New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-07
A HARD TRIP WITH A WHEEL
FOUR MILES OF DEEP LONG ISLAND
SAND
p,n,xo IMPOSSIBLE MOST OF THE wAY-'THE

vtIrEIMANS GREAT AMERICAN DESERT
man from Harlem and one who was not star'eo
ora hot afternoon from shelter Island for New
York on their wheels. 4 third man set out win
them but an accident to his whee. MADE MIN seek
the services OF the railroad. Then, as the nursery
rhyme has It, there were but two Ihere hau pee"
much preliminary discussion as to which route 10
take; whether to go by way OF sag Haroor' oo"'"-
ampton and the south shore. or to cross 10 Green
mort ride to Rverhead and there strike out across
the waste land to the south shore road Inc ADVICE
Of every one who knew about the TWO roauS ""'
10 take the longer one. via sag Harbor hut one u.
the riders had just came that way and he persuaded
his comrades 10 take chances witt the Wilderness
The two who were to overcome al the d'mcu'"eS
had seen rough travelling together IN the noun
ains and the very fact that the snort cut pronseu
some hariships made them anxious TO take II.
The trip by ferry Greenport and thence by
fine road TO Riverhead pain sailing. save FOR
No 2 who had TO trundle his smashed bicycle to
the railway station at Matituck. This accident de-
,aved the other two and 1t was O'clock when they
reached Riverhead. There a wheelman was aSNeu
about the road to the south shore OF the island
"Whew" he whstled. but you're in for 1t II you
are going 10 ride there You'll wish you hadn't be-
Tor. van GOT through" His further remarks
strengthened the idea that he considered the pro-
posed trip equal TO exploration in mid-Afrca How
ever. he volunteered 20 set the TWO on the risn'
road and started out with them. accompanied oy
the pretty young woman with wrom ne hau Dee"
riding The man from Harlem engaged the guide
In further converse in all politeness voyager
No. 2 had to keep beside he wheewoman or
course he asked her one or two questions ana 'heh
the chat flowed on When she and her escort mad 10
leave the other two the man who was not from
Harlem had a strong impression that Instead OF the
roads being especially bad. really most agree
able riding.
BICYCLE GYMNASTICS.
in cult
path riding called into pay. The middle OF the
road sandy and the RUS cut by wagon whee.s
deep. Al times ii was pt ssibe TO ride out
side the ruts first the left and then to the right
But this sidep1th narrow. and often big bushes
nearly swept the wheelman II he turned aside
for them his bicycle struck the deep rut and he had
to dismount-that Is II he could do so before falling
However. this bad as 1t might have
BEEN and OF the twain ventured the remark:
well, this isn't as awful 1t has been painted.
II it doesn't get any worse than this we can stand
It,"
But IL did get Perhaps three miles from
Rverhead there s fork in the road. The left
hand branch. along which run the telegraph poles.
goes Quoguc; the other leads 10 Wcsthampton.
One is bad the other. but the right hand one IS
followed because Westhampton lies west of Quogue
When the road divided later the two always kept
10 the right in accordance with the directions given
the from Harlem His comrade showed a
wonderful ignorance OF the Riverhead wheelmens
injunctions some Of which he had heard and the
Harlem unkind enough to place the blame
the little chat with the wheewoman.
The rest Of the journey 10 Westhampton was
made in company with young in two
seated wagon. she dressed in white. and had
bows Of yellow ribbon on her shoulders She amused
herself across the by whistling softly. At
least the two decided it must be she, unless her
horse had learned the art Sometimes the cyclists
were ahead and then she would get to the fore by
Before long however. she was forgotten in the
al Of no m Xyhp n no
question The road ankle deep in sand. or
eePT The us T from mine to weye inches
headway riding Al times short distances could be
generally the scrub pines and oaks close up TO
the road proper When there was clear space OF
The mount had to be extremely careful, for a
oH M oe the ea STus Setting 6 again The or fhe
of the squat trees twanged against the spokes, or
and the remouns so frequent that it seemed easier
TO walk.
A MINIATURE FOREST.
In spite of the lateness of the hour. the sun beat
down with a MONDAY glare. apparently. OF course
no water was to be had. For four miles not house
to be seeh although the view extensive
IN every direction. There tall trees. only
scrub oak and pine. And through this desert strug
eled the two wheelmen, getting thirser every min
ute At one place the trees grew taller. and both
suggested that the end mus, be near But it wasn't
and the bicycles had to be pushed for fifteen
After about four miles of this walking Gt seemed
eight. but the cyclometers told different story
wheelman was met coming from the opposite direc
ton He gave the cheering answer to a question
by saying that the good road only few rods
further. Why he should start shortly before 7
o'clock that terrible journey mystery but
comparing their own fate with his made the two
NewYorkers almost happy. The forest kept right
up to the railroad track. the road emerging almost
opposite the Westhampton station.
Two miles further and pleasant hotel the
Great South Bay reached The two travellers
had a thirst for which as the Irishman said. they
wouldn't have taken 40 cents. When they sat down
10 the welcome supper their first request was for
water The man from Harlem had already had n
glass but each drank two In a hurry. And wasn't
Il refreshing. Then each had glass Of milk. and
after that two more glasses OF water: BY this
time the waiter got tired OF fetching II. so she
brought the pitcher. The water in this colder
than the ether had been. so the wheelmen feared
TO drink more than two glasses apiece OF IT, one
had cup Of coffee the other of tea. Later they
drank more water. and then sleep was such only
the tired wheeman knows
The country between Riverhead and Westhampton
they have chrstened THE Wheelman's Great Ameri-
can Desert" All who have travelled across IL
showing a bicvcle will aorea that the ti,Ie "a 40