The herald., 1893-01-23
CYCLING AROUND THE WORLD,
How Two Americans Are Max
ing the Circuit.
They Succeeded in Crossing China
from West to East.
They Have Yet to Ride from Los Angeles
to New ork, When Their Aruuous
6clf-Imposed Task VIII
Be Completed.

who have just accomplished one OF the
most difficult journeys ever made by
white men. Almost unarmed they
came on bicycles through the central
portion of Asia from the west side,
ACROSS mountain ranges and deserts and
through heathen population prejudiced
againet foreigners. The pair were also
allowed to pass through the Russian
possessions in Asia, after wintering in
Turkestan for six months. They pro-
pose to circumnsvigate the globe bsfore
they finish their tour, and there now
remains only the journey across the
United States to New York city to COM
plste the girdle.
The ride through Europe was in the
nature of a jaunt, the hard work being
reserved until Asia was reached. 1t has
been stated, that Mr.. Allen and Mr..
Sachtleben share with Marco Polo the
honor of having traversed the Chinese
empire in an eastery direction, entering
it from the west side.
They were seen at the Westminster
hotel by HERALD representative Satur-
day evening and talked entertainingly
of their tour. They are both young
men and are exceedingly modest over
their achievement. That they have a
right to be proud no one will dispute,
but from their manner an observer
would take them to be only pair OF
bicyclists on short iaunt through the
country and not for plucky pair OF
young men who have carried their Ives
in their hands many times during the
past year. They are pair OF young
Americans of whom their countrymen
ought to feel justly proud.
''State something of your tripr'
asked the reporter, looking first at Mr..
Allen and then at Mr. Sachtieben.
swell, in the first place we desire to
state that we are not travelling in the
interest of any wheel. We are making
the tour merely for our own pleasure
and to make observations. We had
never ridden bicycles before start
ing on the trip and we
chose the wheels as the most feasible
means of accomplishing the journey.
We graduated from the Washington col
lege, at St. Louis, on June IL, 1890,
and on the following day left for New
York. From there we set sail on June
IS for England. A tour of the British
isles was made, after which we went
through the southern part of Europe,
lchfluk tuo edulo year
and going into Asia.
'On July 4th we climbed Mt. Ararat
and unfurled to the breezes this Ameri-
can flag" and Mr.. Sachtleben here pro-
duced from the breast pocket of his
jacket a small silk American flag about
IA by 10 inches. ''We drew our revol-
vers and fred four times in honor of the
day.
'From there we went into Turkestan,
where, 5eing caught by the winter, we
had to remain for six months. Before
reaching that country our friends tried
to dissuade us from going through China,
as did the Russians, on account of the
reported outbreaks there. When we
were ready to start we found that there
was no trouble, go decided to take the
original course. We crossed the Chinese
empire, the hardest portion being the
desert OF Cobb. The route taken was
the old Chinese highway. 1t is such in
name only, for many portions of it are
what you would call trails in this coun-
try. We stayed but short time in
Japan. Owing to the winter season our
trip to New York will be by the southern
route through New Orleans"
"Did you encounter any opposition
from governments or the populace to
yUuI phboluS any
eyes, in some localities. This pass
port generally saw us through, how
ever" Mr.. Allen here produced dingy
and worn but official looking document
1t was issued from Washington, and was
signed by James G. Blaine, secretary Of
state. Besides this there were passports
in the Arabic, Russian, Chinese and
other languages. The consuls at differ
ent places along the route had signed it,
certifying that the pair had been seen
at their legation headquarters on GER
tain date.
''This. you see," remarked the gentle
men, "shows that we have visited the
places we state. There is no getting
around the document. The Chinese
passports were gotten from the Chinese
legation at London, We first thought
that we would be made to 60 through
China, so obtained passports through
Siberia signed by the minister OF the
interior at st. Petersburg.
I'm Asiatic Russia we were at first re-
garded with suspicion. Kennan's letters
have created great stir in Russia, and
now almost every foreigner who goes
there is looked upon as probable spy.
The very fact of our being Americans
was ohe great cause of our not being mo-
l66U6u. UeueTdl AOuraphtk1Qe, tD6
commander of the Turkestan province,
entertained US at dinner while we were
at the town where he has his head
quarters. He remarked that the fact of
our being Americans was the best pass
port through Russia that we could have.
That nation feels very kindly toward
this country. Had we been English
men we would not have been allowed to
have crossed the country. The hardest
portion OF the journey was through
China. With the exception of few petty
mandarins the officials were courteous
to- us. The people could not under
stand the bicycles. We had to give ex
hibitions of riding for them. Some
times we would feel tired and in des-
pers,ion tell them we would not ride
unless they paid ne. In short time
they would collect hat full OF small
copper pieces and bring them to us. We
always had to ride then. One time we
raced for two dozen eggs. Had we 30
desired we conid have made money by
giving exhibitions to these natives. The
journey across China was hard and the
experience will be remembered. The
worst part was through the desert of
Cobb. The stations we're many miles
apart. We could carry no water so
would drink our fill at each station and
hurry on to the next. We slept in
tents with the strolling tribes. It
other times we bunked in barus. tho-