The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-12-03

Thomas Stevens, the adventurous
American who started from San Fran
cisco to go around the world on a bi-
cycle, has reached Tabreez, Persia
The following interesting letter details
some of the riders experiences in pass
ing through the almost trackless wastes
of Asia:
/ reached Tabreez yesterday, September Is.
after n journey of $50 miles, registered by cy-
clometer from Erzeroum, the point from which
last wrote. Thus fur my experience in Persia
has proved even more novel and interesting
than in Asiatic Turkey and leaving out, of
course, the question Of literary merit have no
hesitation in saying That the series of papers de-
scriptivc of this part of the journey will prove
real treat to the readers of the magazine and
more novel and entertaining than either the
American portion published last spring, or those
on the European part of the tour now appearing
ON the route from Erzeroum here passed close
to the foot of Mount Ararat. l have been hon
ored and entertained b. khans and have slept
in and lnrtaken Of hospitality in the famous
black tents Of wild Kurds. against which these
same khans had warned me to beware. No
body thinks of travelling without guards in this
country, but have ventured alone anywhere
and everywhere, and have far escaped ser-
Gus molestation though l have several times
had To display my revolver find the Pcrsians
excessively inquisitive-worse than anything
alleged against the Americans-and it is an ev-
ery-day occurrence for me To away from
bowling rnobs OF villagers. who insist
on OBTAINING until the khan
of the village and every individual of
them has seen me ride and inspected the BIZ
cycle. 1t is great wonder the bicycle hasn't
become disabled long since, for l am literally
compelled to mount, and, at least. attempt to
ride in all sorts of impossible places before the
people will consent TO my departure and often
the only way / can convince them of the inn
possibility of complying with their demands il
to convince them with the revolver; however. l
haven't had occasion so far TO so much as tight
a spoke in the wheel, everything about il be-
ing in perfect order, except that the rubber tire
of the small wheel is getting worn down. Every
body goes armed here, but have so far man.
aged to avoid serious trouble-the mere sight Of
the six-shooter being sufficient to scatter them
like so many sheep. These people do not mean
HARM simply wishing to satisfy their curiosity
but frequently it is impossible to ride at the
place, and they will not take mo" for an an
swer On the other hand, they very kind
and hosptable, sometimes refusing to accept
any payment whatever for such accommodation
as they afford. have found the country
less mountainous in Persia than in Asia Minor,
but there is total absence of wheeled vehicles,
and consequently of wagon-roads. The great
| camel-caravan routes afford greater proper
tion of ridable pathway, however, than I antici-
pated, enabling me to do fifty miles day be-
tween Hoi and Tabreez, besides going ut least
ten miles out OF my direct course to reach a vii
lage for the night. The distance traversed from
Ismidt to Tabreez is ,202 miles-three hundred
of which is Turkish measurement by post
hours, between Bel Bazaar, where my cyclone
ter pin was broken, and Sivas, where had it
repaired again, and the remainder actual meas
| uremcnt by cyclometer. IL is somewhere near
four hundred miles from here to Teheran, where
I shall have to remain for the winter.