Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-20
I'm uURopp ON 4 RIoYo1U.
A Trip OF Five nfonths That was
Economically Made.

n Tr1p Oh Five mOnths TINT was
Economically Made.
The following is the letter OF George
B. Thayer TO the New York World, under
date OF November 30th:
"Has that bicycle been used 7" asked
the custom officer of NE the moruing I
walked down the gangway of the Orr
cassia at Pier Al North River. had Just
torn OF the cover OF the case In which
the machiue had been boxed coming from
Glasgow, and had shown The bicycle In
pieces and oil covered With Riviera mud,
with tho Tablespoon worn down to the
shape OF now moon and tho tire OF the
little wheel out and Ia shreds.
HAS that bicycle been used ~ the
Officer again asked, OTTER he had exanl.
ined the machine and found no silks or
laces concealed in the bustle, or, rather,
backbone OF tho bicycle, and no plated
tableware anywhere but two forks aud q
spoon. Tho stud worn in front of the
neck of tho machine Gnd the numerous
plated pins apong the jewelry he en-
tirely overlooked All he wanted to know
was il the machine had been used. When
thought how had ccasted down over
the sharp stones of Cheviot Ellis and
roads OF Belgium; how ] bad climbed
and coasted the Bruuig, the Gfimsel, the
Furka, s5inplon, and several other Alpine
pasies, and had now brought the truBty
machine home with It's cyclometerregisler
ing something like 9, 800 miles ridden ON
European roads, and then, after all thai, to
have a,most the FIRST American l should
speak to, after an absence of Ave months,
ask me suoh a question we'll it brought
me down of my high horse almost as sud
denly "a did remark the atewardess made
in my presence ON the steamer Oregon.
going from San Francisco TO Portland,
two Yeas ago this last summer. had
then ridden my bicycle over three thou
sand miles, aoroHs tho Middle and Western
states around Denver and Pixies Peak,
over the plains TO Sait Lake Oty, aud Up
to the Big Trees, and lrt0 tho Yosemite,
and, naturally, thought it was quite an
undertaking fairly well accomplished
ut least, the young ladies with whom
become aoquSiuted Oh the stesmer led ma
TO believe ii was for, while we were
talking about the tsip out on deck one
day, they expressed themselves in very
complimentary terms OF the perseverance,,
&c required. II soems, while was
listening with becoming modesty, the
stewardess, in nor hurry and hustling
manner, fonnd 1t impossible to get by US;
but | Was entirely ma ware of this till |
heard her voice behind me, saying, "Out
OF the way, little boy" Imagine the feel.
ings Of the "listle boy" when no found
himself thus addressed, and at such n
titnei hut 1t was no usa---ihe young
ladies' laughed, aud so did every one elise
within hearing, myself included.
IA fer this customs otfiser, poiuted 10
o few OF the scare worn by the veteran in
the box ard he said no Eiure. But must
say little nlure--just enough to exPlaiu
how ala so suddenly found entering tho
custom-house a. New York when the last
letter told Of my bicycling along the
Mediterranean coast, along the deligatful
Riviera, towards Italy. before reached
Genoa letters from home called mo back
on business and as / had already hid
five months Of pleasure one long vana-
tion-whh scarcely ripple to mar the
enjoyment, did not go beyond .Gpnea
was ra.hsr intsrsesed pecuniariIy, as
we'll as other wise, when TUNED back to
ind out what wposd bs tie railroad
charges on my bicycle back TO Peria- 200
aLAASs u IiOASs Oh luhllS auet1Cd1 fOHNB
the companies will not touch the machine
for less than 30 cents, even il the distance
is only mile and with q 700, mile ride
before me naturally placed the figures
up in the dollars, but it was only two
cents, probably just enough to pay for tho
ting which checked il to Paris. From
Paris to London it cost me 81. 10, and 70
Glasgow $l,25 more, which ia not far
: f-"r' hf!st cent mile. II may pefhaus
iHtarsst wh5elInsn to know that the entire
cost OF the trip from the dry | left llart
ford till returned to it, including some
800 expanded In clothes, photographs.
&c, and journey in all OF nearly Ii 600
miles, was bat $500. This included O
hfet.olaas passage to and from Glasgow,
a delightful ride up through the Trcs
sachs and around to Edinburgh, a clint
over the Ohsviot Hills down into Eng
land, visit to the cathedral towns Of
Durham, York, Lincoln, Peterborough
and Ely, ride over to Warwick and
henilworth, o stay in London Of q month,
"trip through Antwerp, Brussels aud so
on through belgiun TO Cologne, MP the
thine, through Switzerland down into
Northern Italy, back through Switzerland
to Geneva, months stay in Paris, and
hnal!y down through Lyons to Marseilles
and along the Mediterranean. Such, in
Snort, IS the summary OF my five months'
bicycle tour through Europe.