The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-05
B1cYcMNG Down A MOUNTAIN.
''Dragging the FagOt" in switxer-
Iand-A .'Dramatic and Moving Ex-

''DraGeing the FagOt" in Switxer-
Iand-A .'Dramatic and Moving Ex-
cursion.
Geneva Letter in New York Evening Post.
What may call my most dramatic and
moving excursion was the dragging a fa-
got or clog down the abrupt mountain
descent on the journey to the Grande
Chartreuse. / had always wanted to try
dragging the fagot. ] started with an
agreeable companion, Prof Saints of Gre
noble We took the diligence at o'clock
in the morning, and after FIVE hours
climb, alghted on the Col de Porte, the
pass about $500 feet high Thence there
is a run of about eight or ten miles down
to the Hotel du Descent, from which point
you climb again to the Chartreuse. My
companion was practical mountain rid
er, but he, too, had only heard of going
down steep incines with the aid of a clog,
and had never personally tried it. AS
he was a professor of physics, he was
just the one, l claimed, to make a care
full computation OF our weights and all
the other conditions, and so adjust the
clogs we needed with entire accuracy. We
dispensed, however. with these elaborate
preparations. A cantonnier, or road
member fitted us out with two large
dried branches-We tied them on behind
the bicycles, and started. The grade is
extremely stiff, part of the way as much
as 10 per cent; 1t seemed TO me a good
deal like going down stairs. The profess
sor of physics was soon gaily lost to sight
In front. L essayed to go on more slow
~, but my machine carried much more
avotrdupois than his. and / was soon
aware that ] was being run away with,
in spite of my dragging pine branch.
'In the meantime. / may explain, I had
had brake put on my machine, a light
graceful one, acting on the rear wheel. 1t
had the disadvantage that you had to let
go one hand to get hold OF Il, and beside
ID was not effectuai in a pinch like the
present. Such mountain roads are built
only by a system of sharp zig-zags, and
if you cannot slack up at enc of these
sharp turns, you are in danger of going
over and landing ON the roof of a chalet in
the valley, half a mile below, to the as
| constituent no doubt of the inmates.
However, / had only the bare intimation
of such a romantic fate and escaped the
reality; I got off free from harm, within
a few feet of the verge. / rejoined my
sanguine professor of physics-he added
| the weight of his pine branch 10 mine, got
| another for himself, and again we started.
But the cords with which our clogs
were fastened on were only small twine;
could not help being a little nervous,
| from the reflection that this might snap
at critical moment, and descent upon
| the chalets or the church steeple below
still be IN store. 1t was only on long, com
paratively straight stretches that ] really
| enjoyed the motion; then II was decidedly
| celebrating. The trailing boughs occu-
| pied the whole width of the road, and
raised a cloud of dust. We must have
passed like some witches ride. My fagot.
| too. made a great roaring wien / passed
along by the cataracts, / was inclined 10
say to myself: ITEMS; there's something
/ ~ Nf4s
| me-
Arrived at last at the Grande Chart
reuse we fell in with French bicycllst,
who announced that an edict was out
against riding with the fagot; he had had
It from one of the stage drivers, and was
disconnected in his plans thereby! / sus-
pect IL was only the invention of the stage
driver himself. who opposed the fagot be-
cause It scared his horses and raised such
an Internal dust"