The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-08-01

Holllster wilson, VINO spent last winter
B in this city, are now touring Europe on
bicycles. Mr.. Wilson is describing his
trip in letters to the Montreal, Canada,
Gazette, one of which THE TIMES takes
pleasure in republishing below)
Maestricht, Hollend, --On the 18th of
June my friend myself and our two wheels
arrived in Antwerp, having crossed from
Harwich, England, by the handsome new
steamship Amsterdam, with the intention
of making bicycle tour on the CONT
nent. The greater part of the two days
we spent in Antwerp were taken up in
getting our wheels through the customs.
The customs officials in Canada are slow
enough for any use, but they are rapid as
compared with those in Belgium. After
hours of animated discussion, in which
all presant took hand, some in French,
others in German, it was decided that we
should make deposit of IL francs each,
to be recovered by us at the first town we
reached on. the frontier, Antwerp is
really magnificent city, with its great
bouleyards, fine stores and handsome resi-
dences. The docks are wonderful, all
built of stone and many miles in length.
We put up at the Hotel st. Antoine, on
the Place Verte, under the shadow of the
cathedral, with it's high and graceful
spire of some 400 feet pointing upwards,
as it has done for hundreds of years. The
windows of the cathedral are superb; few,
understand, as wonderful in Europe
The great thing in trip such as we are
undertaking is to do with as few clothes
as possible. We have two large Gladstone
bags, which we send on to some large
Town on our route, never more than a
week in advance, and bring what is abso-
lutely necessary in carrying bag, strap
ned to the wheel. In these bags we have
each change of underclothing, rubber
cape, in case of ram; sweater, comb and
brush, and anything else we can cram IN
Thus, we have all we need for our COM
fort, without much weight. We are also
members of the Touring Club of France,
which gives us reduction of 10 per cent,
at all the hotels in Europe, as well as
many other advantages.
At 5l5 p. m. on the afternoon of June Is
we rode out of Antwerp in the direction
of Liere, our first resting place. The
roads were found all paved with cobble
stones, which were wretched for the
wheels, but once we were outside the city
and no danger of police, we took courage
and rode on the sidewalk. This was per
feet, m AIDE of cinder, and all that could be
desired. The country was verybeautiful, the
evening cool and nice, the air sweet with
the scent OF new mown hay. After ride
of about twelve miles we reached Lierre
at seven o'clock, Lierre is a quaint old
town of twenty thousand people, typically
Belgian, and very local. l do not believe
there are two people in the town who can
speak word of English. The church is
quite grand, and the town hall was built
in 1869. Apart from that building, we saw
nothing of interest but our meals, for we
were very hungry The Hotel du Com
merce is fair; at any rate, it is the best in
the place. l would advise no one to re
main here long, for it is dead slow. 1t
seems long way from here to the Rhine,
but we will get there, if any one does.
We were delayed by rain the next morn
ing, but in the afternoon it cleared up,
and at 1926 we mounted our wheels and
continued on our way. The roads were
very bad, So in conss quence, we made but
poor time. But the scenery made up for
everything Some of the country houses
and grounds of rich Antwerp merchants
were superb. have never seen anything
TO beat them. The country is fiat and
highly cultivated, full of pretty little
towns, with great big churches. We
reached Herenthals at $50 that evening,
having covered fifteen miles. Herenthals
has populationof 5000, purely Flemish
in character. The town is rather well
laid out. The inn in which we spent the
night was comfortable, if not pretentious,
and the table fair. Opposite the hotel is
tie Town Hall, built about 1902, in which
is a museum, very good one for small
place, and in the tower a splendid chime
of bells, which kept me awake most of the
night, During the evening we heard a
boy in the street whistling "Daisy Bell"
1t was very sweet music to me, for it
brought memories with it of dear home
in that far west land.
The next day June 2o) we were again
detained by rain until p. M, when we once
more sailed forth. After ride of 20