William Penn, this image
of the founder of this glorious city being in itself
thirty-seven feet in height. The crown of Penn's
hat is exactly 548 feet above the pavement, or
only seven feet lower than the apex of the Wash-
ington monument in Washington. As appear-
ances with reference to height are very deceptive,
we are inclined to be incredulous, but through the
courtesy of one of the officials of the city we are
permitted to ascend to the very top, a platform

20]

306 Around the United States by Bicycle

whicli extends around the base of the statue of
William, and after taking one look upon the tops
of the tall sky-scrapers, the tallest of which are
far below us, we are speedily convinced. We are
told that this glorious edifice has a floor space of
fourteen and a half acres, and occupies four and
a half acres.

We are courteously shown through the Bellevue
Stratford Hotel, which is the most aristocratic in
Philadelphia, and are well nigh dazzled by the
splendor and luxuriousness of its equipment.

In the evening we stroll through the tenement
district, and behold a most unique and interesting
scene. All sizes, types, kinds, and colors of chil-
dren, ranging from small tots hardly able to walk
to large boys and girls, are playing in the most
boisterous manner, meanwhile dodging the traffic
and just stepping aside in the nick of time as a
street car passes. The street from curb to curb is
crowded with laughing, shouting, playing children
and one stops to pause and wonder where they all
came from. The side walk is also a crowded jam
of hurrying humanity, young girls and young men,
with a goodly number of the older generation; the
majority of the business places which line the
street are proprietored by descendants of the Heb-
rew family, being mostly pawn shops, second hand,
and clothing stores, in passing which it is almost
impossible to evade the sentinels who are stationed
on the walk and whose duty it is to keep a wary

Around the United States by Bicycle 307

eye for all the promising pedestrians, to persuade
them and to use if necessary a small amount of
force to direct the wandering foot steps of the pros-
pective customer to the inside of the shop, where
he turns him over to the tender mercies of a
gentleman with a hooked nose, whose duty it is to
sell you something before you leave, and in which
he generally succeeds.

As Philadelphia abounds with historical local-
ities and features, we spend the greater part of
a day in ** sight-seeing. " On Chestnut Street
stands that building most famous, most noted, and
dearest to the heart of the true American, Indepen-
dence Hall, where this grand and glorious repub-
lic received its birth by that simple act, yet which
meant so much, the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, on July 4th, 1776. The entire
building is open to visitors and is full of all man-
ner of relics, chief and most important of which
is the Liberty Bell, which is about three and a
half feet high. This is a brief history of it: cast
in England in 1752; recast in Philadelphia 1753;
rang for Independence July 8, 1776; July 8, 1835
broke while tolling for death of Chief Justice Mar-
shall of the U. S.

Independence Hall exhibits the silver ink stand
which was used in the signing of the Declaration
of Independence ; a piece of the original elm under
which Wm. Penn in 1682 made the treaty with the
Indians; (this tree blew down on March 5, 1810) ;

308 Around the United States by Bicycle

sofas and chairs used by Washington and Penn;
through a glass plate inlaid in the present floor
we see beneath it the original floor, when the hall
was first built; and lastly, the Declaration of In-
dependence, the original document, guarded from
wear and injury by a covering of glass.

Next we have the pleasure of standing in the
very room of the ^' Betsy Eoss House" in which
the first American flag was made, ' ^ the real birth-
place of Old Glory, ^ ' this quaint little house of pe-
culiar architecture stands on Arch Street and is
surrounded by frowning and gloomy buildings.
Also, a little farther up this street, in the very
heart of the bustling life of the city, separated
from the street by a stone wall, is a very small
cemetery, where rest many of the noted persons
who labored to build this present nation, which
is one of the powers of the world, among which
peacefully resting beneath two large slabs of
stone are that noted scientist and statesman, Ben-
jamin Franklin, and his wife.

In course of construction are an elevated rail-
way which is to traverse the outskirts, and a sub-
way which will undermine the business section,
and by which the present transportation system
will be very much relieved.

Philadelphia is an ideal city in almost every
respect. It is very level, and Broad Street, its
principal thoroughfare, is positively without a
superior.

BROAD ST., PH1I.ADKI.PH1A. I.OOKING TOWARD CITY HALT.

Around the United States by Bicycle 309

As we leave the heart of Philadelphia behind
us, it is with feelings of genuine regret, and we
feel as if are leaving an old friend. Our route
now lies up the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware
to Trenton, New Jersey, at which place we cross
into our thirty-fifth state.

As Trenton is but thirty-eight miles from Phila-
delphia, and nearly half of this distance is cov-
ered before we are even out of the real limits of
the latter city, we reach our destination traveling
over the best of stone road in less than half a day's
travel.

Trenton, although the capital of the state, and
with a population of seventy thousand, has not
much which would interest the stranger and tour-
ist. The Capitol building is of the dome variety,
but not so pronounced as the majority, rather
small and insignificant from the exterior, but the
interior is one of opulence, magnificence, and
splendor, made as beautiful as lavish decorations
and tinted marbles and costly stones can make.
It is claimed that Washington crossed the Dela-
ware but eight miles above Trenton, and as a com-
memoration of this most historical event there
stands in a small park a large, stone column, one
hundred and fifty feet in height, surmounted by
a statue of the General.

We are now but seventy miles from New York
City, to reach which we travel through almost a
continuous stretch of towns and cities, among

310 Around the United States by Bicycle

wMch are Princeton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth,
Newark, and Jersey City, all of which are large
cities.

This distance we travel over a most beautiful
macadamized road which is as smooth as a floor.
We meet hosts of automobiles going in the oppo-
site direction, and these we learn are on their way
down to the sea-shore, the most of them hailing
from New York City, this being Saturday after-
noon, and all business ceasing at noon in the
metropolis.

Six miles from Trenton brings us to Lawrence-
ville, where there is a preparatory school for
Princeton University, and four miles farther on
this same road, we come to the University itself
situated in the town of the same name. Most
beautiful and spacious grounds surround the Uni-
versity buildings, and an air of delicate refine-
ment, wealth, and luxury suggests that this is a
college of learning for the aristocrats only.

For long distances the road runs alongside the
tracks of the Pennsylvania E. E., which has a four
track system from Baltimore to New York, and
on which innumerable passenger trains dash by
us at frequent intervals at an incredible rate of
speed.

We stop only long enough in Newark, although
it has a population of over two hundred thousand,
to get our credentials, after which we leave im-
mediately for Jersey City, which is but seven

Around the United States by Bicycle 311

miles distant, there being a solid stretch of marsh
between the two cities over which a plank road
has been bnilt.

Jersey City, being across the Hudson Eiver from
New York City, has most of its vitality sapped by
its more powerful neighbor, so that there is not
much of which to boast, though it has more than
200,000 inhabitants.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.

NEV/ YORK, THE MOST WONDERFUL CITY IN THE WORLD.

We spend the night in New Jersey and early
Sunday morning we cross on the ferry to New
York, landing at the foot of Cortlandt Street, up
which we travel until the famous Broadway is
reached. As it is only about seven o'clock in the
morning, and Sunday, we are disappointed at the
quiet scene which meets our eye, for there are but
few upon the streets, and that unceasing jam and
crush of humanity with which we supposed that
Broadway would be filled either day or night was
absent, so that we voted it a failure.

We spend three and a half very pleasant days
in this the greatest and most wonderful city in the
world, in which we see many of those attractions
and stupendous undertakings from which it has
acquired so much of its fame and prestige.

To attempt to describe New York by piecemeal,
would be trying to accomplish the impossible, so
I will but touch on the most interesting and im-
portant points.

Hosts of ^'sky scrapers'' line Broadway from
the Battery northward for several miles, so that
although the width of this street is much more
than the average, the towering structures on each

Around the United States by Bicycle 313

side almost shut out the daylight and make it re-
semble an alley. The highest building in the city
is the Park Eow, thirty-two stories in height,
which stands but a short distance from the City
Hall, in the heart of the down-town section on
lower Broadway. After we see the city on a week-
day, when Broadway at almost any point is a hur-
rying, rushing, and jamming mass of clanging
street cars, wagons, drays, automobiles, runabouts,
and almost every other kind of vehicle, and
through this maze seemingly in danger of life
and limb, pedestrians thread their way, surely this
hardly seems the tranquil and peaceful street
which we beheld but yesterday.

''The Tombs,'' the city jail, which has been
made famous by many writers, stands on Garden
St. in the heart of the down-town section, a grim,
gloomy, and forbidding looking structure, brist-
ling with turrets and surrounded by a high wall.
This structure is connected with the Court-House
which stands on the opposite side of the street by
a stone passage-way extending from the second
story of each building, which, after the more fa-
mous passage of Venice, is called ' ' The Bridge of
Sighs," certainly a most fitting appellation.

''The noted "Flat Iron'' building, which has
a height of twenty stories, and stands at the inter-
section of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and Twenty-
third Street, is indeed a peculiar novelty in archi-
tectural construction.

314 Around the United States by Bicycle

Central Park, made as beautiful and attractive
as fabulous expenditures of money can make, is
situated four miles from the city hall, beginning
at 59th Street, and extending to 110th Street, fifty-
one blocks or a little more than two and a half
miles in length, bounded on one side by Fifth
Avenue and on the other by Eighth Avenue. This
vast park is the more wonderful because of the
fact that it is located almost in the very heart of
the city, occupying ground which is extremely
valuable.

Commencing at 72nd Street and extending
northward, directly along the banks of the Hud-
son, is the famous Eiverside Drive, which is to
New York what the Lake Shore Drive is to Chi-
cago, a very wide park-like boulevard lined with
delicious resting-places made attractive with the
aid of beds of flowers, small fountains, green turf,
and garden seats without number.

Also on this Drive, at 123rd Street, stands the
tomb of General U. S. Grant, a fitting mausoleum
for so great a general and statesman.

Madison Square Garden, which is one of the
most noted convention and assembly halls in the
Union, is situated at 28th Street and Madison
Avenue, occupying a complete square, surmounted
by a very high tower capped by a glistening
statue of bronze representing Mercury.

The New York Hippodrome, at 43d and Fifth
Avenue, the largest theatre in the world, with a

Around the United States by Bicycle 315

capacity of 5,200 people; the Grand Central Sta-
tion, which is located but a few blocks from the
Hippodrome, from which one can step onto trains
which will carry you to any portion of this vast
continent; the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, located at
34th and Fifth Avenue, the most famous hostelry
in New York City, are a few of the most noted
edifices in the vicinity of upper Broadway.

A maze of elevated railway, surface electric
lines, and the Subway, handle the enormous and
crushing traffic with perfect ease, and although
all things move with the characteristic swiftness
of a large city, there is no confusion, but like a
gigantic machine the mechanism rolls smoothly,
undisturbed.

We ride on the Subway and marvel at this stu-
pendous undertaking to complete which cost the
city of New York $50,000,000, there being a total
of twenty miles of this subterranean transporta-
tion. Four tracks are parallel to each other, on
each pair trains running in opposite directions;
on two of the tracks the trains stopping at every
station, all underground about five blocks apart,
while on the remaining two tracks the Subway
Express, which travels at almost the rate of a
mile a minute, runs through in each direction. The
Express stops but five times in traversing seven
miles, with the result that residents of the out-
skirts who desire to reach the down-town section
as quickly as possible patronize the Express. The

316 Around the United States by Bicycle

trains, like those on the Elevated, are run in seven
to eight cars on each, the power being taken from
an electric ^^ third raiP' which extends alongside
of the tracks.

It is a pleasure to travel with a bicycle or any
other kind of vehicle over the streets of New
York, the predominating pavement being asphalt
which is as smooth as glass.

Wall Street, which holds largely in its control
the commerce and finance of all the powers of the
world, is a crooked and narrow street lined with
towering and frowning buildings, between which
it is almost impossible for the rays of sunlight to
penetrate to the gloomy depths below. It is only
a few blocks in length, and insignificant in ap-
pearance. Around the corner from Wall Street
on Broad Street, is situated the Stock Exchange,
to which after much difficulty we obtain a permit
to pass into the interior to the spectators' gallery.
Below us is a scene of pandemonium. The air is
filled with a thunderous roar of human voices,
while the vast marble floor below is filled with a
struggling, shouting, jamming mass of men, while
intermingled with the members of the Exchange
and almost as large a number are messengers in
gray uniform, who dart hither and thither, so that
the whole looks very much like a very large hive
of bees at work.

New York is built on a very long and narrow
island which is called Manhattan, and the south-

Around the United States by Bicycle 317

ern portion of this island terminates in a sharp
point on which is located Battery Park, where
one can gaze out upon the waters of New York
Harbor to the point where on Bedloe's Island, her
uplifted hand grasping the torch of civilization,
stands the colossal statue of Liberty, Enlighten-
ing the World; near it is Ellis' Island, headquar-
ters for the emigrants immediately upon their ar-
rival on American soil; while on its other side is
the circular mass of Governor's Island.

With the intention of climbing to the top of the
Statue of Liberty, we board a small steamer bound
for Bedloe's Island.

With the assistance of iron stairs on the interior
of the structure, we ascend to the very top of this
noted statue, and, through an orifice in the top of
the head we have a most perfect view of the city
of New York, which lies three miles away, pre-
senting a solid front of high buildings. This
statue, which was a gift from France to the United
States, is 351 feet in height, including its stone
base. Also on the island there is an army post, at
which troops are stationed at all times of the
year.

The Brooklyn and the New Williamsburg Sus-
pension Bridges, both of which connect New York
City with Brooklyn, are indeed most wonderful;
the length of the former is one and one-fifth miles,
while the latter is one and one-half. The distance
above the water is about the height of a common

318 Around the United States by Bicycle

five-story building, while two lines of elevated
railway, two lines of street railway, two road-
ways for vehicles and a passageway for pedes-
trians traverses each.

To leave New York without seeing Coney Island
would be like partaking of a most sumptuous din-
ner without having any dessert. Here is the cul-
mination of the efforts of the amusement enter-
prises of the country, which places before the pub-
lic many and varied forms of glittering attrac-
tions, to see all of which would take a small for-
tune. Without doubt there is only one Coney
Island in the world, and nothing else along its
own peculiar line can in any way compare with it.

At last our sight-seeing is completed, and we
leave this most wonderful city behind us. We
travel thirteen miles before we are out of its pre-
cincts, the streets numbering as high as 236th
Street.

The first place of any importance reached is
White Plains, twenty-seven miles from New York,
with a population of fifteen thousand.

CITY HALL AND WORLD BUILDING. NEW YORK

CHAPTEE TWENTY-THIED.

WE CROSS THREE STATES AND REACH THE ROCK BOUND
COAST OF MAINE.

We work eastward as far as New Haven, which
is sixty-four miles' ride from White Plains,
through a thickly populated district, virtually be-
ing one continuous city, there being towns and
cities but short distances from one another, with
good roads all the way, and having no trouble with
our bicycles. Surely the tide has turned, and we
have seen an end of our trials and tribulations.

New Haven is a very large city, but hardly
worthy of especial mention except that in the very
heart of the city the famous Yale College is
located.

A ride of fifty miles over excellent roads and
through a somewhat hilly country, with innumer-
able towns, brings us to the capital city of the
state of Connecticut, Hartford, a most beautiful
city.

The citizens of Connecticut may well feel proud
of their state house, a most magnificent and im-
posing edifice of Gothic architecture, bristling
with spires, and to the stranger appearing like a
cathedral. Spacious and beautiful grounds sur-
round it, and but a short distance from it there
flows a small stream which winds in graceful

320 Around the United States by Bicycle

curves througli the park-like grounds, at one place
this stream is spanned by a massive stone bridge,
at one end of which is an arched gateway, each
side capped by two high stone turrets. This is
called the Memorial Arch, and is commemorative
of the veterans of the Civil War and those who in
the bloody struggle lost their lives.

The distance of ninety-three miles between
Hartford and Providence, Ehode Island, we cover
in one day. The roads are very bad, frequent
beds of sand, and such hills ! These are the worst
roads that we have traveled since leaving Wash-
ington. In this space there are a few straggling
villages, Willimantic being the largest, most of
which are supported by woolen and cotton mills.
The country on the whole surprises us by its
roughness, especially in this portion of Connecti-
cut.

Although Providence has the distinguished
honor of being the capital city of the smallest
state in the Union, namely Ehode Island, and
ranks as twentieth in size of all the cities of the
United States, most of the city is composed of
twisting, irregular, and very narrow streets, while
the most of the pavement is frightfully rough.

The capitol building, interior and exterior, is
constructed of white marble throughout, and as
it is built on a hill, this is transformed into a white
glittering and dazzling mass.

While being photographed in the office of the

MEMORIAL ARCH, HARTFORD, CONN.

Around the United States by Bicycle 321

Providence Telegram, our machines peacefully
resting in front of the building, in some explicable
manner a blundering drayman, in attempting to
drive through a very narrow alley alongside the
newspaper building, accidentally knocks the bicy-
cles down, and before any of the bystanders, a
crowd of whom were curiously examining the vet-
erans of long travel, could rescue them, one of the
machines, which happened to be mine, was imme-
diately and in the twinkling of an eye transformed
into a twisted mass of steel spokes and splintered
wood, with a gaping hole cut in the tire. For-
tunately the other bicycle escaped injury.

We were delayed nearly a day before the re-
pairs could be completed on my machine, imme-
diately whereupon we leave for classic Boston,
which we are told is fifty miles away.

We arrive at our destination in less than half
a day's travel, having found all the way excellent
roads, although somewhat hilly, with innumerable
villages and towns scattered along the way.

We spend but a day and a half in this the fifth
city in size in the U. S., and part of this time there
is a steady drizzle. We are very much disap-
pointed in Boston as a city, a jumbled mass of
crooked and very narrow streets, a veritable
''mystic maze." Our '' sight-seeing ' ' here is
under great difficulties, for even though we ask
many of the inhabitants the exact location of some
of the principal historical points of interest, they

21]

322 Around the United States by Bicycle

state that they themselves would be able to find
the places, but are at a loss to know how to direct
us; one gray-haired old man, who stated that he
had lived in ^^the Hub'' all his life, in answer to
our queries, rummaged in one of his pockets, pro-
ducing a pocket map of the city, on which he en-
deavored to show our route through this most
tortuous and weblike city, adding that as a matter
of safety he oftentimes was compelled to refer
to his map to be able to find his way home.

Heading for Faneuil Hall, ^Hhe Cradle of Lib-
erty," after turning and twisting along the ang-
ling streets and inquiring of innumerable pedes-
trians, and just when we were about to give up
in despair, we turn another corner, and there the
object of our search stands surrounded by reek-
ing shambles, and upon investigation, we find
that even the lower part of this most famous and
historical structure is devoted to the use of a large
meat market, from which the pleasant and delight-
ful odors of fresh meats are wafted, surely a
strange place for the venders of meats! With
what reverential patriotism the inhabitants of
Boston must regard this grand old building to
allow such proceedings. The second story of the
building, however, is reached by a stairway in the
rear, and the interior is decorated in a most fitting
manner, the hall being open to tourists at all
times and in charge of a courteous old man.

After taking several more doses of the crooked

Aroimd the United States by Bicycle 323

streets, after which our physical condition is bor-
dering upon sea-sickness, we see the following
interesting historical buildings: the Old State
House, the front of each corner of which is sur-
mounted by gilded images of the Lion and the
Unicorn, emblems of the British Government, at
one side of which structure was the scene of the
Boston Massacre; the Old North Church, from the
high belfry of which the lanterns which started
Paul Revere on his famous ride, were hung, and
which is hemmed in by foul-smelling and dirty
tenements; the Old South Church, once used as
barracks for British Red Coats, almost hidden
from view by towering ' ^ sky-scrapers ; ' ' the home
of Paul Revere, a three-story tenement, now occu-
pied by natives of ^ * Sunny Italy. ' '

We visit the present capitol building, the gilded
dome of which is the pride of Boston and of the
state of Massachusetts, and which is situated at
one side of the famous Boston Common, the latter
being a very large area of land, part of which is
fitted as a park, but the greater part resembles a
large field. The exterior of the Capitol, crowded
as it is into a small space, bordered by residences
on one side and a small park-line area on its other,
impresses one but little; however the interior is
most beautiful and artistic. The Memorial Hall
seems positively aglow with soft tinted marbles
and beautiful decorations. Next we see the North
Union and the South Union railway stations.

324 Around the United States by Bicycle

which handle the entire railroad traffic of the city ;
and take a ride on the elevated, which also carries
you through the Subway, of which Boston is most
proud, but which as a matter of fact is but a very
short tunnel as compared with the most perfect
Subway of New York City. And after seeing the
plate which marks the spot of the Boston Tea
Party; Bunker Hill Monument, with a height of a
little over two hundred feet, the model of the
Washington Monument at Washington; we come
to the conclusion that we have seen all that we de-
sire of this most classical city, and take steps to
depart.

During our stay here, it is perhaps needless to
say, the majority of our meals consisted of
BEANS.

The following is an incident which was told to
us by one of the natives which without doubt is
truthful in substance, although we do not care to
vouch for it.

*^What shall we get for little Emersonia's
Christmas gift?" said Mrs. Backbay, of Boston, to
her husband.

*^Yes, what shall we get? What is her age now
at her next birthday?''

^^She will be six years old next June."

**Is she that old? Don't you think that we
should get her a pair of gold-rimmed eye-
glasses ? ' '

We cross the harbor to East Boston, from which

Around the United States by Bicycle 325

we proceed in a northerly course, traveling very
near to the coast line, passing through numerous
large cities, Salem, Beverly, Newburyport; a short
distance from the latter place, we cross into New
Hampshire, something like twenty miles' travel
in which brings us into old Maine, and even in
this very short crossing of New Hampshire we
pass through a number of towns, Portsmouth be-
ing the largest.

Our first meal in the state of Maine we eat at
Ogunquit, which is but a coast village, a sea-side
resort situated directly on the shore of the mighty
Atlantic. Although we before had an opportunity
of viewing this most impressive expanse of water,
it was under difficulties, for through the almost
land-locked harbor of Boston, the vast Atlantic
was seen only at a distance.

For a number of miles we ride on the beach, the
huge combers break upon the sands with a thun-
derous roar, and at one point where the white
sands of the beach lose themselves amongst in-
numerable boulders of all sizes and shapes, the
waves beat with irresistible fury, crested with
foam, and come with unceasing action, hurtling
in from the sea, to dash themselves like a mad
creature against this rocky barrier, the spray from
the impact being forced high in the air. Ah, is
there anything more sublime than this continued
action of the boundless element !

We reach Portland in the evening, and spend

326 Around the United States by Bicycle

the night here. Immediately after retiring we
are awakened from a doze by the clanging of bells,
blowing of whistles, and the shouts of people in
the street. We see a lurid glare in the sky, and
decide instantly that our presence is needed at
that fire. We hastily dress, and dash out into
the blackness of night. The streets are filled with
people, all like ourselves running as fast as they
are able. We follow the crowd, racing down one
street to turn a sharp corner into another, almost
falling headlong over depressions and stumbling
over rocks, but at last, although it seems as if we
had been running at our highest speed for half
an hour, we reach the scene of the conflagration.
Already several fire engines are emitting a fiery
stream of sparks from their funnels, while the
machinery is pumping water at a terrific speed.
The crackling flames transform the inky dark-
ness into daylight, and the hoarse shouts of the
firemen, lost in the gigantic roar of the engines
and the flames, make it indeed a pandemonium.
We learn that it is a very large planing mill, which
employs over a hundred skilled workers. We
watch the conflagration for several hours, sur-
rounded by a multitude, apparently the entire
population having turned out en masse, but finally
decide that sleep would be a much more comfort-
able occupation, and depart.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.

THE BITTER, BITTER END TO OUR DREAMS OP SUCCESS.

As Portland is our most nortlierii point, we now
leave the Atlantic Ocean behind us, and travel in
a direct westerly course heading joyfully for
* ^ Michigan, my Michigan. ' '

We leave Portland with heavy hearts, as we
have but one dollar in cash in our treasury. Along
the coast, as we had anticipated, owing to the
many large cities, we sold but few souvenirs, while
our expenses were high. Now we find that we are
to travel through a country, from here to Mont-
pelier, Vermont, which is thickly settled with
farmers, but through which there are only strag-
gling hamlets, consisting of a dozen stores and a
clump of houses. Our finances are so depleted,
that it is an absolute necessity that we make our
expenses from day to day, or we shall starve, for
if we are not able to meet our expenses otherwise,
we shall be compelled to work, which will be con-
trary to the provisions of the wager, and we shall
fail to win the purse. Although the future is in-
deed dubious, we resolve that we will not acknowl-
edge defeat until we have really tasted of the bit-
ter beverage.

A half day's travel, in which we cover thirty-
five miles, is through a most hilly country, the hills

328 Around the United States by Bicycle

becoming larger and steeper and the country more
wild and rugged as we go onward. Most of the
time the road crosses the country in almost any
manner, with no fences or anything else to indi-
cate whether it is a road or simply a disused cow-
path. For ten miles we make slow progress
through a wilderness of forest, the road but very
faint and indistinct, and crossed by many others at
frequent intervals, all becoming so tangled, that
it is with the utmost difficulty we follow the cor-
rect path. However, night brings us to a little
hamlet nestled cosily among the hills, a postoffice
and general store forming the business portion.
We learn from the postmaster, an old man with a
flowing beard, that there is only one place in this
small community where we shall be able to obtain
accommodations for the night.

We find the house to which he directs us situ-
ated at the bottom of a very steep and long hill, a
most cozy place. In answer to our knock, a pleas-
ant faced old lady with snowy white hair appears,
and to our query heartily invites us to come right
in and make ourselves at home. She plies us with
questions without number and, having satisfied
her curiosity, explains that the reason she is so in-
terested in us is because she has a boy who is about
our age and who left home years, years ago, and
she has never heard from him since; then her an-
guish asserts itself and she seeks comfort in weep-
ing.

Around the United States by Bicycle 329

We find her husband to be very pleasant and
agreeable, a hearty, robust, and rugged old man
who has passed his seventy mark but who labors
every day tilling the soil. Here indeed is life por-
trayed in all its naturalness and simplicity; this
affectionate and doting old couple live happily
day by day and year by year, exemplifying the
simple life near to nature, contented and peaceful;
what more can one wish I

The next day brings us trials and discourage-
ments, night overtaking us but thirty-three miles
from our starting place, having traveled through
the mountains with difficulty nearly all day.

As we pass a farm house a rather healthy rep-
resentative of the canine family comes dashing
forth with angry growls and barks, and lessens
the distance between ^^your humble servant'^ and
himself in surprisingly short time. I pedal with
all my might, but to no avail, for he quickly
reaches me, and before I am able to withdraw my
foot from the toe clip, buries his teeth in the fat-
test and choicest portion of my calf.

Shortly afterward, in descending a mountain
side, the coaster brake on Darling's wheel refuses
to act, with the result that he goes dashing down-
ward at an incredible rate of speed, but luckily
the grade becomes less steep farther down the
side of the mountain, finally terminating in a level
stretch a mile or more in length, which serves to

330 Around the United States by Bicycle

decrease the speed of the machine. In descending
all hills afterward he was compelled to walk.

About noon a drizzle of rain starts, and this con-
tinues the remainder of the day, while we iBlnd that
we are unable to buy dinner at any farm house,
and are forced to buy a lunch at a grocery in a
small hamlet, called Ossipee. We are now again
in New Hampshire.

Two hours after our sumptuous noon-day re-
past Darling further complicates matters by
breaking the frame of his wheel in attempting to
shove through an exceedingly heavy bed of sand,
after which we adopt the now familiar ''relay"
system, in which my machine plays a most prom-
inent part.

While riding my mile, Darling far behind plod-
ding onward with the broken machine, I ride very
swiftly down a very steep hill to find a deep bed
of sand at the very bottom, which I strike in the
most solid manner, the wheel stops very suddenly,
while I am hurled like a projectile describing
beautiful and artistic curves in mid-air, and land
with a most solid and realistic thud, head foremost
in the soft sand. After five minutes consumed in
the vain endeavor to understand just how the
whole thing happened, I collect my dazed senses,
and discover that neither the bicycle nor myself
are any the worse for this exciting experience.

For seventy miles we are forced to continue the
''relay" through the mountains, there being no

Around the United States by Bicycle 331

towns of any size where we can get the broken
machine repaired, although we pass through a
number of hamlets and village resorts, among
which are Multonboro, and Center Harbor, just
before reaching which place we skirt the rocky
shores of Lake Winnepiseogee. After traveling
for several miles within sight of this wild lake we
climb a high mountain, and pass through Ashland,
Plymouth, Wentworth, Pike Station, and Woods-
ville.

We are delayed much by heavy rain, and receive
numerous soakings because we are unable to find
shelter. While it is very mountainous, the scen-
ery impresses us but little, being but a succession
of high towering green slopes on all sides, with
only once a change in scenery, afforded by a range
of mountains whose slopes were covered with
heavy, dense, and impenetrable forest, the road
winding at their base ; one of these mountains tow-
ered far above the others, a rugged mass of bare,
bleak rock, the top somewhat oval, and called the
^^OwPs Head.''

We spend the night at Pike's Station, in the
mountains, where in the vicinity a certain kind of
stone is quarried which is cut up into scythe stones
and whetstones. This one-man town consists of
stores, a planing mill, a large factory where
the stones are ground, and a large boarding house,
everything owned by one individual, a Mr. Pike,
a multi-millionaire.

332 Around the United States by Bicycle

At Woodsville we cross the Connecticut River
by a bridge and land on the soil of Vermont, two
miles' travel in which brings us to a small village
called Wells River, at which there is a machine
shop, and we find that we are able to get the dis-
abled bicycle repaired. After much explanation
and haggling, as our money is rather limited, for
in crossing New Hampshire we found that we
could hardly give our souvenirs away, much less
sell them, but had managed to dispose of enough
to pay what little our expenses had been, so that
we still had the dollar with which we had left
Portland, the machinist agreed to charge but a
dollar. This, together with several of our souv-
enirs would be entirely satisfactory to him, al-
though he added that the regular price for re-
pairs of this kind was two dollars and fifty cents.

We are surely now in a predicament. Here we
are without a cent of money, in a country where it
is almost impossible to dispose of our pin trays.
Unless there is a rift in the clouds we are very
near the end.

However, it was necessary to have the machine
repaired, although even it did dispose of our last
cent, for now with both machines in good repair
we could travel much faster. It is hardly nec-
essary to dwell upon the unpleasant details of
the following two days. As we look back upon
those dark times it seems like a cruel nightmare,
and it seems an impossibility that such a thing

Around the United States by Bicycle 333

could really happen. We travel nearly ninety
miles in crossing Vermont, from Wells River to
Burlington, situated on the eastern shore of Lake
Champlain, which forms the western boundary
line of Vermont. In this space we pass through
many towns, including Montpelier, the capital,
and consume two days in the journey, in a most
rugged country, for we are compelled to cross the
Green Mountains. Immediately upon entering
Vermont, after our experience with the bicycle
repairman, our good fortune seems to desert us,
and although we talk, in canvassing the villages,
until we are nearly blue in the face, in this entire
space we are unable to dispose of even a single
souvenir, with the result that, as we have no mon-
ey, we taste of no food for over two days, and the
nights we spend sleeping outdoors. Every hand
seems to be turned against us, no one will help us
by even the purchase of one of our souvenirs for
the most trifling sum. Strange as this is to relate,
nevertheless it is a fact. Although, after the first
day, we suffer untold pangs of hunger, we press
onward, too stubborn to acknowledge defeat and
stop and work, but continue buoyed up by the
hope that the next village or town will prove dif-
ferent, but we arrive there only to find the same
old story. Finally, in desperation, even though
we know it to be somewhat on the begging order,
we tell the people that we have had nothing to
eat for over twenty-four hours, and that we are

334 Around the United States by Bicycle

weak for want of food, but we are greeted with
loud guffaws, and advised to go to work and we
shall be able to get enough to eat, and on every
hand we are treated with contempt and as mono-
maniacs. This provokes, irritates, and angers us
to such an extent, that we resolve to push on, al-
though we die in the attempt, and never again
shall we throw ourselves upon the sympathy of
the people in this manner.

Weak from loss of food, half sick, discouraged,
aching in every muscle, we reach Burlington. We
attempt to collect a crowd around us, but are ad-
vised by an officer that if we desire to sell our
souvenirs, it will be necessary for us to procure a
license, which will cost us three dollars. Three
dollars! And we haven't tasted food for over
two days ! This is the last straw, and we see that
Fate is indeed against us, and that it is no longer
possible to continue the unequal struggle.

We call at a cheap restaurant and lunch room,
and tell the proprietor our story, how we are now
compelled to work and lose the wager, but that
we cannot stand it any longer; to all of which he
listens very impassively, but offers to feed us,
and then we can go in his kitchen and wipe and
wash dishes in payment for our meal, to which
we eagerly agree, snapping at this proposition as
a hungry dog reaches for a bone.

When the proprietor saw the amount of food
which we consumed, without doubt he was hear-

Around the United States by Bicycle 335

tily sorry that lie had made us such an offer, for
we ate as only one that is nearly starved can eat.
Plate after plate of bread disappeared, while I
distinctly remember Darling passing his cup to
be filled with hot steaming coffee at least the
eighth time, for our good host served us with
bread (without butter) and coffee, but we cared
not, so it was eatable, and we were past that stage
when one becomes particular and critical at the
quality of the food.

After our hunger was satisfied we were rele-
gated to the kitchen, and there initiated into the
mysteries of dish washing.

It was with heavy hearts that we filled out the
report which told of our inability to live up to the
conditions of the wager, and thought of the times
without number when we had nearly lost our lives,
of the innumerable sufferings and hardships which
we had been forced to endure in order to cover all
but three* states, Ohio, West Virginia, and Ken-
tucky, of every state in the Union, and now vir-
tually on the '^home stretch," and almost within
sight of home; and now it had all come to naught.
Surely the cup of defeat is most bitter !

Meanwhile we make arrangements to have
money sent to us with which we shall be able to
continue and finish the tour, for after much reflec-
tion we make a grim determination to finish the
journey as it was originally mapped out, even
though we have failed to win the five thousand

336 Ar^ound the United States by Bicycle

dollar purse. During the time in which we await
the arrival of funds, we succeed in continuing the
culinary act in the restaurant, for which we re-
ceive our board.

Several days pass before we are able to leave
Burlington behind us, and we have an opportunity
of noticing what a most beautiful little city is
Burlington. With a population of almost twenty
thousand, a very pretty business portion, small
parks in all parts of the city, situated directly on
the shore of that most beautiful body of water.
Lake Champlain, it is indeed an ideal place for
rest and comfort.

We had found the Green Mountains much the
same as those in New Hampshire; and in Mont-
pelier we had found a very sleepy little town.
The capitol was rather unique in appearance, of
dome variety, the entrance being six large stone
columns forming a portico.

In some inexplicable manner, the press, which
have been lauding us to the skies heretofore,
learns of our defeat, appears with double leaded
columns giving a graphic description of our trials
and defeat, when victory and success is seemingly
an assured fact, which helps to increase our gen-
eral feeling of misery.

CHAPTEE TWENTY-FIFTH.

THE MARVELOUS NIAGARA FALLS.

Plattesburgh, New York, our next objective
point, lies on the opposite side of the lake. To
reach it by land would be impossible, and we take
a ferry steamer, the distance across being twenty-
five miles.

We reach Malone, fifty-four miles from Plattes-
burgh, only after much difficulty. A downpour
of rain transforms the clayish soil to a sticky mass,
and as the country is very hilly, with but a single
village called Ellensburg, consisting of a store
and a few houses, and one small town, Chateaugay,
by name, in the entire distance, we labor under
disadvantages.

A ride of seventy miles through a much better
country than we have yet traversed in this state,
farm houses at frequent intervals along the road,
all the land under cultivation, with green fields to
meet the eye everywhere, and although it is quite
hilly, the roads are fairly good for the time of
year, while there are innumerable small villages
and towns along our route.

Ogdensburg is situated on the banks of the
mighty St. Lawrence, which at this point is nearly
two miles wide. For a number of miles the road
runs alongside of this famous river, whose clear

22]

338 Around the United States by Bicycle

waters flow calmly on their way to the Atlantic,
while occasionally a freighter heavily laden, or
a passenger liner bound from Toronto to Quebec,
will quietly glide by us almost without a sound
save their whistles, which echo and re-echo until
the roar dies quietly in the distance.

From Morristown to Alexandria Bay we have an
opportunity of viewing those most noted ** Thous-
and Islands," which are perhaps the most aris-
tocratic pleasure resorts in the United States at
the present time. Here the St. Lawrence widens
out into a large bay, the bosom of the stream being
dotted with innumerable islands, some of which
are but small masses of rock, while others perhaps
consist of a thousand or two thousand acres. The
larger are fitted in the most magnificent and sump-
tuous scale, some of the palaces which are built on
these islands representing the investment of sev-
eral millions of dollars. Some of the most wealthy
and influential in the nation here have their sum-
mer residences, some of which would be fit for the
greatest monarchs of Europe.

After covering a hundred miles through a most
thickly populated region, where there are many
villages and towns, hampered much by rains, and
over roads which are far from being first-class,
while the country is seamed and furrowed with
hills, we find ourselves at Oswego, located on the
shore of one of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario.

"We spend the night here at a railroad Y. M» C.

Around the United States by Bicycle 339

A., for as we are members we are able to obtain
lodging for but the small sum of ten cents. The
beds are but small cots, but are clean, and are
placed in rows, there being as many as twenty
beds in one room, which fact places a most amus-
ing incident under our personal observation.

As we are very weary we retire at eight o 'clock,
after the attendant has shown us the beds which
we are to occupy. By nine o'clock nearly every
bed was in use; when we hear the most astonish-
ing wheezing and puffing, accompanied by slow
and heavy steps, as if some very large individual
were climbing the stairs. Preceded by the attend-
ant, we see a middle-aged man, with a florid and
perspiring face, his body being nearly as broad as
long, who at first appearance resembles a very
large ball. Between gasps caused by the tremen-
dous exertion of climbing to this height, with a
voice which sounds like the muffled roar of dis-
tant cannonade, and with contempt and disap-
pointment in tone and feature as the attendant
pointed out the bed which he was to occupy, he
succeeded in blurting out: ^ ^ H-H-H-a-v-e I
g-g-g-o-t t-t-t-o s-s-s-1-e-e-p in THIST' The nod
of the attendant which confirmed his question he
seemed to be unable to comprehend, and looked
dumbly around at the other sleeping forms, all of
whom had been awakened by the unusual com-
motion, and were sleepily watching his move-
ments through half-closed eye-lids. However,

340 Around the United States by Bicycle

with a wild look in Ms eyes, he seemed to be rec-
onciled to the inevitable, and prepared to settle
his huge avoirdupois in a chair, where, after much
groaning, puffing, and wheezing, he removed his
clothes, and was ready to retire, when something
happened ! With a crashing and rending of wood,
from which emerges a roar as of an enraged bull,
from beneath a tangled mass of bed clothing, the
bed sinks to the floor, while the air is filled with
the fat, flying arms and legs of our friend, who
is vainly trying to extricate himself from the
wreck. His antics are so ludicrous, that everyone
in the room bursts out in hilarious laughter, and,
hearing the commotion, the attendant rushes in.
By this time the heavy man had separated himself
from amongst the bed clothes and the debris, and
stood like an infuriated lion glaring around him,
lack of breath preventing him from freeing his
mind by speech.

The attendant, by the use of a mattress and a
large amount of bed quilts, blankets, and sheets,
spread a bed on the floor, where soon our angry
friend lies down to rest, and as it is now nine-
thirty, the time at which the lights are extin-
guished in the rooms, we are left in total darkness.
Less than an hour passes, when the most horrible
snoring emanates from the vicinity of the latest
arrival; this is a sort of combination rumble and
wheeze, which terminates in a long drawn out and
most shrill whistle. With this disturbance sleep

Around the United States by Bicycle 341

is an impossibility, and as the majority of the men
are railroad men who are compelled to rise in ^^the
wee sma' hours/' they become very angry, crying
and grumbling: ^^Cut that out!'' '^Hey, wake
up!" Put him out!" and numerous other expres-
sions of a like nature, but nevertheless our friend
peacefully sleeps unaware of the small revolution
which he was causing. Finally one of the men
calls the attendant, who, after much vigorous
shaking and pounding, wakes the fat man, and
tells him that if he cannot sleep without making
that terrible noise, he will have to seek lodgings
elsewhere, and so, for a short time at least, peace
and comfort is restored, but not for long as sub-
sequent events prove.

Some time past twelve o 'clock we were all again
awakened to see that the room was flooded with
light, and there stood our fat friend industriously,
amidst grunts and groans, examining with min-
ute care the sheets and bed clothing upon which
he had been sleeping. One of the men, who was
provoked beyond measure at the continued antics
of this individual, inquired in no gentle voice:
''Now, what in HELL are you doing!" To which
our heavyweight replies: ''B-B-B-B-1-e-s-s
M-M-M-Y S-S-S-S-o-u-1, I think that there is a
bed-bug in my bed!" The earnest manner in
which this is uttered, accompanied by a most
baby-like and wistful expression, causes all to
burst out with loud and side-splitting laughter.

342 Around the United States by Bicycle

To which our friend listens in silence for some
time, but as it seems to increase instead of sub-
side, he wraps his garments in a small bundle, and
with haughtiness, contempt, and anger, our trou-
blesome friend, with a waddle which he intends
to be most majestic, but which is so absurd and
ludicrous that it only increases our merriment,
leaves the room.

We spend the remainder of the night in quiet
and comfort, and arise the next morning to learn
that our friend dressed himself at the top of the
stairs, and had then quietly left the building.

Following very near to the shore line of Lake
Ontario we reach Eochester, with a population
of nearly two hundred thousand inhabitants.
Situated but a few miles from Lake Ontario, on
the Genesee Eiver, and on the famous Erie Canal,
with railroads entering it from almost every direc-
tion, it has most excellent transportation facili-
ties.

The Genesee Eiver here forms two very large
falls, called The Upper and The Lower Falls, the
highest of which is the former, having a fall of
one hundred and fifty-one feet.

As the Erie Canal flows directly through the
heart of the city, all traffic has to be suspended
during the passing of a flotilla of barges, as all
bridges are raised high in the air. These barges
are long and narrow, and will hold a vast quantity
of merchandise; they are towed in strings of four

B-B-B-I,-E-S-S M-M-M-Y S-S-S-O-U-I., I THINK THAT
THERE IS A BED-BUG IN MV BED."

Around the United States by Bicycle 343

to ten by a team of horses whicli travel far ahead
on the tow-path, and by means of a long heavy
rope which is fastened to the foremost barge they
speed along about as fast as the ordinary man
would walk, providing that he was walking very
slowly. We time the passage of one of these
fleets, and find that all traffic is suspended exactly
eight minutes. Surely it seems in a busy city like
this some other arrangement more satisfactory
to the public might be made.

We cover but eighty-three miles in traveling
from Rochester to Buffalo, for most of the way
we have a stone road, and although there are
many hills, and a heavy downfall of rain does not
help matters, we have a pleasant trip.

Buffalo, which ranks eighth in size of the cities
in the United States, is a most level city. With-
out doubt it is the best lighted and best paved
in the Union. There are many large parks in the
city, while the proximity of Niagara Falls, one of
the natural wonders of the world, which is twenty-
two miles distant, and is reached either by electric
or steam cars, makes it a city to which the tour-
ist and the pleasure seeker direct their steps. Be-
ing situated at the head of Lake Erie, it is a most
important shipping point, especially for grain
and coal; the wharves being one solid mass of
large steel elevators. Here one sees as large boats
as one can see on the Atlantic, astonishing as it
may seem, which ply between here and Detroit.

344 Around the United States by Bicycle

Buffalo has several very pretty squares, with large
monuments, scattered at different localities in the
business section.

We pay a visit to Niagara Falls, a small town
of the same name being located on the banks of
the river. It is hardly necessary to give a very
lengthy description of these most wonderful and
marvelous water-falls, the main facts and features
concerning them are familiar to almost every per-
son. Suf&ce it to say that the height of the Amer-
ican Falls is one hundred and sixty feet, while
that of the Horseshoe Falls, Canadian, is one hun-
dred and sixty-five feet. There are many attrac-
tions in the vicinity of the falls, chief of which
are the Whirlpool Rapids, the Cave of the Winds,
Ambush Rock, and the DeviPs Hole, while a trip
on ''The Maid of the Mist,'' a plucky little boat
which steams almost directly beneath both the
American and Horseshoe Falls, through a mad-
dening, swirling mass of angry waters, or on an
electric car which traverses the famous and noted
*' Gorge Route," the round trip covering eighteen
miles, where in places the track is overhung by
masses of rock which seem apparently at any
moment to dash downward to crush the car to
atoms, are novel experiences.

CHAPTEE TWENTY-SIXTH.

WE FINISH OUR LONG JOURNEY.

We leave Buffalo bound for Erie, Pennsylvania;
we follow what is known as the Lake Shore Turn-
pike, which travels very near to the shore of Lake
Erie, and for almost the entire distance, sixty-
seven miles, we are within sight of this very pretty
body of water. We find the road fairly good, and
many villages along the way.

Erie, although it has a population of nearly
sixty thousand inhabitants, and is a well laid out
city, with wide streets, which are well paved, and
extend to the four points of the compass, and has
many fine public buildings, seems to have some-
thing lacking, and there are here but few of those
industrial corporations and manufacturers which
give to a city a solid foundation for prosperity.

At something like two hours ' travel out of Erie
we are again stalled by the watery element, which
descends from the sky in sheets, a fierce driving
wind blowing the rain before it in torrents. We
take shelter in a farmer's barn; here we stay for a
long time, but finally the rain stops, the sky clears,
and everything looks promising, except the road,
which is a slimy, slippery surface over which to
ride a bicycle is far from a pleasure, as the slight-

346 Around the United States by Bicycle

est swerve either to right or left throws one
sprawling upon the muddy road.

In coming down a very steep hill our machines
attain such momentum, that owing to the condi-
tion of the road we are unable to check them, with
the dire result that near the bottom a slight
swerve throws us both head foremost into the
mud, where, so mixed with the bicycles that a
spectator would declare that we and the machines
were one, we slide at a terrific rate, until with a
grand splash we land in the center of a muddy
puddle of water!

We travel exactly fifty miles in crossing this
neck of Pennsylvania, entering Ohio at Conneaut,
a small town. From here to Cleveland, 79 miles,
the country is very thickly populated, and, al-
though the roads are good, it is most awfully
hilly.

We enter Cleveland via the noted and famous
Euclid Avenue; we have but entered the outskirts,
when a terrific wind and thunder storm bursts
upon us. We take shelter in a shed in which are
stored stone and materials for the construction of
a nearby building. For at least three hours we
have the delight of listening to the howling of
the wind and the beating of the rain upon the roof
of the structure in which we are sheltered. How-
ever, during a perceptible slackening of the down-
pour, in desperation we start onward, reaching
the heart of the city in four miles' travel.

Around the United States by Bicycle 347

In the list of large cities, preceding even Buffalo
by one place, Cleveland stands seventh, and for it
is claimed the greatest wealth and the most banks
of any city for its size in the Union. The heart
of the business section is a large square which
consists of four square blocks, two of which are
fitted as parks, with an abundance of garden seats,
beds of flowers, fountains, and green turf; one
other abounds in features which force one to imag-
ine himself in the heart and bosom of Dame Na-
ture: a merry brooklet flows noisily along over a
bed strewn with pebbles and rocks ; rustic bridges
are in abundance; while a profusion of trees and
dense underbrush completes this most perfect imi-
tation of the solitudes of the forest; the remain-
ing square is occupied by a most massive monu-
ment, which has an extensive base, out of which
rises a large stone column perhaps one hundred
and fifty feet in height, surmounted by a huge
statue. This monument is in commemoration of
the soldiers and sailors who took part in the late
Civil War, and is a fine work of art. Cars from all
part of the city travel through this square before
making their outward bound trips, so that, no mat-
ter what is one's destination, the correct car can
be boarded here in the square, certainly a most
convenient system for the public.

As the city is located on the shore of Lake Erie,
it is a very large shipping port, for from here any
one of the great lakes is easily reached.

348 Around the United States by Bicycle

This city is our most westward point for the
present, and we now take a south easterly course,
Wheeling, West Virginia, being our objective
point.

We pass through Akron, which has a population
of fifty thousand, and is the location of a number
of large manufacturing institutions, industrially
a most enterprising place, but for modern and
public improvements far behind. Situated in a
most hilly country, the city itself being but a num-
ber of hills, it is by this also placed at a disad-
vantage.

We spend the night at a small village called
Canal Fulton, getting its name from the fact that
it is located upon a canal which extends from
Cleveland to Portsmouth, emptying into the Ohio
Eiver at the latter point. Here we found the coun-
try to be indeed a surprise; villages were few and
far between, while every mile southward increases
the ruggedness of the country, and we wonder
if this can be thickly populated and progressive
Ohio.

Just after our arrival in this village it com-
mences to rain. We make a house to house can-
vass to obtain accommodations for the night, as
there is but one hotel here and that is filled to over-
flowing. With clothing wet, we finally succeed in
finding a house, although it is a most dirty and
loathsome place, where we can stay. Filth and
squalor seem to prevail, while the food which we

Around the United States by Bicycle 349

receive is worse than prison fare, but we are very
thankful to be out of the storm, and our previous
experience in traveling has taught us not to be
over particular.

In Canton, the home city of President McKinley,
we find a most beautiful and delightful little city.
The public buildings and modern improvements
here are positively astonishing for a city of this
size. At West Lawns Cemetery, near the outskirts
of the city, we see the temporary tomb of our be-
loved martyred President, William McKinley;
this is guarded day and night by soldiers, and will
continue to be, until the completion of the perma-
nent tomb, the money for which was raised by pop-
ular subscription in all sections of the Union.
The new tomb is to be constructed in this ceme-
tery, but at quite a distance from the present
tomb.

After a journey through country where minia-
ture mountains stare one in the face on every side,
with but few and scrawny villages, we reach the
town of Wellsville, which is on the Ohio River.
As we remain here over night, in the evening we
take a stroll down to the river, as we are told that
the boat bound from Pittsburg to Cincinnati will
soon arrive. It is a dark night, and as there is no
wharf, we wonder how it is possible for the boat
to make a landing. Soon we see the lights of the
boat away up the stream, and perched on the very
top is a most powerful search-light, which is

350 Around the United States by Bicycle

turned upon the shore in our vicinity for the pur-
pose of ascertaining if there are any passengers
or baggage. As it nears we see a long bridge like
affair suspended high in the air in the manner of
a derrick, and this together with the searchlight
and the many twinkling lights of the vessel, makes
it resemble some grim and fiery monster of the
deep. After much maneuvering, the unwieldy
craft is brought to a stop at something like a hun-
dred feet from the shore, and with the creaking
of blocks the bridge-like affair descends until the
end touches the shore, across which the passengers
reach the deck of the boat in safety.

We follow along the Ohio, which with many
devious turns and twists flows between high rocky
mountains and bluffs, all the way until Martin's
Ferry is reached; then we cross over to the east-
ern shore, on which Wheeling, West Virginia, is
located. Along down the river we find many vil-
lages and small towns, but a few miles apart; most
of which are supported by potteries, while at a
few there are mammoth steel and iron plants.

Wheeling is a most disgusting city, dirty, nar-
row streets which are poorly paved, and most aw-
fully hilly, while frowning down upon it are two
mammoth mountains directly back of the city.

We again cross the Ohio back into the state of
the same name, bound for Columbus, the capital
city.

We follow the old National Pike the entire dis-

Around the United States by Bicycle 351

tance, which is one hundred and thirty-one miles;
it is very mountainous until we are within twenty
miles of Columbus, when it changes and becomes
very level. These hills are sometimes almost a
mile in length, curving and twisting very much
like a mountain road; we coast down these at a
terrific rate of speed, striking depressions and
many rocks, bouncing nearly a foot off our sad-
dles, which cause us to make a vow that if we ever
reach the bottom of this alive, we will immedi-
ately take steps to have a policy of accident in-
surance issued to us, but after we reach the bot-
tom safely and commence the tortuous and steep
ascent of the other side, under a sweltering sun,
we forget all our fears, until within a few minutes
the performance is again repeated, and this is the
way we cover the distance between the Ohio Eiver
and Columbus.

Several heavy rains delay us, but owing to the
stone road, we have no trouble from this source.
As this National Pike strikes across the country
free from the line of any electric or steam rail road,
we find but very few settlements, and these sug-
gest that prosperity has been long absent from
their immediate vicinity, being composed of one
or two most uncouth stores, combining the sale
of carpets, furniture, hardware, drugs, dry goods,
and groceries, while the cluster of houses which
surround the ^'business section" presents a most
dilapidated and sorrowful appearance, and the in-

352 Around the United States by Bicycle

habitants seem to be in keeping with their sur-
roundings.

However, we pass through one most enterpris-
ing city, where perhaps are situated the most fa-
mous potteries in the country, this city is Zanes-
ville.

Columbus, with a population of 125,000, the
chief attraction of which is its state capitol, a most
oddly constructed building, grim, bleak, and very
thick gray stone walls surrounded or capped by
a mass of stone which looks very similar to a large
inverted water tank, the entire structure more
closely resembling a prison or a fortress. However
it is located in the very heart of the business sec-
tion, and surrounded by spacious and well kept
grounds. The city for the most part has wide
streets, and is very metropolitan. One feature
especially is a distinct novelty, an arch system of
lighting the main business streets. Steel arches
at the height of forty feet extend across the street
from curb to curb, on which are innumerable in-
candescent lights. These arches are about a block
apart, the effect at night is very pretty and artis-
tic.

On our way to Cincinnati we pass through a
small city, Springfield; and Dayton, which has a
population of 100,000; together with numerous
other towns of small size, and this portion of Ohio
is most thickly populated and threaded by lines
of electric railroad.

Around the United States by Bicycle 353

We at last ride into Cincinnati, the largest city
that we shall pass through until our home city is
reached. Cincinnati is the tenth city of the Union
in population, and is a most industrious city, but
is very smoky and dirty, with narrow streets,
while the business section seems to be crowded
into the smallest possible space. There are but
few beauty spots here, the chief attractions being
the beer gardens, of which there are a large num-
ber, as the majority of the population of the city
are of German descent. There are also many high
and massive buildings, the tallest being seventeen
stories in height.

Here at Cincinnati we again cross the Ohio, and
land upon the soil of Kentucky. We travel in a
direct southward course until we reach George-
town, from which we go to Frankfort, the capital
of the state, and thence to Louisville, covering a
total mileage in this state of one hundred and fifty
miles.

In our short journey to Georgetown we see
much which does not tend to leave a very favor-
able impression of this noted "Blue Grass State.'*
The topography of the country borders upon the
mountainous, and we again have the pleasure of
toiling up steep hills over a most fearful road,
which is made by strewing crushed rock upon the
surface, it being left to the general traffic to com-
plete the process by packing into a solid mass.
To make matters worse, in this entire space, the

23]

354 Around the United States by Bicycle

only water which we can obtain is rain-water,
most of which we invariably found to be mixed
plentifully with dirt and filth. We aA told that,
owing to the formation of certain strata of rock,
it is impossible to obtain water from the ground.
"We see none of the famous green meadows of
which this state boasts, but on the contrary hilly
and rocky fields are on every side.

We find in Frankfort a town of but a few thou-
sand inhabitants, located in a hollow surrounded
by high hills; it is a most sleepy and lazy place,
most of the architecture of old style, while an air
of depression and lack of energy permeates the
very atmosphere. The state house is a very small
building, which the stranger would mistake for
the city jail; the inside is cold, damp, most for-
lorn, and uninviting.

Our one desire is to leave this town behind us
as soon as possible, but as darkness finds us still
here, we are compelled to remain all night. We
procure accommodations at a hotel which is in
keeping with its surroundings, a dilapidated
wooden structure, which looks as if at any moment
it would collapse, while the interior is permeated
with the mustiest of smells. The room which we
occupy is located on the third and top floor; an
old wooden bed, the style of which antedates our
time fifty years, together with a wooden chair, the
back of which is missing; a wash-stand which
stands nobly upon its three legs, supported by the

Around the United States by Bicycle 355

wall, while a cracked and begrimed lamp serves
to illuminate this most pleasant and comfortable
scene. But we accept the situation and surround-
ings good-naturedly, and prepare to retire, for at
least we can sleep, even though the situation is
not as pleasant as it might be, but subsequent
events prove that in this we are destined to have
difficulties.

We have lain in bed but a short time and are
almost sliding off into Dreamland, when a mouse
has the audacity to scamper across the bed run-
ning over our bodies; we lose no time in arising
and lighting the sickly lamp, with the aid of which
we proceed to make war on our small rodent.
After much dodging and running, we corner him
far from his retreat, and as he also sees his pre-
dicament, he prepares to risk the chances of utter
extinction, and dashes for it. He runs the gaunt-
let successfully, but just as he is within a few feet
of his haven of refuge, a very small hole in the
flooring, Darling hurls a shoe with such accuracy,
that our small friend with a last despairing squeal
is put *'hors de combat.'' After hurling the re-
mains out of the window, we extinguish the light,
and again prepare to sleep.

We have been sleeping several hours, when
with a crash and a bang, followed by a clatter of
broken glass, we are awakened very suddenly.
We arise and investigate to find that the window

356 Around the United States by Bicycle

in our room had fallen, smashing every pane of
glass in it.

This is followed shortly afterward by the tumb-
ling of a tin pail down three flights of stairs, which
with a deafening jangle and clatter bounces from
step to step, in the stillness of the night appear-
ing to be hours in reaching the bottom. But we
find that even this is not the end, for simultane-
ously and with one accord, we both declare that
there is SOMETHING in the bed which bites, and
that something must be BED BUGS. Again press-
ing the smoky lamp into service, we make a most
careful and minute examination to find that the
bedding is infested with a small army of these
delightful crawling creatures. We conclude im-
mediately that we do not care to occupy the bed
again, and so dressing ourselves, we lay upon the
floor and spend the remainder of the night without
further incident.

Frankfort to Louisville, a distance of fifty-two
miles, we cover in a day; we have those most de-
lightful hills to ascend and descend, and the scen-
ery is much the same as it had been elsewhere in
this state, until within eight miles of our desti-
nation, when the country becomes very level,
while occasionally the brightness and freshness
of a green meadow relieves the monotony.

While Louisville ranks among the large cities,
the impression is given to the stranger that it is
but a village which has been continually added to

Around the United States by Bicycle 357

until the city is made; there is no uniformity of the
business section, which is scattered over an enor-
mous territory. It is also smoky and dirty. It has
however very fine public edifices, among which are
the Court House and the City Hall, both artistic
structures.

As Louisville is situated on the banks of the
Ohio, we again cross this muddy stream and for
the last time, landing at Jeffersonville, which is
on the opposite shore and in the state of Indiana.

One hundred and thirty-four miles' travel
through a rolling and most thickly settled country
brings us to Indianapolis, the capital of the state.
In this space we find that nearly every acre of land
is under cultivation, the farm-houses are of a su-
perior type, and breathe of prosperity, while we
pass through hosts of villages and towns.

Indianapolis, with well paved and carefully
kept streets, with a most uniform and artistic bus-
iness portion, with a magnificent array of public
edifices, which are marvels of architecture, is most
pleasing to the tourist and stranger. In the very
center of the business section in what is known
as Monument Circle, around which in circular
form are built massive structures, a most beautiful
monument stands which is dedicated to the Sol-
diers and Sailors. The height from base to sum-
mit is 284 feet, the top being reached by either ele-
vator or stairs. A colossal statue with out-
stretched hands adorns the top, while the base on

358 Around the United States by Bicycle

two sides has fountains in the form of cascades,
the water falling into a huge stone basin perhaps
thirty feet square, this making a very pretty effect.
The state capitol is a massive rectangular build-
ing, four stories in height, from the center of
which rises a high dome. The interior is beautiful
with marbles, while the top of the interior of the
dome is of blue glass, which throws a soft and mel-
low light down upon marble corridors and floors.

We also find that our cyclometers register the
fact that, upon entering the city of Indianapolis,
we have traveled exactly thirteen thousand miles,
while we have been traveling continuously for al-
most a year and three months.

We leave the capital city behind us traveling
in a north-easterly direction and passing through
Anderson, Muncie, Hartford City, Bluffton, and
Fort Wayne. We go through the heart of the nat-
ural gas region and the oil fields, these being prin-
cipally in Madison and Delaware Counties. In
the vicinity of Anderson and Muncie even the air
smells of gas, while creaking oil wells are on every
side.

The city of Fort Wayne, county seat of Allen
County, is graced by a most magnificent Court
House, the cost of which was some millions of dol-
lars. It occupies a solid square, and is situated
in the heart of the city. No expense has been

Around the United States by Bicycle 359

spared to make it a marvel of architectural beauty,
both on its exterior and its interior.

From Fort Wayne we cover seventy-two miles
in this state, and then we cross the Indiana-Mich-
igan line, which is in the center of a village called
Eay; our hearts thrill with joy, and our pulses
quicken, as we again step upon the soil of our
native state after having traversed every state in
the Union. It is indeed ^'Michigan, my Michi-
gan, ' ' and the words never sound so sweet as now.

As according to our route as originally mapped
Detroit is our objective point we reach that city,
passing through Hudson and Adrian, and covering
127 miles, over fairly good roads, except that it
is quite hilly, and we occasionally find beds of
deep sand.

Without doubt Detroit is one of the cleanest
and best paved cities in the United States. Al-
though it is laid out in the manner of a spider-web,
and streets angle in all directions. Woodward
Ave., which is the principal thoroughfare, a very
wide street which extends directly north from the
Detroit River, acts as a sort of guide to the strang-
er, so that as it divides the city, running through
its very center, one cannot wander in either direc-
tion very far without crossing this avenue. In-
numerable parks are in all parts of the city, while
an air of neatness hangs about everything. As
it is built on the bank of the Detroit River, and as

360 Around the United States by Bicycle

this stream is the sole passage of all the lake traf-
fic from the upper lakes, Huron, Superior, and
Michigan, to the lower lakes, Erie and Ontario,
the enormous amount of shipping which passes
this ^^City of the Straif in the short time of
twenty-four hours is incredible.

We are now but seventy-six miles from our
home city, and we arise at four o'clock in the
morning intending to make the trip in one day,
but we hardly reach the outskirts when without
warning there is a crunching and grinding on
Darling's machine, and on investigation he finds
that the coaster-brake is broken into several
pieces, which necessitates our walking to the near-
est repair shop, where we are forced to wait sev-
eral hours until the proprietor appears.

As the damage is more serious than we at first
thought, we are not able to leave the city until
noon. We find the roads quite heavy owing to the
excessive rainfall, but travel to Ann Arbor, a ride
of forty miles, where we remain over night.

Ann Arbor, a small town which relies upon the
University of Michigan, that most famous and
noted college, for its support, is located in a most
hilly region. Like most college towns there is a
scarcity of manufacturing institutions, so that
during the vacation at the University business is
practically at a standstill.

By easy riding we cover the remainder of the

Around the United States by Bicycle 361

distance which lies between here and our home
city, Jackson, in less than half a day, although
the roads over which we travel are far from being
in good condition, arriving, at the exact spot
from which we had departed, at 12:45 p. m. on
August 11, 1905, having covered 13,407 miles, hav-
ing traveled through every state in the Union, and
four territories, namely Arizona, New Mexico, Ok-
lahoma, and Indian Territory, and the District of
Columbia, making this most lengthy and arduous
journey in one year, three months, nine days, six
hours, and forty-five minutes. As we dismount in
front of the Otsego Hotel on almost the identical
spot from which we had departed on the second
of May in 1904, our friends press forward in large
numbers all wishing to be the first to grasp our
hands. In the midst of this scene of delightful
confusion the same photographer who had pho-
tographed us on the morning of our departure
appears, and, after much difficulty, succeeds in
pushing the crowd back long enough to ^^ press
the button, ' ' after which we make haste to reach
our homes, where those who are nearest and dear-
est to us are awaiting our arrival in feverish ex-
pectation.

So ends the story of our hazardous journey, a
tour which has never before been accomplished
by means of a bicycle, and perhaps never will
again. While we had many delightful and pleas-

362 Around the United States by Bicycle

ing experiences, the majority were of the opposite
nature, so that, as we look back upon them, we
shudder and tremble to think what miraculous
escapes we had, and it is with overwhelming grat-
itude and ecstatic joy that we offer up a prayer to
the Kind Hand of Providence, Who watches all,
for our safe home-coming.

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