The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-06
A TRIP THROUGH sERyIA.
An American Bicycle Rider Tells of His Jour
ney Across the Balkans.

ney Across the BaikanS.
Thomas Stevens. the plucky wheelman who
has now reached Teheran, the Persian capital,
on his undertaking to make the trip round the
world on a bicycle, traversed the country which
has since become the seat of war in the conflict
just broken out between Servia and Bulgaria.
He wheeled from Belgrade up the valleys of the
Morava and Nissava rivers across the Balkans
by way way of Nissa, Bella Palanka, Prot and
Zariorod, to the Bulgarian frontier at Zarl-
brod, thence through Bulgaria and East
Roumelia by way of Sofia and Philipopolis to
Constantinople. His article in the forth
coming December number of Outing is
devoted to a description of his journey
through Slavonia and Servia. His experiences
IN the latter country are OF particular interest at
this time. At Belgrade, he had the following to
say about the Servian army: THE view from the
ramparts of the Belgrade fortress is a magnlh-
cent panorama, extending over the broad valley
OF the Danube-which here winds about as
though trying to bestow its favors with impair,
tlailty upon Hungary, Servia aud Slavonla-and
OF the Save. The Servian soldiers are camped
in small tents in various parts of the fortress
grounds and its environments, or lolling I'M
der the shade of a few scantily verdured trees,
for the sun is to-day broiling hot. With a
population not exceeding 1,50o. 900, l am
told that Servia supports a standing army
of 100, 600, and, when required. every man in
Servia becomes a soldier. | am inclined to re-
gard the above estimate of the regular army as
exaggerated; however, since, although the cost
OF their maintenance is doubtless as little as
men can possibly be supported for, | don't see
how a small, poor nation like the Servians can
possibly afford to support that number, even if
they really had any use for them. AS one lands
from the ferry-boat and looks about him. he
needs no interpreter to inform him that he has
left the Occident on the other side of the Save.
and, to the observant stranger, the streets or
Belgrade furnish many a novel and interesting
sight in the way of fanciful costumes and phases
OF Oriental life. here encountered for the first
time"
He was magnifcently received in the Servian
capital by the members of the local bicycle club,
the most eastern organization Of the kind. lie
noted a local popularity in the appearance of
these young men, who were sons of leading cltl-
Zens and business men: while they dress and
conduct themselves as becomes thorough gentle
men. one fancieS detecting a certain wild ex-
preston of the eye, as though their civilization
were scarcely yet established; in fact, this pc
cullar expression is more noticeable at Belgrade,
and is apparently more general here than at any
other place l visit in Europe. l apprehend it to
be a popularity which has become hereditary
with the citizens, from their city
having been so often and for so long
the theatre Of uncertain fate and
distracting political disturbances. 1t is the half
startled expression of the people with the ever
present knowledge of insecurity" The Bel
gradians, he says, turned the leading Turkish
mosque into a gas house, among other practical
methods of manifesting their feeling about the
departure of the dominating crescent.
lie gives the following account Of the journey
up the Morava valley: SAT Delegrad we wheel
through the battlefield of the same name, where,
in 1876, Turks and Serviahs were arrayed against
each other. These battle Scared hills above
Delegrad m a glorious view of che lower
Morava valley, which is hereabouts most beauti-
full, and just broad enough for its entire beauty
to be comprehended. The Servians won the
battle of Delegrad, and as | paused to admire
the glorious prospect to the southwark from the
hills. methinks their general showed no little
sagacity in opposing the invaders at a spot where
the Morava vale, the jewel of Servia, was spread
out like a panorama below his position, to fan
with its loneliness the patriotism of his troops
they could not otherwise than win, with the
fairest p' ion of their we'll beloved country be-
fore them like a picture. A large cannon, cap
tured from the Turks, is standing on it's carriage
by the roadside, a mute but eloquent witness of
SeIvian prowess. A few miles further on we
halt for dinner at Alexinatz, near the old Servian
boundary line, also the scene of one of the great
est battles fought during the Servian struggles
for independence. The Turks were victorious
this time, and 10, 600 Servians and 3, 900 Russian
allies yielded up their lives here to superior
Turkish generalship, and Alexinatz was burned
to ashes. The Russians have erected a granite
monument on a hill overlooking the town. in
memory of their comrades who pesished in this
fight"
Nissa, or Nisch, as it is called, is one of the
main points in Servia north of the Balkans, and
has been prominent in the dispatches concerning
the war preparations. Of this place Mr.. Stevens
Wr1teS. AS we enLer the CITY a gang OIL con-
victs, working on the Notifications, forget their
clanking shackles and chains, and the miseries
of their state. long enough to greet US
with a boisterous howl Of approval, and
them, for once, at least, fail to check
them, for their attention. too, is wholly en-
crossed in the same wondrous subject. Nisch
appears to be a thoroughly Oriental city, and
here l see the first Turkish ladies with their
features hidden behind their white yashmaks.
Drawing MY first impressions Of life in a thor
oughly oriental town at Nisch, at 7 or s o'clock
in the morning, when it is comparatively cool,
and people are patronlzlng the market. trafick-
ing and bartering for the days supply of pro-
visions, the streets present quite an animated
appearances; but during the heat of the day the
scene changes to one of squalor and indolence;
respectable citizens are smoking narghafiS Mark
Twain's hubble ~bubble'). or sleeping somewhere
out OF sight; business is generally suspended,
ard in every shady nook and corner one sees O
swarthy ragamuffin stretched ont at full length,
perfectly happy and contented if only he is al
lowed to snooze the hours away in peace"
Riding out of Nisch, MI. Stevens encounters a
CHASTITY "Reminiscences of Moslem brutality. I'VE
stop just beyond the suburbs to take a curious
look at q grim monument of Turkish prowess,
in the shape of a square stone structure which
the Turks built in 1910, and then faced the
whole exterior with grinning Servian skulls, par
TALLY imbedded in mortar. The Servians, nat
urally objecting to having the skulls of their
comrades thus exposed to the gaze of everybody,
have since removed and buried them, but the
rows Of indentatlons in the thick mortared sur
face still bear unmistakable evidence Of their
former occupants.
IAN avenue of thrifty prune trees shades a
level road leading out of Nisch for several
kilometers, but a heavy thunder storm during
the night has made it rather slayish wheeling,
although the surface becomes harder and
smoother, also hitler, as we gradually approach
the Balkan mountains that tower we'll up to-
ward cloud-land Immediately ahead. The morn
ing is warm and muggy. indicating rain. and the
long, steep trundle, kilometer after kilometer.
up the Balkan slopes, is anything but chiid's
play, albeit, the scenery is most lovely, one
prospect, especially, reminding me of a view in
the Big Horn mountains of northern Wyoming
Territory. On the lower slopes we
come to a mehana, where, beside plenty
of shade trees, we find springs of most