The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-09
VALUABLE INFORMATION.
Amazing Fasts Gathered by a Tray-
eler on the Subject of Cycling.
by Robert Barr.
Copyright. 1898. by Robert Barr.

Copyright, 1898 by Robert Barr.
Travel makes full man." said Lord
Bacon. l am not sure that l have The
quotation right; perhaps it is reading
that makes a full man, or probably
drinking: anyhow, a man picks up a
good deal of information while travel
ing which he would not acquire had he
remained at home. Nearly everything
| know l have picked UP on the road
from one tramp or another, and al
though ] have met scientists who sheer
at my requirements, l put their contempt
down to Jealousy, because the learning
they possess has been gathered slowly and
painfully from much reading of books,
while / arrive at my knowledge through
a few minutes pleasant conversation with
an utter stranger. Scientists naturally do
not like another man to take a short cut
across the fields of knowledge; they slick
to the broad roundabout beaten highway
of education; a dry and dusty road; while
l take pleasant path across the fields
and arrive ahead of them.
For instance, l was returning from
Switzerland awhile ago and in the same
railway compartment with me were three
cyclists who had been enjoying themselves
among the mountains They were quite
evidently bashful countrymen. while l. be-
ing from the city and knowing most
just as if they we're my equals, so as to
put them at their ease with me, which is
my invariable custom when meeting non
citified strangers They were naturally
very much gratiied at this, and proceeded
to tell me all they knew.
yves" said John w. Simpson, leaning
towards me with thankfulness for my
geniality beaming from his eyes, i've had
a very nice time in Switzerland thank
you; a very successful time. although I
didn't go so much for the cycling as to try
my new avalanche wheel"
"Your avalanche wheelP' I cried in
amazement 81 never heard of such a
thing
"It is a little invention of my own.
Nothing has been published about it yet,
and | tell you this In strict confidence.
Some people have studied avalanches and
some have not. Perhaps you have made
avalanches a speciality"
mo" | replied with some reluctance,
having to admit my ignorance. Il can't
saw that ] have Investigated avalanches
TO any great extent my sole care being
to get out of their way as quickly as pos
sible"
"Oulte so" retorted John w. Simpson.
that is the usual attitude Of mankind
toward an avalanche. OF course, people
can't study the habits and customs of ava
lanches while running away from them.
Now have estimated that 100000 horse
mower goes to waste every year through
the avalanches. Heretofore nobody has
made any effort to use this tremendous
power. and in utter idleness, all over the
Mace. or course. when people grow wiser
this wasted force will all be utilized, and
at present l am doing a little in my hum
BILE way to show how useful an avalanche
can be to a cyclist IL takes man, roped
to a couple of guides, ten hours to de-
scend from the top of the Jungfrau 10 the
level ground below The distance is, with
the zigzagging they must do, something
under eleven mics; now l have done 1t
i'm two minutes and sixteen seconds on my
avalanche bike. Look what a saving of
time that is, not 10 mention the COM
fort"
comfort 1 cried Good gracious, do
you mean to tell me you have cycled down
an avalanche2"
Il have cycled down forty-seven of
them this season, and never had an &C
cldent, except once l punctured the tire
of the front wheel"
But how do you know when an ava
anche is going to start? As / understand
you, you must travel with II from the
| beginning There are no avalanche time
tables in Switzerland that l ever heard
Of"
mo ! don't wait. for avalanches! make
my own. You see at the cop of noun
tain, II man starts snowfall down
hill, Il becomes an avalanche on very
short notice. My cycle is SO constructed
that il throws up a bit of SNOWFALL as ii
goes along. ! start from the top of a peak,
in any direction. and the first thing I
know ! am in the midst Of tremendous
avalanche. on the front OF the machine
are couple Of fms, If l may call them
20. which spretd out automatically. aud
they keep the cycle steady The great
point II. OF course. TO remain upright in
your saddle aud keep your machine on the
surface Of the avalanche. There is lots