The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-09-30
OUT WEST ON A BICYCLE.
Letters from Rowing Correspondent or
Notwithstanding from Illinois for San
he Visited on the First Stage of the Jour.
ney.

Francisco-What he Saw and the Place
he Visited on the First Stage of the Jour
ney.
PRINCETON liz, Sept. 4. 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Thank Heaven Such was my excla
nation as turned my back upon old
time friends on Tuesday of last weel
and started for the Pacific coast on my
Columbia bicycle, mounted q Ia clothes
pin. I did not thank heaven because
was leaving and might return to these
kind friends minus a scalp, or worse
might never return at all. No, that w:s
not the idea. l returned thanks because
l was at last leaving behind me many
thousand queries per day, such as, g How
are you going to go over mountains
What will you do when you find the
roads impossible 2" "Do you really
think you will ever get there7" "Don't
yon think you are crazy to undertake
such a trip?" How are you going to
cross rivers :" etc, etc, until I was
ready to exclaim, -.~.
! I am not mad, but soon will be.
! ! left Danville, His, more than three
weeks since, but stopped at Kansas, His,
| fifty miles south of Danyiile, for visit
among friends and further practice OIL
the wheel. just as was ready for my
! Il dad 10
came, and the roads, never exceedingly
good i'll Illinois, got "all broke up," SO
to speak. But l was told that it had
rained little farther west, SO started
onyhow" l have failed, however, to
reach that part Of the west yet where it
has not rained, and am now more than
200 miles from my starting point, though
much further north than west. From
Mattoon to little west of Decatur the
roads were perfectly horrible. From
Lincoln to Peoria the roads were moder-
| ately good in places, and in places were
more than moderately bad. At Peoria
| the streets We're not in the best condi-
tion for the pleasures Of wheeling, but l
found two or three streets on which quite
long, smooth runs could be made, one Of
| them leading to Il beautiful park outside
the city, where numerous s!gnboards
forbade the delighted visitor to kick up
his heels and have good time.
md 10 1,n
quite business point, even outside of its
whiskey interests, which was told We're
very large. While in this beautiful city
l met several of the Peoria Bicycle Club,
who did all they could to make my short
stay pleasant. Secretary II. G. Rouse
got ont his elegant Expert Columbia,
and together we took in the interesting
features of the city. The Peoria Bicycle
Club was organized III 1881, has now
fourteen members, and all are we'll prac-
t;ced and provided with fine machines.
From Peoria to this business like little
city the roads were very bad. At Tis-
kilwa Il stop was made for a short rest
and I. shave, for l was beginning to look
like the historic parsonage who came
from the land where they have no razors.
Here asked for the best road to Prince
ton, and was shown what purported to
be AL. mounted my rubber shod horse,
and the distance being told me as seven
and half miles, l was of the humble
opinion that it could be made in less
than fovty minutes by u little extra ex-
ertion, even if tho way vas somewhat
rough. For mile or two all went mer-
ry as a marriage bell, but thel, the gravel
gave out and found myself fiounderiug
along the muddlest road / had ever
struck. l battled braveIy ahead and
never said single swear until came to
u big hill, jnst recently worked aud
about five inches deep in mud. A dis
mount here had to be made, and for the
next three miles foot passage was tue
order If march, during which / met nu-
merous fellow mortals riding III buggies
and wagons drawn YEARLY along by dis
couraged looking horses, whose drivers
never failed to ask me why did not ride
instead of leading my machine. Over
two hours were occupied in getting into
Princeton, instead of less than forty
minutes, the worst time | have made !:
7 j,,,I %oc or, l., ,,iT Ia
aud borrow water to wash off my ma
chine, and brushes to clean up my uni
form SO / could enter the place in style
becoming the great profession Of jour
nallsm. Although didn't look as pretty
as a newly ironed shirt bosom, I fattered
myself l looked moderately decent, ex-
cept my left jaw, which has insisted on
raising two lawful" boils upon it since
my start, but which have always en-
deavored to keep turned away from the
crowd. | will remain in Princeton vet
two OF three days, and then, as the sun
is out once more aud tile roads are dry
ing up, continue my way i'll the path of
the Star of Empire. | will take all off
shoot to-day to Hennepin, county seat of
Putnam, fifteen miles northeast of this
point. Am now visiting the family of
DIR. f. w. Rose, one Of my best rich rela-
tions, and therefore feel somewhat at
home. l thiuk my next letter will be
better than this one, because betweea
boils aud Illinois mud, all my best aud
sweetest thoughts have sonred and be-