The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-19

land. To the left rise glorious green hills
thickly covered with terraces Of figs and
olives. White villas and clusters Of
houses peep out here and there from the
rich foliage. To the right lies the sea-
now blue, now green. here with a shower
rufiing its surface, there with q green
beam OF sunlight falling between the
clouds and lighting up a white sail. It
was with regret that turned inland to
pass below the marble mountains OF Car
rara, the huge white chasms Of which
look like glaciers at q distnce. When
four miles of ] caught a glimpse Of the
famous leaning tour, and from the top Of
this structure. I later got my first COM
prehensive view Of Pisa. The leaning
tower is really the steple Of the cathedral
beside which It stands. Beyond the ca
thedral are baptistery and a remarkable
cemetery, the earth in which was brought
from the Holy land.
Up to the Arno. I rode to Florence with
its inexhaustable art treasures, which
make It to my people the attractible abid-
ing place in all Europe. After three days
of diligent and delightful sightseeing
there, wheeled on through billy coun-
try, covered with olive groves. to Sinea.
From here to the Campagna, the COUNTRY
Is clayey, and in spots absolutely desc
late, not even grass covering the Jumps
and lodges. The highways run along
ridges, then down across valleys, and up
again to the towns which gray and
Isolated, stand on the SUBMITS. some
times 1000 feet above the river level. In
the towns, one finds as at Pienze, clusters
OF buildings about a square. which stood
just as they are now. when Columbus set
sail; or cathedrals like those of siena. or
Orvieto, before whose gloriously decor
ated fronts one can stand for hours. The
hills are voneycombed with Etruscan
tombs and one can by torchlight exam
Inc frescoes which were painted when
Greece was driving back the Persians,
and Rome was petty Latin village.
Over highways as hard as steel and as
smoothe as floor, rode or pushed my
wheel, till, after an early start from Or
Veto and lunch at viterbo, stood on
the southern edge Of the Ciminian Forest,
the Sabine hills skirting It to my left;
while the outlines Of the Albine range to
the south and the sea to the east blended
with the haze
Down the slope coasted and at D.
m. on October II passed the milestone
which showed that was thirty-two miles
from Rome. cThey have mile-stones. not
kilometer-stones, in Tuscany and La
tium) Should be able to reach Rome
before nightfall? What would happen to
me IL should be caught In the fever
stricken Campagna after iark7 Unmind-
ful OF the fifty miles already wheeIsd that
day. pressed on through the deserted
pasture land. crossed by wooden fences,
intersected here and there by tree clad
river bottoms, now ascending and now
descending. climbing the rim of a long
extinct orator, wheeling through the brill
liant green circle. and then trudging UP
the further edge; when. suddenly, at 4:45
down in valley miles ahead Of me saw
the houses of a great city, and said to
myself. as In the days when all came to
Rome by the highway, the stage drivers
used TO turn around and say solemnIy to
their passengers: "Ecce Roma" An
hour more and my long journey was over
1 was safe in the eternal city.
In recalling the three trips which made
up my nearly 5000 miles of bicycling my
strongest emotion Is surprise that I did
not see nor hear more than a very few
American bicyclists. Doubtless the chief
reason the chief reason that hardly anv
Done at home realizes the small cost of
such a trip and the great enjoyment to
be gained from It. European highways
are far superior to our own. and this sIl-
pertority becomes more marked the high
er one gets above sea level. Consequently
trips through hilly and mountainous coun-
try are much more easily made than with
us, while In fairly level districts one can
ride from IS to 100 miles a day without
fear OF over-exertion. On a rids through
the Tyroi., Lombardy, Switzerland. and
the Dauphiny I averaged over forty miles
a day, including all stops. and crossed
eight passes over 5000 feet high on the
way. In regions like much OF Italy. how
ever. where evry little town has It's art
treasures and architectural wonders, one
should average much less
On bicycle one is independent, and
may loiter here. hurry there. spend sew
eral days in the galleries and churches of
city. or go for a week without entering
any other building than a hotel. There
is no succession OF tiresome cities. with
more tiresome railroad Journeys between
them; no hurrying from one sight to an
other, so as to be sure TO catch the train;
but leisurely riding. over smooth roads in
the open air. through the country. now
entering picturesque and narrow street
ed village now coasting down a splendid
~ graded incline: now looking from a
height Of 500 feet upon Alp over Alp.
deep beneah which the darkness numbers
OF your countrymen are being hauled in
the hot, black tunnels. and are cursing
European railway service. To one who
has ever known the delicious sense OF
freedom which the bicycle turist enjoys.
travelling by rail becomes a constant ex-
ASPIRATION.
am often asked whether bicycle tour
ing fs not more expenive than travelling
In the cars. II does cost more to travel
awheel from Rotterdam to Cologne, for
instance. than by train for on the train
for on the train Il can be done in one
day. while on a wheel 10 would naturally
take I'VE or six days. with all there Is to
see. But. day by day. the expenses of a
bicycle trip are much less than they
would be travelling by railroad. and the
closer acquaintance which one makes with
country when bicycling through %
overbalances. TO my mind. the more ex-
tended but hurried investigations Of the
railroad traveller.
Ny experience has been that nowhere on
the continent except perhaps in Holland.
should ones total expenses fo- necessary
purposes exceed ta5 a day: Sz55 il an
amply sufficient allowance. and I IN
clude IN that estimate expenses Of sight
seeing. as well as hotel bills. laundry.
etc.
The Cyclists Tourist club OF England
deserves especial credit for its hotel sys-
TEN In Italy. II Il well % Join one or
more Of these clubs II contemplating