The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-07

third most beautiful city In the world
| Ny enjoyment OK the region was dampenet
somewhat by the character Of the roads
| which had been bad eversince / had cross
| ed the Austrian frontier. some fifteen miles
back; but a few miles beyond SalzburR
/ they returned to the normal excellence
This province Of SaIzburg. by the way, is
like England and the larger Italian cities
in copelling one to turn out to the left.
And now I rode through q country rarely
| touched by the American bicyciist-South-
ern Salsburg, Corinthia, and the Southern
Tyrol. The scenery Is grand. the roads
excellent, the people interesting, and
prices wonderfully low. Only q speaking
acquaintance with German Is necessary.
The people. as generally In Europe. are
uniformly courteous and the inns are fair
ly clean. entered Corinthia by two passes
over 5000 feet high by route over one Of
them followed an old Roman road on
vi ich the ancient milestones. erected by
the Emperor Philip. about go A D., are
still standing In their proper places. Then
struck west up the brave, my objective
point being the Stelvio pass. This is the
highest wagon road in Europe-s.055 feet
above sea-ievel. began the ascent at $50
one morning. ate my luncheon at a little
village set among the glaciers. and reach
ed the summit, where Italy, Switzerland.
and Austria touch, at $50 that night.
had an alteration with the ignorant Ital-
ian customs-house officer, who finally COM
PEELED me to deposit IS OF the 90 francs
which had just received from the Aus
TRAN. though had the right of free entry
into Italy, being a member of the French
Touring Club. This made me somewhat
late in beginning the descent into the
bleak and uninhabited italian side of the
pass. The road here runs through numer-
Gus tunnels, which were as black as pitch.
Imagine my dismay when, as was going
cautiously through one Of these tunnels,
aiming at the point Of light ahead, felt
that bump. bump, which means a pune
ture. One Of the fat-headed hob-nails,
which the peasants wear in their shoes,
had gone through both tubes. and nailed
them tight TO the wooden tire, and l had
no extra tube with me!
/ tramped seven miles through the dark,
passing no human habitation, save an &C.
casional road-mender's station, till the old
Baths of Bormio, brilliantly Lit with cleo
trio lights, came into view. But there was
no room there, and though was offered
billiard-table to sleep on. I declined, and
trudged on past the New Baths. also full,
to Bormio itself. The inns were full there.
but secured a room In a private house at
one o'clock.
With the help Of the Village blacksmith,
I got the tire into such shape the next
morning that was able to ride on 1t about
fifteen miles further; but there It gave out
again, and tramped sixteen miles to Son.
drio. The next two days were church
festivals, and the only bicycle dealer in
town had gone OF into the country. No
body knew when he would return, so 1
took train. for the first time in Europe,
and went to Milan
1 greatly enjoyed my ride out from
Milan over the great Lombard plain. a
perfect garden, past the Lake Of Como,
more like the Hudson than lake. and up'I
the Bregaglia valley, rich with chestnuts,
walnuts. and figs, over the Maloja Pass in
to the Engadine.
1 left the Engaline by the Albula Pass,
and had a fine ride through deep gorges
and by stately castles. again along the
Rhine, to Chur. From Chur started out
into the heat of the Alps. First. climbed
the narrow valley of the Vorder- Rhein, |
with occasional glimpses OF snow noun |
tains H. 900 feet high; and then descended. |
via the Oberaap, to Andermatt, which rs |
over the st. Gothard tunnel The next day |
came the Furka, in descending which
counted eighteen zigzags. like the strokes !
Of the letter z, on the Oberalp which l had |
lust descended. I had great trouble
throughout this region from frightening
diligence horses. The stage-drivers do not
hesitate to lash you, II you try to make
them give you a couple of feet In which to
pass them.
Following down the Rhone. left 1t at
Vfsp for the side-valley which leads to
zermatt. There is only rough steep
half of the way Ctwenty-four
niles), but I pushed the wheel cheerfully,
ill came to a ravine made by the burst
ng of a '.gIacier-dam." A lake had form
"A back Of a glacier, and the latter had
,iven way. The torrent had carried OF
10Th road and railroad. transferred both
wheel and luggage over three pine-trunks
aid side by side across the stream, and
hen had a good road the rest OF the way
o Zermatt. which reached at 1880 In the
morning. At 1870 1 was on top Of the Cor
Ter Graf.
After reaching the Rhone valley again.
ollowed straight, oplar-lined highways.
,ast picturesque castles. until 1 reached
Aartigny, In French-speaking Switzer-
and. Over another pass, the Col de la
Sorclaz. and was once more among noble
.laciers at Chamounix. below Mount
Blanc. As I rode the next two days. con-
Inually caught glimses of that white sum-
nit. seemingly suspended in the sky. so
ften did clouds hide the lower part OF the
mountain.
Although I had ridden forty miles In
french territory. reached no customs
ouse till the next day, Savoy being neu-
raj zone. I had one little pass to cross.
bout as high as Greylock, in western
and then 1 reached the
alley OF the Isere. on which lies Grenobie,
ne capitaI of the Dauphiny. I arrived
here August A.. having ridden 1.O2l miles
ince leaving Munich. or a total OF 2-01
lilies since beginning my journey at Rot
erdam. T. u l.
0ASTozEA.
lear, the hThs kiad Yus Ham NxaE Bougf
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