The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-27
gHEELMAN'S BIG RIDE
x..rly 1000 Miles, Including
stampede Tunnel.
..seeALL FOR VICTORIA. 3. C..
.rx.swo Brant Killed I'm Seattle
uarbor seattle Athletic Club
Track Team.

p-ehzbly the longest bicycle ride vet
~.ss By any Seattle Sheelman has been
.--sn,al.shed By +. W. Payne. who return
= : tn.s city Friday. after covering a
~e,nce OF e,Ss3 miles. and having ridden
= washington. Oregon. California. Ida
= ard portions OF British Columbia In
.ssak,ng Of his trip yesterday he said:
q an more than ever an advocate o.
.. good roads movement. for upon such a
"a se took, there are hundreds. and
~ght say. thousands Of niles OF
- worst excuse ever offered in the shape
: ,osds. Yet, It was not all bad. for in
- EASTERN part of this state the roads
:, naturally good. as are many of the
-ats in oregon and further south.
Wheeling That Is Work
sAs 10 the incidents of the trip. they ire
"a, what could be called adventures. al
sseagn upon several OCCASIONS admit that
. rot rather excited and a IttIs in doubt
= 10 Just how ! was coming out, such
: getting lost In a range OF mountains
!. aigh, without anything 10 eat and no
xxr &c build a fire. which was exceedingly
ss.emfortable 10 say the least One OF
~ hardest portions OF my whole ride was
rem cie-Elum 20 Walia WalIa. during
Isl July. when the thermometer stood
ssywhere from 100 TO TO degrees and the
,na vas playing football with the aIkiil
susi--perhaps that wasn't hot The peo-
- N that portion Of the state don't seem
5 know what way the roads run or any
nsng about them. so Just tell you there is
saly one main Travelled road. all down
esie and very good wheeling. You find
rsshing OF the kind, however, and lust
have 70 drag your weary way through
,sst hot sand for thirty or forty miles be-
Ore you can get a drink Of water. alkili
rater az that. and then strike out for an
s.her long distance under the scorehing
sur. Some people may call that sport, but
have changed my mind just little on
nat point. and call II hard work.
Through the stampede Tunnel.
zone OF the most interesting events to my
sston was walking through the Siam
seds tunnel without a light. II does not
sund Ike anything much 10 speak Of IL.
b. Il person has never tried IT. he Will
rsange hts mind before reaching the other
nd OF the tunnel. especially when the
tsosporescent light begins to rob about IN
ssnt Of him and makes him think OF all
A. ghost stories he ever heard OF all the
tsmal. creepy places ever went into that
nnael Is the worst. I had TO keep feeling
81 way along the rail with my foot and
tashing my wheel over the rough ties,
sendeFing IL l would ever get through
4
sar5ly refrain from making wild rush for
Enewhere-alnlost anywhere TO get 20
aslghi again. After an hour OF carefully
s0fking my way along the rail J sighted
lat and hurried out. only 10 find myself
. blinded by the sun that il was irnpossi-
As for me 10 see for several minutes.
Down the snake River Hills.
In crossing the Snake river. where hills
D miles long are in fashion, an old tel
phone post was utilized as a drag to
nke the descent by riding. instead OF
mixing. That may be a novel way. but
nease me from making the experiment
Ean on such machine. for If that rope
BAD parted il is doubtful If even the river
roald have stopped me. / was told that
sae cyellst had tried the same scheme about
month previous and had lost control OF
ls wheel. but with good doctoriDg Il was
Bought that he might pun through and
he.
Where the Wheel Excites Wonder.
I ran across "A number OF settlers in re-
raie districts who had never seen a BIZ
Gcie. One old man, with gray hair and
bard. asked me how / managed TO git
igoln' when | had no one 10 give me a
Start He seemed 10 have no idea how the
smehine worked until | explained 20 him
tad showed him how IL was done. while he
sco1 with open mouth, ejaculting: Lawd
tmlghty| at every move ] would make.
he said he had seen picture OF one in the
kst newspaper he had managed 90 get
Dbl OF. nearly a-year previously. but he
over knew. he said. that they could be
NJ like thet' How people manage 10 live
Ae that is more than l can comprehend.
hl IN many cases l found people living
BAY out In a regular dessert. where they
tsed 10 keep "A COW or two. and had 70
aui water from ten TO twenty miles In
hrrels. and where drink of water even
si OF alkali. and as poor as IL rs. Is
soked upon Ike so much precious gold
Yes, trip upon a wheel will reveal
saay things that cannot be seen by any
aher method OF travel