The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-10-18
Tour of the Cycling Ramblers.
CHAPTER VI.
'IReported for the Democratic Advocated

Dy the ltlcnlnOuu Alle5nAlly hdllrOdu AZ Ito
o'clock for Lynchburg they bought tickets for that
point. Soon after dinner the gathering clouds and
preaching. Storm and to save their wheels and
themselves from wetting they mounted and made
an early start for the station. on the way to the
station, coasting the mountain road, they APP
preached small Baptist church in which Sunday
school was being held. Upon their approach they
saw the windows of the building filed with scores
Of curious people and quickly there was teInpor
airy adjournment of the school, and teachers and
scholars hurried into the road to catch glimpse OF
the strengthening animals. Many of the scholars
and some of the older persons followed the wheeis
to the railroad where our travellers discovered that
they were at the wrong station, and that the right
one was about half mile up the track. Along this
there was no side PATH and they had to Toll their
about to put their wheels into the baggage car when
they were informed by the conductor that it would
be impossible to take the bicycles as baggage, and
he also refused TO take them as express. Here was
a predicament but the station agent, an obllging
gentleman, telegraphed to John R. McMurtagh, ESD
General Freight and Passenger Agent Mt Richmond
and he wired back instructions to check the wheels
baggage. These were the first bicycles that had
ever entered q car on the r. & A. r. r. Next the
bows learned that there was party of dead heads
from Richmond at the Natural Bridge and the train
which was scheduled to leave at 7.l5 would be de-
layed until l0l5 O'clock Here was another un-
pleasant experience but at o'clock the stage from
the hotel came to the station. and when it returned
to the inn the captain and secretary rode back in it,
leaving the president and lieutenant to for the
wheels 1t is impossible 10 describe that ride up the
mountain. The vehicle was an old-iashloneG stage
with three seats, hung on leather springs and drawn
by four mules The bicyclers were the only inside
passengers, and they received jolting that they
will never forget The Earring was indeed so great
that their hats tumbled from their heads and their
clothing became unbuttoned. They reached the
hotel however, without any accident thankful to
again find themselves safe on solid ground. After
supper they met several gentlemen from Richmond
who were well acquainted with the roads, and from
these they learned that it would be impossible to
use their wheels until they reached Columbia.
Afraid to trust their lives TO the tender (?) merces
of the stage again, they started on their moonlight
walk of miles TO the station at $50 O'Clock. There
they found their comrades fast asleep, and having
awakened Them consultation was held, in which
the roads, to exchange their tickets for tickets to
Columbia, and through the courtesy OF the agent
they were enabled to do this. They then learned
that the train on which they were to travel was
a through one, and that they would reach Lynch
burg at LIS p. and would have to wait there for
another train until o'clock, a. m. Not pleased
with this information, they settled themselves in
the seats with their bundles as pillars and slept I'M
til they reached Lynchburg. Reaching Lynchburg
at II 80 D. m they put their wheels in the baggage
room and started out to view the city by moonlight
Visiting a saloon that was open, they called for
sandwiches, and received something made OF fat
ham and bread which was even harder TO demolish
than the proverbial railroad sandwich. Walking
up the hills TO the main thoroughfare which is very
broad with handsome store rooms on either side,
they that all the city was clad in holiday dress
banners flying and flags waving from windows
while houses and stores were decked with bunting
and ribbon. They learned that the city was deco
rated in honor of the 3rd Virginia regiment which
was coming on the morrow to encamp for week at
that place. After walking through the principal
streets, very tired and sleepy the tourists took pos
seated there made friends with one of the hand
soonest setter dogs they had ever seen. Anxious for
some rest they soon sought the depot again, hoping
to find some benches on which they might sleep.
Vain hope, however, the waiting room was found
open, but hot and close and hlled with bad odofs'
overcome by drowsineSs, they were glad TO stretch
their weary limbs on the hard boards and sleep.
Their friend, the setter dog, that had accompanied
them to the station. mounted guard, and several
times they were aroused BY his low growl or louder
bark as he warned off intruders who were APP
Here they Silent with covering
the sky with the canal on one side and the railroad
track on the other, until at 3 O'Clock a. M they
were aroused by their train coming up to the sta
ton Their wheels were soon placed on board,
and having instructed the conductor to call them
as they approached Columbia, they selected the
softest seats and were soon again in dreamland.
When they entered the baggage car with their BIZ
cycles their canine friend accompanied them,
and il required considerable force to put him out.
The attachment between him and the boys had in
deed become SO great that, had they been coming
directly home some one in Lynchbnrg would prob
ably have been out d dog En- route by rail for Co
luniba in their dreams they coasted hills that were
sleeper and took headers thatwere harder than they
had previously encountered. They slept however,
until suddenly awakened by the conductor, to ind
that it broad daylight, o'clock in the morning
and only miles from Columbia. They then found
that they running along the banks of the James
river, and that the roads which they saw from the
washed This decided them to stick to the rail u
little longer AT Irwin station they LEFT the CAPS and
family of Capt p II, Irwin, As they rode along the
sandy road they were suddenly confronted by an OK
cal Southern negro, with arms and neck bare and
trousers rolled above the knee. The mule, badly
frightened reared and plunged in his effort to run
away and to him the driver paid no attention, be-
ing entirely absorbed by the strange horses ap-
preaching him. Our wheelmen with their accus-
toned considerativeness dismounted and called to
the negro to hold his mule. But he still stood still,
with gaping mouth and wide open eyes, and re-
piled ''What de debbil is dem tings? Let de
mule be; he can't run away wild dat load; want to
see dem tings." Mounting again. they rode slowly
through a broad stretch of woodland followed by
nnOrn w standing unattended
in the road, and accompanied them until they
reached the Irwin mansion at $50 o'clock. The
dwelling is an old Southern mansion, repaired
and reftted in modern style, surrounded by mag
nifcent forest trees, with a large lawn before the
and plants, The mansion Stands In the centre of
the Irwin planta ton, which is composed of 1850
acres of land Here our travellers We're kindly en-;
the next day. The president decided to accept the
kind invitation, but the captain, secretary and lieu,
tenant, anxious to move on to Richmond" could
not be persuaded to remain, and at liz o'clock
they remounted their wheels and started again on
their journey, with the thermometer at go in the
shade They soon found that the roads were too
heavy to ride any great distance that day. the sand
having depth of from to 100 feet in some places,
and in others being botomless. After riding about
8 miles a council OF war was held, and il was de-
cded that it would be best to take to the railroad
again at the nearest station Moving on to Gooch-
land c. H. place composed of the old-fashoned
country court house, small hotel and two stores.
the tourists were directed to "Maidens Adventure"
% miles distant as the nearest station on the rail
way. Riding on through deeper sand. they reached
"Maiden's Adventure" TO find it station much like
Greenwood Park, on the Western Maryland Il. r..
with hotel at the station and pic mic ground and
dancing pavilion in the grove above situated on
the James river which is nearly half mile wide at
this point The place takes its name from a ro-
nance ending in distressing accident, that oc-
CURED here in the last century. young couple
running away to be married attempted to cross the
river at this place, and the maiden was drowned
At the station our tourists found themselves soon
the centre of attraction TO large number of men,
and upon inquiry learned that there was an excur-
sion party present under the auspices of Lee Camp,
Confederate Veterans, of Richmond an organization
among Southern soldiers similar to the Grand Army
of the North. Having made the acquaintance of
some of these gentlemen who invited them to spend
the afternoon with the excursionsts, the boys went
up the steep hill to the dancing pavilion, leaving
their wheels in the baggage room at the station
h the bfar Of %ee Se e bg he
In the large number of people here there were
many who had never seen bicycle, and. although
adverse to making themselves conspicuous, when
invited and urged by their new friends to give an
exhibition ride the dancing floor, their desire to
make some return for the kindness shown them
prompted them to grantthe request Having rolled
their wheels up the hill. they spent about three
quarters of an hour OH the dancing hoor, which
was an excellent place to ride about ~ feet square
showing the audience all they knew of bicycle
riding one of the boys obligingly taking q header
which the crowd seemed to think was part of the
performance. After this our boys were made to
feel perfectly al home, introduced to many ladies
and invited to dance To describe the way in which
the afternoon was spent would be posSible suffice
it to say that the hours passed here were the most
pleasant enjoyed during the whole trip. Informed
that the regular train Tor hlcnulOnu WOulu not
leave until o'clock our tourists were invited to
make the trip on the excursion train. Calling OH
the manager to purchase tickets the secretary was
met with the reply: II will see you on the train.
When the time for starting the train arrived, our
tourists and their wheels were almost carried into
the baggage car Here another attempt was made
to purchase tickets, but number Of gentlemen re-
fused to allow them TO pay for their passage and
friendly but lively discussion took place as to who
should pay, terminated by the decision that our
wheelmen should have free transportation for
themselves and wheels. This ride was memorable
one. In the baggage car large number of once
Confederate soldiers formed circle, with our
boys in the centre and sang Dixie The Bonnie
Blue Flag and my Maryland" at the same time
pleasantly calling our boys Yankees" Reaching
Richmond at o'clock in the evening. number of
their recently acquired friends escorted them up
town TO their hotel, and on the way Alexander
Dick, Esq, q large-hearted Scothman, whose ac-
quaintance they will always remember with plea
sure showed them some OF the sights and entertain
ed them most royalty. At $50 they reached Ford's
Hotel, Broad street. their headquarters while in
Richmond
For the Democratic Adr0cdte.
TI,a Uocfarn Md Roilr0od