The record-union., 1896-02-15
STRANDED IN THE ORIENT.
MGIlrath and Wife, the Bicycle Tourists,
in Distress.
Newspaper Circumnavigators Are Be-
coming Nuisance to People
in Japan.

MT. ana Mrs. MclIrath, who were here
last July, after having ridden across
the continent on bicycles all the way
from Chicago, were at last accounts
stranded in Japan.
McIlrath was on his way to India. he
said, in the interest of the Chicago In
ter-Ocean." After establishing stations
for correspondence, he and his wife in
tended to travel on their wheels to Lon
don, explore England, Ireland and Scot
land, and then return to the United
States. The pair had a great send-off
at Chicago, and were received at vari-
Gus places by thousands of bicyclists on
their trip to this coast.
That McIlrath was no impostor was
shown by the paper he said he repre-
sented, as it published long, well-writ-
ten and interesting letters from him
and spoke of him as its travelling staff
correspondent. Therefore it seems a
little strange that he and his wife
should be on their uppers now, unless
he set SO lively a pace in San Fran
cisco that his money supply was ex-
hausted and his salary account tapped
in advance. The pair spent several
months in that city, and one night,
while on lark with a party of Olym-
pic Club men, a row was started and
McIlrath was badly beaten.
However, here is what the Tokyo
(Japan) correspondent of the New York
Herald" has to say about impecunious
globe-trotters in general, and McIirath
ir particular, in a letter dated January
18th:
1.-The newspaper circumnavigator of
hn erIo 1aa hoc fo he fo mil a r.. n h
ject in Japan. Most of them are grew
Gus nuisances. The catch-basin for
this genus is Yokohama, and whether
going or coming he is inferentially, at
least, an object of charity The foreign
settlement in Yokohama is decidedly
liberal in the matter of aid to the
stranded-this upon the theory that it
is cheaper to help an impecunious beat
across the sea than to~entertain him for
any considerable length of time in
Japan.
Some weeks ago a Mr.. McIlrath, a
bicyclist by trade, arrived here with his
wife on a wheel trip around the world in
the interest of a Chicago newspaper.
Being of sporting tendencies, Mr.. Nc
Ilrath expended the bulk of his money
in San Francisco. and landed in Japan
with a wife, two bicycles and $50 Fur
ther progress being barred, he proceed
ed to eat up various pieces of personal
baggage, and at length the wheels dis
appeared. The charity Of the hotels of
Yokohama and Tokyo being exhausted,
appeals were made to the United States
Legation and the Consulates.
LAS our benign Government does not
provide funds for stranded tourists, the
twain was forced to appeal to individ-
ual charity. A great deal of sympathy
was expressed for the woman, but the
marital handicap weighed heavily
against her The adventurous cyclers
have actually suffered for the common
necessaries of life, but I believe some
arrangement has been made by which
the newspaper to which they are ac-
credited is to get them out Of the coun-
try.
"The g1obe-trotter is no longer a
novelty. If a man came along here who
was walking on the water with bills up
for New York he would attract very lit
tie attention, and if collapsed financially
I am quite sure would not excite SYM
pathy. Travellers limited as to linen
and cash, and inspired with a desire to
break some sort of a record, are simply
ranked as ordinary tramps. They have
had their day, and my advice to news
papers anxious to be represented in for
eign ports by skilled pedestrians and
wheelers is to provide their agents with
liberal letters of credit.
'I observe that the report that Japan
made bicycles are to be sold in the
United States for So has reached our
Congress, via San Francisco. A dis
tinguished statesman from the West
has expressed great alarm over the
threatened industrial invasion.
Notwithstanding the existence of
this wonderful cheap and airy Japan
ese bicycle, wish to remark that every
ship that comes to the port of Yoko-
hama from San Francisco and Tacoma
brings a consignment of American
built bicycles, which are sold to for
eigners of intelligence for $100 in gold
sometimes $125.
Now, if Japan can produce a bicycle
which can be sold in the United States
for $12, why is it that common-sense
people living and riding here will per-
sist in paying such high prices for for
eign wheels? This tells the story. Our
distinguished American Representative
III Washington is unnecessarily
alarmed"
nnaxrTrzncy rvrTY HYrE