Evening star., 1898-06-04

JOS. Sierer.
through the northwest country while win
! ter was raging. On the other hand, Tom
| Winder made his start from New Orleans,
| and enjoyed comparative good weather.
Sierer, who was in this city during the
| siX-day continuous race as a trainer for
| Frank Albert, is a member of the Green
| wich Cycle Club of New York city. and of
| the Newport Club at Rochester, N. Y. Ac-
! cordng to his plan when he left the city
yesterday, he spends today at Baltimore,
| and tomorrow will ride to Philadelphia,
| where ne will remain for four five days.
| On the last day of his ride he will make "a
| century, covering 106 miles, to New York
| city, ending his journey
! A summary of his experience is extreme
| ly interesting. Out of 32a' days on the road,
| up to May %, eighty-five days We're used
| in laying ever at different places, leaving
233 riding days. During the journey he
| rode through twenty-eight rain storms,
Wnlch soaked every stitch Of clothing. He
| also went through fifteen snow storms. Not
| counting the nights spent at hotels EN-
! route, he slept twenty Eight nights in barns
| along the way, eight nights in tents and
| camps. and the same number of nights in
| box cars Seven nights were spent sleep
| ing on the floor in section houses. and seven
| more on the floor in telegraph stations.
| Four nights during the journey he was
| forced to sleep on the ground in open air.
| Three nights were spent in fair grounds and
| stalls, and the same number in log cabins
| and timherS, and also three nights in dug
| outs on the prairies. Two nights were
| spent in a jail at Harrisburg, Ore, and one
night at a lumber camp, and another night
| in grain elevator.
During the journey Sierer used six pairs
| of bicycle trousers one leather and one
W"oen coat. He also used three pairs of
shoes and thirty-eight pairs of stockings.
The only garment he now has on that he
wore when he started is the sweater,
which, while badly faded from repeat ed
G1,a
| ried with him blanket, which was strap
ped to his wheel; a canteen and Il pair of
revolvers. The wheel and luggage never
| weighed less than sixty-two pounds and
| often as high as eighty-five pounds.
His riding for each month, summarized
| is as follows:
From June "a to July %, 1897, twenty-
| three riding days, 1903 miles, "a daily sver-
age of fifty-six miles.
July % to August q, seventeen riding
| days, l.lS3 miles, daily average of sixty
niiIe miles.
August q to September %, twenry-one
riding days, LIS miles, an average of
eighty-three miles Per day.
September G3 to October %, twenty-one
riding days, 1,4GS miles, an average of six
ty-nine miles per day.
October y to November %, twenty-five
riding days, 1,515 miles, daily average OF
sixty miles.
November % to December %, eighteen
riding days 1,13S miles, an average of tif-
ty-three miles per day
December % TO January %, 1893, twenty
six riding days, 2,o44 miles, an average of
seventy eight miles per day.
January 23 to February 3D. twanty-three
riding days, 1,451 miles, an average of six
tythree miles per day.
February 23 to March %, nineteen riding
days, /, 4E3 miles, an average of seventy
five miles per day.
March % to April 3d. twenty riding days,
,424 miles, an average of seventy niles
per day.
80
1.3GJ miles, an average of slXty-five miles
per day.
During the eighty-five days in which the
rider stopped over at places he rode some
thing like 6,22S miles home trainers in
show windows, signing contracts to ride
100 miles in four hours or less, and always
fulfilling the same. In riding the home
trainer the cyclometer would be placed
the wheel so that the registering
would be correct. Taking all of the above
figures together, it is seen that in the 233
actual riding days the wheelman covered
on an average of seventy-two miles a day;
fine showing. The four destination points
and the time reached were as follows:
Bangor, Me-, northeast corner July D.
1897; Seattle, Wash, northwest corner No
vember 10, 1897; San Diego. Cal, southwest
corner. January g. 1898; San Augustine
Fla, southeast corner, April 10, 1898. Dur
ing the journey the rider was three times
laid UP with sickness. AT Milwaukee, Wis,
he lost three days, through an attack of
stomach trouble. AT Tucson, Ariz he was
for thirteen days under the doctors care
suffering from fever. caused by drinking TOO
much water in crossing the desert. At Mo-
bile, Ala, he lost five days more, through
an attack of the chills and fever. During
the ride Sierer gained and lost flesh. At
New York city, on the start, he weighed
l44 pounds but when Chicago was reached
his weight was only 132 pounds. AT Seat
tie, Wash, he increased to 14S pounds, and
at San Francisco he tipped ths scales at
lab pounds.
He twice successfully held up by
highwaymen. Once on the road near CIeve-
land two men held him up and relieved him
of $40 He was riding a stripped wheel
and had no arms. At Kalamazoo, Mich
he was again held UP and robbed of $40
After he secured a pair of revolvers he
took no chances, and four times frustrated
attempts of robbers. AT Hope, Idaho, Some
thieves stole one revolver and two gold
club pins. which were on his bicycle lug
gage. The other revolver he carried with
him, and still has it in his possession
After leaving Seattle, Wash, November
Ii. for Takoma, he rode forty-eight miles
through drenching rain storm. For sew
enteen days following he rode almost con-
tinuously in the rain, never having dry
stitch of clothing on mis- body, covering
during the time 541 miles. The biggest
mileage of the trip was on the run from
Weber, Minn., to jamestown, N. D., a dis
tance of 1S1 miles, which he covered in
fourteen hours. The day before he rode 1O9
miles, and the day following he made 125
miles. The roads were excellent. The first
snow storm was struck at Sentinel Butte,
N. D., October TO-
At Custer station, Mont, he was unable
to find any sleeping Accommodations. Spy
ing lone cowboy he was directed to dug
out, the access to which was gained by
lifting a heavy door lying fiat on the
ground Storing the wheel inside, and
opening his blanket, he showed the door
back in place, and spent a quiet night In
the morning. when the door was showed
from place, after a good deal of exertion, q
}<r NIL nf fol Incl do f1a or
ing come UP during the hight. Having
nothing to eat the rider killed two jack
rabbits and a prairie chicken which he
cooked on a fire, after clearing the snow
away. In the bad lands of North Dakota.
he started at o'clock in the afternoon
from Brookf1eld for Madura. twenty-five
miles distant At one point the trail
sWltcneu on IN nve dimerent directions, and
after riding along one routa for nearly