Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-01
AMONG THE WHEEl.uEN.
Pleasures OF Touring in virxinia and
Maryland.

Maryland.
THROUGH THE EMPIRE STATE ON TIE wHEEI-cRrsr
AND BROWN ON THE RACE TRACK-BIcYcIrSo NOTES
AND COMMENTS
Messra Demaray, wilkins and Macdaniel, of the
Capital Club, returned to the city last sunday
evening from tour through Western Virginia and
southwestern Maryland. They were gone eight
days. ands wheeled 242 miles The trip was a
delightful one, and was described to a STAB
reporter the other day by Mr.. wilkins
1--WE left here on Saturday night, the 1sth,- he
SAID. for Lynchourg, on the train, changing cars
| at the James River for the Natural Bridge rail-
road station, where We arrived sunday morning.
Here we took to our wheels and ran TO the bridge,
few miles Always Just before we reached there
Macdaniel broke one OF the pedal levers OF
his star, and had to pump along with one foot
AIter taking good look at the bridge, and
seeing all tne other points OF interest around
there. we started for Lexington, a distance OF "a
miles. The natives say that it Is IA miles, VIZ
s,nla sIale, put our cyciometer registered Ia. We
reached Lexington In q shower the only tning in
teresting on ti.e way being man On a hii carry
Ing basketful OF bottles OF beer. He was about
tnree sheets In the wind, and entertained us untl
We were out OF sight and hearing. Al Lexington
Macdanlel had MS lever liked Dy a local lock-
smith sun whose outht OF tools consisted OF a brace
an9 OH, Two Mes, screw-drve., a tack-haminer.
ana wise. You can imagine The job he put on
the machine. 1t took hall day to Tx il, and
50 telegram was sent to Washington
Tor new lever. Among the points OF Interest
IN Lexington Is Gen. Stonewall Jackson's grave.
~ Is very modest, and We had hard work 10 ind
II. we asked little colored boy where 1t was,
anu ne replied: XII y0u-all readT We told him
Snat we could not, and he said: Then you-an n
nave 70 mn some one who kin! We also saw Gen.
hoot l. Lees tomb. 1t is In a very handsome
memorial chapel containing, among other works
tine.
BAD ROADS.
"While at Lexington we learned that the roads to
Staunton, our next objective point. were In a con-
dltlon similar to that OF brick yard in muddy
weather, and we concluded to go by rain. The
only means OF doing SO was 10 board a freight
Train, and we made the distance, 60 miles, IN a
ittle over hve hours We reached Harrisonburg
Monday evening. Macdanel there found his new
lever, but II did not lit his machine, and he had
the Old one re1Xed. A machinist did IL this time
anu made hrSt-class job OF it. The towp was In
STATE OK excitement, beng enthused over water
melons and politics. There were two political
meetings being held, the county court had met
there That day, and in some places the pavements
were covered with melon rinds a foot deep.
never saw so many melOn-eaters. There are q
good many wheeimen in HarrisonDurg, majority
Oh tnem Riding Star machines.
OFF FOR NEW MARKET
"We left there Tuesday morning at IL O'Clock In
| rainstorm, on our wheels, for New Market While
we were on our way We stopped at farmhouse
and mad glorious lunch OF bread and milk and
meat and melons, all that We could eat and were
only 10 cents apiece. About 3 miles out or New
Market We came to the caves, whicn we visited OF
course. They are, think, better than Luray, the
| formations are winter and are crysJalized. While
there are not as large rooms. perhaps there are
great winding corridors that extent Tor mile and
nall from the entrance. TO add TO the other at
fractions lady guide explained the scenes. We
made New Market easily that evening, the dis
lance from HarriSOnburg being Is mites The
| next morning, "Wednesday, We Went across Mas
sahutt0n Mountain. walking up and coasling
down. On the other side we crossed the Shenan-
ooan RIVER On ferry BOAT, propelled by stutter-
Ing darkey, the worst case ever saw. He said he
would take us across and back for 10 cents head
but We said We thought he mad doubled his price
IN MS stammer and would not submit 10 any such
gTlndlng monopoly, and SO we waded back, the
water being very shallow.
LURAY.
1--WE visited Luray CavernS that morning and
went down into the town for dinner starting back
TO Newmarket In the afternoon. The round trip
was 30 miles. At the ferry we met farmer with
a 1Oaa Oh Waternei0ns, which he offered To us for
cents apiece. We did not invest our run on
Thursday from Newmarket led US through Mount
| jackson, Edinburgh, Woodstock, down Fishers
h1ll into SLrasDurg AT The latter place we stopped
at hotel with a name that won't tell you, for
you could not spell IL II can't be spelled. Stras-
Durg Is 81 miles from Newmarket, and from there
We went 10 winchester, wnere We arrived that
night On the road We passed a small monument
In a neld, and, meeting man a few yards ahead,
asked asked nun what IL was and what IL represented.
fanks put 1t there lie lived, it seems within a
stones throw OF The thing, yet he dad not know
what IT was. Winchester Is 40 miles from
Newmarket. which We rode In one day. On Frtd Iy
We went To MarUinSburg, 20 miles away and
nad 10 pay Toll OF II cents apiece on the road
Al falling waters we stopped for dinner snort
distance beyond we crossed the Potomac on a ferry
boat driven by the current 1t is hitched TO a ca.
PIE running from bank TO bank, and the nose is
pointed down stream. The force OF the current on
the angle OF the boats side gives 1t neadway ON
the other side OF the river We tooa the path
| TO HagersLown, where We spent the night. our
amounted IN
day we rode 10 WayensO0rO, Pa, and then TO PEN
Mar, where We saw all there Was TO see. We then
TOOK the Train To MechdnicStOwn TO avoid thirteen
miles or Dad road, the same piece where Hanna
LOOK his tumble recently. Between Mechanics
town and Frederick We did some good riding, this
being the best road we found on the trip. SaJur.
days riding amounted To }3 miles Sunday morn
Ing We started Tor home, reaching the city at 6:3O
having made the distance OF 81 miles over the
poorest roads OF the whole tour"
MI Demaray rode an upright wheel, Mr.McDan-
lei star, and Mr.. Wilkins "Drosnky." These
three men are about or the same ability on the
road, and IT was found that the Star and the little
| wheel did slightly better work. This Was princi-
paiiy because Mr.. Demaray was compelled 10 hold
BACK going down the hills, While the others could
speed. Demaray did not take header on the
whole trip.
AN UNPREMEDITATED RACE
One incident OF the tour Mr.. Wilkins did not re-
fer to. 1t occurred on level stretch OF Maryland
pike The three tourists had fallen in with some
Baltimore wheelmen, wilkins and mcdaniel SET a
fair pace and Demaray was riding with the Balti-
more boys Rivalry on the road between the
wheelmen OF the two cities Is Inherent, ana when
the leaders, riding star and '.POny," heard the
sound OF wheel close behind them, they began 10
pedal little stronger, but the pursuing rider was
not shaken OF, and they soon saw from the corners
OF their eyes, the rim or an upright wheel They
spurted harder, and the wheels fairly flew over
the limestone road. Neither OF the two In ad-
vance liked TO look over his shoulder, and while
pretending not to be racing, each was doing his
best Occasionally the big wheel would lap them
and by desperate squirt they would regain a
slight lead. The impromptu race continued for a
couple OF miles, until the purSuer laughingly
called out, "wnat In thunder you fellows rad.
ing SO fast for?" AS they recognized Demaray's
voice they suddenly and gladly eased up, and
the Baltimore boys far in the rear, having made no
effort TO beat them. wilkins and Macdaniel 90
not relate the story.
WHEELING THROUGH YORK STATE
Messrs. John LOOMS and Max Hansmanp Of
the Capital Club left the city by rail Sunday night
for Watkins Glen. with their bicycles In the bag
gage car. On Monday they made a tour of the
Glen-n0t by wheel, by the way-and took In the
magaiiicence OF the scenery. The next day found
them at Rochester. and Wednesday at Niagara,
where they intend TO remain until next Wednes.
day, the 5Lh. On the 9th they will wheel 10
Canandaigua, and then they Will push across the
state, stopping at Cayuga on the 9Th, Ithaca on
the It'll. COurllandt the Sth, Hamilton The on
| Richfeld Springs the 10th, Oneonta the lIth.
18th, West Point the 18th, and New York on tile
| l5vh. couple or da,-s In New York and then on
t. Flanders, N. j., stopping at the Delaware Water
Gap on the 18th aud 10Th, and reaching Port Ter
Wis on the 10th. There the wheeling will end.
and the tourists will board the Switchback Ran,
mining towns OF Pennsylvania. They Will reach
home about the last or the month.