San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-10-13
RIDING FOR THE CHINESE.
Two American Bicyclers in Asia
Give Exhibition.
They Were Compelled to Dash Into the
Cities and Lock Up Their Wheels to
Escape the Crowds of Curious Sa-
tIyes swarming After Them,

unJll we Cdlut W du llllls anu lllCu lOSNh
up our wheels before the crowd could
collect, write Thomas G. Allen, jr., and
William L. Sachtleben in the Century,
continuing their narrative of Across
Asia on a Bicycle" UrumtSi, however,
was too large and intricate for such a
vancouver. We were obliged to dis
mount in the principal thoroughfare.
The excited throng pressed in upon us.
Among them was a Chinaman who
could talk little Russian, and who
undertook to direct us to a comfort
able inn at the far end of the city.
This street parade gathered to the inn
yard an overwhelming mob, and an
nounced to the whole community that
foreign horses had come. 1t had
been posted, we were told, month be-
fore, that the new people of the
world" were coming through on
'strange iron horses" and every one
was requested not to modest them. BY
this, public curiosity was raised to the
highest pitch. When we returned from
supper at a neighbOring restaurant,
we were treated to novel scene. The
doors and windows of our apartments
had been blocked with boxes, bales of
cotton, and huge cartwheels to keep
out the irrepressible throng. Our host
was agitated to tears; he came out ring
ing his hands, and urging upon us that
any attempt on our part to enter
would cause a rush that would break
his house down. We listened to his
entreaties on the condition that we
should be allowed to mount to the
roof with a ladder, to get away from
the annoying curiosity of the crowd.
There we sat through the evening twi-
light, while the crowd below, some
what baked but not discouraged,
stood taking in every move. Nightfan
and dizzling rain came at last to our
relief.
Ihe next morning a squad of soldiers
was dispatched to raise the siege, and
sat the same time presents began to ar
rive from the various officials, from the
.Tsongtu. O. gi""ccToy, dorm 20 the su-
~{serintendent of the local prisons. The
matter of how much to accept of Chi
enese present and how much to pay for
it in the way of tip to the bearer is
one of the finest points of that finest of
fine arts, Chinese etiquette; and yet in
1.-The midst of such an abundance and va
riety we were hOpelessly at sea. Fruits
and teas were brought, together with
meats and chickens, and even live
sheep. Our Chinese visiting-cards-
with the Chinese the great insignia Of
rank-were nov returned for those sent
with the presents, and the hour APP
pointed for the exhibition of our BIZ
cycles as requested.
Long before the time, the streets and
,housetops leading from the inn to the
Viceroy's palace at the far end of the
city began to fill with people, and sol
diers were detailed at our request to
make an opening for us to ride through
abreast. This, however, did not pre-
vent the crowd from pushing us against
each other, or sticking sticks in the
wheels, or throwing their hats and
shoes in front of us, as we rode by.
g, When in sight of the viceroy's palace,
they closed in on us entirely. 1t was
the worst jam we had ever been in. BY
no possibility could we mount our ma
chimes. although the mob was growing
more and more impaticnt. They KEEP
ebortino for ms 70 ride. but would civ,
us no room Those on the outsid,
pushed the inner ones against us. Will
the greatest difficulty could we pre-
800 o,,r coriIihrirrn and prevent tn
-l-Laa,s f,orI Ioinr crushed rs "
- ,Iorr, +o,,,ord III. raloco cate
81. ~ 70 ,i,oa o,,, pIss;ar in+c7
WILLY, Irofao nn b,r.oI,acl, in front
Piv.:l, -.I'.-l ,Il,,. o,,I ,,a.tia,,1o+o !
coi''''.I'I,' &c.,. tl,;,. 1,,,l,