The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21
BROKE THE RECORD.
DID MR.. P. Won BoEcKMANN IN HIS
RIDE FROM CHICAGO TO AUSTIN.
The Long Ride Made in Sixteen Days Two
Hours and fabian Interesting Ac.
count Given by the Noted
Cycler and Strong Man.

Mr.. Paul Won Boeckmann, the we'll
known strong man and cycler, ar.
rived In Austin at 2:30 o'clock Tues
day afternoon and at once proceeded
to his home for the purpose of remov.
ing the dust and stains of travel and
resting up after his long ride from
Chicago. He was seen yesterday by
a STATESMAN reporter and gave the
following interesting account of his
Grip:
~ left the South Side Cycling club
rooms in Chicago A Ig. q aG noon and
proceeded to Springfield H., and ST.
Louis, distance of 800 miles, which
l made in 3S riding hours. Leaving
st. Louis l went via Cairo to Mem
phis, where l arrived last Monday
morning and passed Fair Oak, Ark,
and there l took the Cotton Belt rail-
way to Greenville, Tex.
"Arkansas Is swampy and full OF
lagoons and mars hes, 30 that prac.
tically there are no roads through
that stretch, at least none for ycler.
OF course in taking the railroad had
to ride over trestles. On Wednesday
l rode over 261 trestles, making my
lowest mark that day-only rs miles,
But it was better than walking, and
saved time by it. The longest trestle
passed ovet was at Clar.
endon, Ark. 1t was over four miles
long. I met no trains. At Clarendon
1 made inquiry before starting out and
found the track was clear before l
tackled it. Riding over trestle on a
bicycle is something like riding over
stony road in farm wagon. 1t
makes the rider very dizzy, because
he has to keep his hea down watch
ing the ties.
1.-THE only accident that befell me
was about so miles the other side of
Texarkana, when l was bitten on the
instep of my right foot by moccasin.
In passing over tIestle l lost my
cap. l crawled under short bridge
to look for it. ASH stopped down to
pick up my cap felt something sting
my instep, but did not know it was
snakebite until after l got out on the
bank. l took my pocket knife and
cut out the place, allowing it to bleed
freely, after which l applied some
liniment that happened to have, and
aside from little swelling it did not
trouble me much.
"With the exception of putting In
one hour day between st Louis and
Cairo, my trip has been all made in
daylight. Much CT that part of the
trip was made along the railroad. l
put up nights or called for meals
wherever night or hunger overlook
me, and l was not refused once the
hospitality of the farmers. Every
where stopped the people were In
terested in my trip, aud had to siS
up far into the night telling them
about it.
Saturday morning last, l started
from Royse, in Rockwell county, on
the Katy road, at 7 o'clock and rode
into Dallas, having covered Al miles.
"My wheel is a 33 pound Fowler,
built expressly for me In Chicago, and
rode 1t all the way through without
o brake or puncture in the tire.
pounds, and now l tip the beam at
179 pounds.
II left Dallas last Saturday at p.
m. and arrived in Waxahachie at p.
m. onthe same day, distance of 40
miles; left there at o'clock Sunday
morning and reached Waco at p. M;
left Waco at 10 q. m. Sept. IL and ar
rived at Salado at $3.50 p. m left
Salado at $3.50 Tuesday morning and
reached Georgetown at 8 q. m. and
Austin at p. m. The distance trav-
eled was fully 1900 miles, and L made
it in l6 days 2 1-2 hours. The best
previous record, over route about
200 miles shorter, was % IL days, and
was made by g. Waters of San An
tonic. 1 also troke the record from
Chicago to st. Louis, my riding time
being SO hours, breaking the record
by two hours. You can state that l
will compete in the Dallas fair races
If get over the effects of my trip by
that time ~