River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-07-29
STORY OF A TRIP.
Its Haps and Mishaps Told Enter.
tliningly by Clarence s. Dodge.


LIDGERwo0D, NORTH DAKOTA, July p, 1897.
To the JOURNAL and friends Ia River Falls
As perhaps you might like TO have an ae-
count of our bicycle trip from home to the
broad grain fields and waving mud fats of this
mosquitoe infested country viii endeavor 10
give you u somewhat detailed review Of our
journey.
With blggag e-encumbered bikes aud iogious
antcipat',ns we four, VIM. Chaplin, Orls Chan
in, FranA CA gman and myself, left River Falls
at l45 Monday afternoon, July II. and Win
noses pointed westward rolled away. ON ar
irving at Hudson we decided TO G. oss the Oma-
ha railroad bridge and thence proceed up the
tracks to saltwater Junction where we would
strike the wagon ROAD TO St. Paul, We carried
Uut our decision, 10 our sorrow, and found the
trail on that stiff upgrade was composed of
sand between tracks and of poorly ballasted
ties between the rails. However, we managed,
between pushing with all our weights on the
pedals and walking when We couldn't ride. to
gain the Junction and once more get in
Iapid motion.
Our irsG mshap occurred some four miles out
OF St. Paul, where Oris punctured his front tire
and shortly thereafter Frank lost twotspokes
when rolling rapidly down grade. We got in
to the city at about 0 o'clock and while bowl
ing down It'll st. Frank ran into a man in the
middle of the block and rolled him over into
the arms Of a policeman who stood him on his
feet and said ''all right boys" We thought so
too, and glided on We spent the night at
Merriam Par IN a 500 box ear 1--WE started
with the Intention Of roughing it) and awoke al
Loo A. NJ with a cramped, chilly feeling and
found that the five grains Of sawdust, which
formed mattress for each man, had become
disarran red and we couldn't make it lay prop
erly tie balance of the morning, and so start
ed for minneapolis as soon as tie sun arose.
We spent some three hours at Minneapolis get
ting our wheels repaired and tranSacting bust
ness and then settled back into the saddles for
lie real work of the trip and headed north for
Osseo, as the Chaplin boys wished 10 reach
Dakota by way of Fergus Falls. At $3.50 z. NJ.
~ reached Monticello where we had a short
chat with S. j. Mealey and had supper ut the
restaurant of w. j. Clark, formerly shoe
maker of Prescott, Wis, and received a good
meal and courteous treatment. Immediately
after lunch we headed north for st. Cloud
along the tracks of the G., n. and r. L. Rys.,
which run to that city from Minneapolis on The
same right-of-way, and made the run to Beck
er by 6:l5. at which place We were obliged to
spend the night, as the cows of my legs inn
nsliately above the knees were in most pain
fully painful condition and when Frank rubbed
me down after retiring | lay and grOaned at
the touch of his hand.
Wednesday morning l arose feeling fine
and at $50 we were again on the road and en-
tered st. Cloud at 900 O'Clock and Immediately
repaired to the repair shop, as Frank had lost
several spokeS since leaving Minneapolis. At
st. Cloud hunted up Louis Romdenne and
we passed several hours very pleasantly with
him and at noon he mounted with us and
pioted us out to the edge of the city and di
rected US on our way to st. Joseph C1l niles
and tod us to call at his creamery there and
get ali the buttemilk and sweet cream we
wanted. On arriving at the town we repaired
to the butter factory and each drank to so large
an extent that we could hardly mount our
wheels. On leaving the village behind | ran
on ahead and took the road to Avon and the
other three lost sight Of me as | was waiting
for them at the top OF a hill AMI took the
wrong road yelled AT them but they heard
me not, and by the time had gotten on their
trail they had half mile the start and | fol-
lowed fully two and one-hah miles ere over
took then, and never rode naide-. We back
tracked and took the Avon road and then our
trouble began. Thus far we had enjoyed fine
roads, but Immediately out of st. Joseph we
encountered dried mud and at st. Johns Col
lege we turned off this road and went down to
Colegeville, a station ON the G. y. Ry., and in
quired for Avon. 4 man at the depot tried to
tell us In Dutch but our phones were not con-
nected rightly and we couldn't get him, so we
started to ride west on the railway track and
got enough of that before the first mile was
over. At the first crossing we came to we took
the road and terrible one it was-hils, rocks
and sand. In the midst of our troubles we
rode down a hill and found the road covered
with water and surrounding country swamp.
We tired to go round the water and found 1t
grew worse as we proceeded, so we got nearly
across on logs and then mounted and pushed
each other Off. l started, (only about a rod Of
water TO go through and went about 10 feet and
fell off, wading to shore through a foot of water.
The balance of the crowd did likewise, just the
same way. AT last we reached a lakewood
settlement on the bank OF a beautiful lake and
inquired what sheet of water it was. The an
swer was "Peliean Lake" Now, as we had
passed Pelican Lake before reaching Monticello
lat least 100 miles south this was somewhat dis
couraging, but on learning that there were two
lakes by that name our spirits rose again. We
asked the name of the town and one man said
Remington" while another said "St Ann"
We were not surprised at the people not knowing
"where they are at for it's bum country and
not as sanity as the names of the towns would
indicate. AT st. Ann-Remington-we met
some surveyors who told us we would be obliged
TO retrace our tracks five miles in order to reach
Avon and that the road from where we were TO
Albany (the first town on the railway west of
AVON was impossible. When they left US an
other man said the road was splendid to Albany,
as he had driven through that morning and
stated that there was no water over the road at
any point We took his word and came on and
inside of four miles had proven him to be a
base falsifier, as we ran down off bridge
through three rods of water and there got stall
ed in a mud bank. through which we erawled
and pushed our wheels. Well, we got to Albany
about 49, having ridden a good 80 miles to go
20, and there we had supper and then pulled
out for Melrose to spend The night. We had not
intended to stop until we reached Alexandra
but Frank had his usual luck some three miles
from Melrose, for while spinning along on a
hard gravel road l heard snap and Frank
halloed and knew the hoodoo was still with
us Investigation showed four links of his
Nuhlll DEOkeu anu TIE bAiAlAe VI US WAN ANN
chain proceeded on 10 the town TO get it repair
ed while Frank hoofed it in. We got the chain
fixed at about 900 0 o'clock and concluded to stop
over, and did so. While the machine was being
fixed we gave a concert on the street and had
quite jamboree.
Next morning we left at daylight and got
the start of the boys as they followed me out OF
town only about two blocks and then turned
back and got a lunch while rolled on II miles
without a bit to eat and made good time, ! as
sure you.
That day we hail our only serious misfortune
aud one that caused Us anxiety. About 200
o'clock, while some three miles from Brandon,
Oris told Us he was going to stop and for US to
await him at that town. Now, as he was the
strongest rider in the crowd and had led US all
the way, we thought nothing of his remark as
he could easily catch US. We arrived at the
village. having trayersed some as miles since
morning. and about 20 minutes later Oris came
in. deposited his wheel in front of a store and
went across the street into the shade and lay
down We crossed over and found him serious
ly i'll and had to get him to bed at the hotel and
stay until morning. IN a few hours after re-
firing he began 10 improve. Wm. Chaplin and
I gave a concert with violin and organ at the
hotel and had pleasant evening. We, as indi-
yiduals and as a whole, return hearty thanks to
Louis Hanson. proprietor of The Brandon House,
for his kindly treatment and the fine accom-