The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-04-07
Wheeling Around the World.

Eugene f. Stevens and George D.
Mitchell, two young lawyers of Wash
ington, who started on May last from
New York for pleasant trip around tie
world on bicycles, have just arrived in
San Francisco from China. and viii soon
return to Washington by rail. They
sailed for Queenstown. and spent ten
days trundling in Ireland, then went to
Scotland, thence to England. The best
time the cyclists made during their trip
was in England, when they accomplish
ed fifty-three miles in five hours. The
greatest distance ridden by them in one
day was seventy-five miles in France,
through which country the riding was
delightful
The wheelmen reached Beyreuth, in
Bavaria, while the Wagner festival was
in progress and listened to grand opera
in flannel shirts and knee breeches.
Vienna was reached after a journey
through the Bohemian forest. Then, by
easy stages, they wheeled to Budweiss,
and then through Syria to Gratz, and
from there to Croatia. In Herzegovina
their first really hard times were en-
countered. 1t Was dreadfully hot. water
was very scar Q, and most of the time
they were starving.
Stevens does not speak with much joy
over his journey through Turkey.
There is no government on the face of
the earth worse than that of Turkey"
i s.....,J 10,
overcome by surprise at the idea of any
one coming to their land for mere pleas
ure that they forgot to charge US any
duty on our bicycles They insisted,
however that we should be aceompan>
led by ii military guard, and they detail
ed foot soldiers to escort us. AT the
! next town we were met by cavalrymen,
who conducted US to sort of a hotel
where we took a room, and in a few
moments nearly every lnhabitant OF the
town was trying to get into our room to
get a glimpse at u.s. We left the foot
soldiers behind on the second day, and
horsemen had tough job keeping up
with u.s. We were obliged to walk the
greater part of three days on account OF
the muddy condition of the roadways.
about every five miles there is
gendarme stationed, whose business it
is 70 stop every traveller and in quire his
business. One gendarme shouted to us
to halt, but we rode right along, paying
no attention to his command. His in
dignation and surprise at our audacity
were unbonnded, think we were the
first who ever rode through that part of
Turkey on bicycles, and the people were
very curious. We were obliged to sleep
out in the open air occasionally, but as
a rule, we managed to find some sort OF
a shelter Food was scarce and bad
The two Or three weeks journey thro'
Albania was by no means enjoyed. They
had considerably difficulty getting out
of the country on account of having for
gotten to have their passports vised
Corinth and Athens were next visited.
In Thessaly Stevens became sick from
malaria fever, and was compelled to rest
for a week After he had recovered they
went to Smyrna, and from there they
had planned to go to the Holy Land
They could not secure transportation
there, however,a as vessels had all stopped,
owing to cholera epidemic. They went
to Alexandria, in Egypt, instead. Cairo
and the Pyramids were viewed, and then
a trip was made to Suez and other
points of interest A Bombay steamer
was boarded November 10. From Bom>
bay the tourists iourneyed by rail to
Delhi, and thence by wheel to Gavin
pore, a distance of 313 miles The rail
way was utilized from CawEpone to
Calcutta. kolee was the first Japanese
port touched at, and from there they
started to wheel Yokohama. When they
had travelled five days, some police Off
Gals discovered that their permits to
travel outside of treaty limits obliged
them to go by rail, and SO they had to
board train,