Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-29
LONG BICYCLE TRIP.
,tnr or TWO NiUGINItNS FROM
STANTON TO BOSTON.
a, Hundred and seventy Miles Cow
cred IN Si~ Da,s-Shortcst Days
hide. 30 MILES; Longest. 13o-inci-
dents I'm Route. tn....g


..rht. on the great Valley pike. stone
sal Jackson" planned the battle of Port
Republic. The night was spent at Mount
Jackson.
Au.alsf rh we passed through hdln-
ourr Woodstock. Stia-burs. M'ddleto"n'
and Winchester Va, Mariinsbufg' w
Ga: crossed the Potomac at Williams
port. Nil. where the armies Of the Po-
,omnc AMI of Northern virginia crossed
ma recroseel SO often during "the late
arplcasautncss" Che route was thence
v.a farerstown. MI: Grrcncastie. Pa
g. Chambcrsburg where. having passed
through parts Of four states during the
day. wc spent the n.eht
August 10th. from Chamhersburg. via
shirpenshurr. Carlisle, Harrisburg Le-
luuon. 10 Reading. August 18th. from
Reading. passing P3ttstown, Norrisiown'
philadelphia. ana Trenton. y. j. 70
princeton. August 18th. from princeton
60 Ncw Brunswick. Perth Anhoy throush
Staten Island. across New jersey hdroDT
on the ferry-holt 10 broadway. up
broadway. and ont Westrhester avenue
oyer tle oil Boston Icst-road ana near
the main line ~ thc New YORK. New
Hampshire. and Hudson River railroad
g. Bridgeport 18TH. thence via New ma
ven to Hartford Conn: .nth, from Hart
f,rI. via Springfield. Palmer. Wore. SER
following fhe main line ~ the Boston
and Albany road t. Boston, arriving
there 90 p. VI.
DIsTNNCE-TIME.
The distance covered was GO miles:
riding time. SIX DAYS. or SIX aud half
a.ys including tac half day spent M
Hartford looking through the factories
~ The Pope Manufacturing Company,
makers If the Columbia bicycles. The
shortest days ride was rinety-nne miles.
OIL. the 18Th. when We PASSED through
NeW York c'c, The longest, l3' miles,
being the last days ride from Hartford
q. BOSTON. We stopped frequently oil
along t.. route to talk 20 the people and
q. view The country. towns. cities. etc.
Nhlc riding We made from nine 10 eish
teen miles per hour according 20 the con-
Gfinu 81 the roads
The roads IN Virginia and West Nir-
r.ria were good. IN Maryland and Penn
s,lvauia mostly bad. From New Castle
O. Clawhsrshurc. Pa. the Oh macadam-
iz.l roads were SO bad that We followed
along the sides of the Cumberland Valley
railroad track The railroad-hed WAS in
specially fine condition, the sides Of the
tracks being nicely turfrd with green
rrass This is a lovely section. and the
most improved farming country that we
saw.
THE VALLEY.
40 country In the world could te pref
ter than the Valley " Virginia; tho
blue Ridge and Massauutton mountains.
thu Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, bat
the lands were not in as hieh state
q cultivation as in Maryland Pennsyi-
wanna, and New York. IN parts Of y
Jersey. New York Connecticut and
VI ls~achu~etfs the roads were fine.
The machines used weighed twenty-one
ana one haif pounds OF high-grad-, made
Is one ~ the Oldest and best makers 10
America. Both wheels came through with
olt 90 scratch
The whc.lmen were well treated an
along the route. ana esprci liy by the
,.i soldiers ~ the Federal army who had
fought in Virginia, particularly one or
S1armans men in New York. and one
20 the Fourth Malne-d park pohce OIL
.er iu Boston.
The people along our route In the Shen-
sndoah ana Cumberland valleys. In Nir-
tiuia. West Virginia. Maryland. and Penn
ylvauia were generally Of the thrifty
scofch-Irish or Pennsylvania Dutch stock.
From Philadelphia. on through New Jcr-
sew. New York. and Connecticut. we were
constantly IN cities almost all the way
the reople being of all nations, and every
1ne apparently for himself
The prettieet buildings on the route
were the Princeton College buildings.
They are almost covered with green IVY
ana are perfectly lovely. seeming much
prettier than "a the published pictures.
The Yale College buildings al New
Haven. dil not present near SO handsome
an appearance as W. had Imagined from
Illustrations. bur some Of the buildings
seemed very ancient.
NEW ENGLAND LIFE
IN Connecticut from Hartford on We
wer- constantly reminded of the stories ~
ouia- NV England village life. In Mas
sachlsetts the country WIS green. inter
sting. and everywhere seemed quiet and
r-stful. The people were also Of the typi-
cal Yankee type We had read about In
the cities We noticed many monuments
erected 90 the memory OF soldiers who fell
81 the late war
Tur Eve or ten miles in or out Of Tie
large cities the r0adWays were thickiy
shaded by magnificent elms growing on
either side through which the sun seldom
..etratei The banks % the roads were
severed with green grass. and near by AZ
frequent intervals. were elegant country
solses supplied with all modern convent
s.c-- such rs water electric lights, etc.
LOCAL CONDITIONS.
r.. times in Pennsylvania. New jersey,
and Sew 81 .rk We're said % be improving,
Nlt 10 tha manufacturing towns Of the
interior 80 1'les achusetts many factories
We're eh.t down and the people seemed
WY Ir~ Several old soldiers told us
that tN.y t.i for some time been obliged
Q. depend entirely on their pensions Tor
tle.r living
There Was noticeable absence of
tamas and wiki the class Of people they
w.sl br a,t 90 encounter AMI the scar
,tr ~ stah.es In this section hey
ul Dee ant u sfarve unless they car
f.. PROVISIONS along with them. Win
fh- exception Of fine tobacco-grOwi IN
Connecticut W saw no growing crops IN
N.a England. and not as much ,hlahl-
U.s. is seen between stanton ana
ablrg All Of Us were iOrcbiy
.'- With the evidently original rugged
,. .rftn character AMI present aspect
o. Nrw England country, and In COM
rr l herewith thought how FAR supe-
t.s natural advantages of the South.
..r..aIv virginia. We're and how soon
... could have the Erandest country on
.l-ia % our people would only put into
Practice thc same pluck and energy which
.. l.n made use Of ty the New Eng
l.Ifs EDWARD NJ. CABELL.
Ii. q. DOUTHAT
OF Low Moor. Va.