The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-07

see our queer Dom HOIn I1fieS around.
Probably the fact that we were Aneri-
cans also aroused their curiosity, and it
got noised about that his excellency the
minister was the American king, and to
see him rndoubtless constituted another
reason for a pilgrimage to our tent.
After a weeks fishing We broke camp.
shot the rapids of the Oulu River in
great tar boats down 10 the city Of Uuea-
borg. on the Bothnian Gulf, and there
discussed whether We should go still fur
Their north or return. There were only
ten days left before we were all due in
St. Petersburg, and the question was,
whether il would be better TO return lei
surely along the coast, visiting some Of
the small towns on the way. or 10 make a
dash for Finnish Lapland, and then trav-
ell back as rapidly as possible. After a
long conference, in which the British
consul at Uleaborg also took part, ad-
vising US to exactly what we could do in
the time at our command if we went
north, we determined to go at least as
far as the Arctic Circle, and to make the
trip on our wheels, after reaching the
town Of Torneo at the top Of the Bothnian
Gulf
The Torneo River flows into the Gulf
at this point. and is the dividing line be-
tween Sweden and Finland. The left
bank, going north, belongs TO Sweden,
the right 10 Finland. There is a bridge
at Torneo by which foot passengers can
pass over into Swweden, and it is the only
bridge in the Russian empire by which
one can leave Russia without permission
from the police. Even here it is not Of
fciaIly expected that a man viii attempt
to get out of the country without first
having his passport put in order. but the
law in regard to this matter is not 50
strictly enforced in this northern town as
it is elsewhere, and the pastor and 1
crossed over into Sweden without being
stopped. The minister could not accom-
pany US, because his leave of absence
compelled him to remain on Russian ter
ritory, so he stood at the end OF the
bridge belonging to the Great White Car,
and the pastor and 1 greeted him from
the Haparauda end, ruled over by good
King Oscar.
The trip to the Arctic Circle was the
hardest wheeling 1 have ever done, and
we are all agreed, now that We have
been there, that we do not care TO under
take the trip on bicycles again, but II
was not the fault of the roads. The pub
lie turnpikes in Finland, even up in lap
land, are exceptionally good for Russian
turnpikes, and somme, in the lower part
of Finland, compare favorably with roads
in Germany, but from TOrneo up TO the
Arctic Circle and back, the wind is the
most contrary wind mortal ever encoun-
tered 1t blew dead against us. both go
ing and coming, and although We had
only 16) miles to travel. it was three days
before we got back to Torneo.
The minister rode only part of the way
on a wheel, trading his cart for my ma
chine when there was lull in the wind.
The bulk of the time, however, he rode
in the two-wheeled post cart, changing
horses every two hours. II was also at
the post-stations that we all stopped for
our meals. 1t seemed surprising to find
In that latitude comfortable post-stations
and to be riding past wwell-tilled farms
and tidy-looking homesteads 1t might
be possible to reach our Arctic Circle on
wheel, but 1 doubt if the wheel would
ever get back to civilizsttgr again. In
Finland, on the other hand, things looked
about like they do on a September day
in central Minnesota, and creature com
forts were quite as plentiful as they
would have been on bicycle trips in many
parts Of New England. Ii was. of course,
colder than we liked TO have 1t so early
in the autumn, and my hands often got
chilled holding the handle-bars of my
wheel. but had the unsociable wind been
a little less aggravating we should all
have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
The first day we only got as far as
Mount Aavasaaksa. where the SwedeS
and Firms go in June to see the midnight
sun I had always thought that it was
necessary to go to the North Cape to see
this phenomenon at its best, but l know
now that from Mount Aavasaaksa, on a
clear day it Is as plain as ii is at the
North Cape I've climbed the hill. which
is about as high as the average hill in the
CatskiIls. and hal a superb view of the
Torneo valley.
To the north the same civilization
seemed TO exist that we saw in the south,
and we wondered where the Arctic life,
were only about fifteen miles still TO
travel before reaching the circle, and it
was obvious that in that short distance
we were not going 10 see anything strik-
ingly different from what We had already
seen. However, cross the circle we would.
whether we saw the Laps or not, and
away We went.
There is a small sign-board with some
figures on il. which farks the imaginary
line of the Arctic circle. bue We missed il
and went three kilometers beyond. 10 a
small settlement called Viipers. I shall
never forget my feelings as I rode those
last kiIometers. The wind blew it's very
hardest. and the road began TO be rutty
and uneven, but the thought that I was
about 70 enter a zone which I had previ-
ously only read Of. and which I had al
ways pictured as the most uninha5ited
zone IN the world. spurred ne on 70 a
speed which I ordinarily never attempt -
make. and when the last hill came. I let
the wheel take the bit" 50 ID speak,
and down we sped into a drea-y valley.
and. fortunately for me-for the road
ended in a r.ver-into a barn-yard fun OF
chickens.
4. saw the river pust in time 70 turn the
wheel through 4 gap in The fence sur
rounding the barn-ya-d. and was saved a
miserable wetting, hut 7 an aot sure tina;
the cid man, who was saving wood. az
few past. has got over his fright yet. He
dropped the saw as z Ii were red hot,
and throwing up his hands, exclaimed,
Its tle evil one" He had seen bicycles
before. but never n his life. az he after
ward explained II ne. had he seen a
ba-e-hea5ed, paIe-fsced American dasA
By him IN 5 OWE yard as I had done,
and being superstiei5us. his first thought,
NJ .rl-ns tu-alIv. rs thst ne "evil ono