The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
Experience of a Local Wheel
Rider While Touring
Europe.
SURVEYING THE NEW ROAD.
Senators and Congressman VIII In
spect Oakland Harbor on
Monday.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI


and Will Cook, have returned from a trip
to Europe, through which they have been
travelling on wheels. The young ladies
were met in New York by their mother,
who will remain in the East for awhile,
but Mr.. Alexander came through to Oak
land. The returned bicyclist tourist was
seen at his residence, 1905 Sixteenth street,
last evening, and gave some interesting
facts of his extended bicycle tour.
1--WE were absent three months" he
said, ALLOWING two months for touring on
our wheels. 1t was a grand experience.
can imagine nothing more delightful. The
European roads are excellent, and there is
an ever-changing variety OF scenery that
sustains the interest, while the wheel at
fords the exhilaration.
1--WE were members of the Cycle Tourist
Club, which issues valuable maps and
books of all parts of Europe for bicycle
tourists, giving distances, elevations and
points of interest. On reaching England
we wheeled from Liverpool to Chester to
Conway and through Northern Wales. We
visited Standardization and passed
through Derbyshire. After going to Biz
mingham and several other cities, owing
to my wheel needing some repairs I was
compelled to wait to send it to Paris to be
repaired on account of not being able to
have it done in England. We went on to
Havre, then to Paris.
THE roads in England, though of a
flinty character, are usually good, but
somewhat hard on wheels. The double
tires are used there almost altogether.
THE English thought our Columbus
were too light and would frequently say,
Your American wheels may do for run
ming about and light work, but they are
not equal to touring. We found, how
ever, that they stood the trip first rate.
"The boomer costume has not been re-
ceived with much favor in England. L
don't think we saw over dozen women
wearing them.
France is an ideal country for bicy-
cling. The roads are extremely smooth and
well kept. Some of them for hundreds of
miles are lined with shade trees-syca-
more, poplar and other kinds. The roads
are macadamiZed and men are constantly
kept at work repairing them.
"In Paris cycling is Juror. The scene
on the Bots du Boulogne is brilliant one.
The ladies of France take more kindly to
the boomer costume than their English
sisters. Throughout France the journey
is one of great interest. From Paris we
went by Fontainebleau and through the
Juras into Switzerland. We found the
mountain roads upon easy grades. The en-
gineers manage to maintain an even grade
on roads where they wind around the face
of mountains.
"In Switzerland we visited Geneva ana
the Swiss lakes, then we journeyed down
the Rhone and through the Pc Valley up
to the springs of the Pyrnees. A trip
through the gorge of the Tarn, between
precipitous walls, reminds one of Yo-
semitic Valley experiences.
I'VE went to Lourdes through charming
landscapes back to our point of departure
for home. We covered about 1904 miles
on our wheels.
'We made about fifty miles a day, some
times seventy.
expenses, less in France and Switzerland.
Altogether it was pleasant and mex
pensiVe trip"
To Inspect the Harbor.
Monday next CALIFORNIA; Senators and
Congressman will inspect Oakland harbor,
so that they may better understand its
needs and advantages. Tomorrow after
noon the Senators and Congressman will
meet at the Palace Hotel and make ar
rangements for the proposed inspection.
The Merchants Exchange and the Board
OF Trade of Oakland are working together
for the purpose of making the inspection
the visitors. At a meeting of the Board of
Trade resolutions were adopted reciting
the fact of the proposed visit, rendering
the cooperation of the board, inviting the
Merchants Exchange to cooperate, and
also inviting Mayor Davie, mem bers of the
Council, Board of Works, Supervisors,
presidents of all Oakland banks ana the
Trustees of the city OF Alameda to join the
party.
Making Progress.
The work on the electric road from Oak
land to Livermore is being steadily pushed
Surveyor Russell has finished his survey
from San Leandro to Haywards, and if his
lines are not departed from this part of the
road will be less than six miles in length
or just about the length of the Oakland
and Haywards road between the same
points. The route for the new road is a
very picturesque one, as it follows the
foothills and is at sufficient eleyation to
give good view of the orchards between
it and the bay, and also view of the bay
According to the survey the road will
come into Haywards near Liedel's place
and cross the San Lorenzo Creek near
Kimball orchard.
Another surveying party is at work in
Castro Valley picking. a route via Lake
Chabot. If route this way should be
used Haywards would be off the main line
and would have to be connected by spur
track, but if the Russell survey be fol-
lowed Haywards will be on the main line.
New Board of Officers.
At business meeting of the Ladies'
Cooperative Aid Society of Oakland the
following officers were elected to fill
vacancies for the remainder of the year:
President, Mrs. a. II. Hanley OF Ala
media; vice-president, Mrs. o. A George;
recording secretary, Mrs. l.. Chapman;
directors-Mrs. l., E. Shannon and Mrs.
Chapman of Alameda, Mrs. Deal and Mrs.
o. A. George. A committee of three was
appointed to take an inventory of all the
property of the society and report at the
next business meeting, which will be on
the first Wednesday in October.
The Latest Offer.
The latest offer to the University Re-
gents for the Wllmerding School repre-
sents the joint HberaIity of two we'll
known property-owners, Hugh Dimond
and A. B. Brendenmuhl, each of whom is
to give one-half. Their proposed site is at
the head of Fruitvale avenue, and COM
prises the first knoll back of the village 1t
is somewhat similar to the elevation upon
which the German .Altenheim has been
placed. but is said to be little higher.
Two car lines, with transfers from the
steam line and downtown cars, run to a
point close by