The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-04
A TRIANGULAR TRIP
Written for tn. L. A. W. Prize Competition,

S-oOo-o-o~---~~~-~--co-~ o-o-o-o-~---->~~-~-o
BY chance there was thrown in my
way last spring that humorously in
structive book, Three Men on Four
Wheels" AS I followed, page by page,
the course of Jerome and his two friends
over the uncertain roads through Ger
many'S Black Forest and perceived the
various charms of the trip, there was
born in ne a desire to emulate these
heroes of so many scenes and adVen
lures. Tue l was unable to journey TO
Germany, nor could indeed spare such
time as they had allotted to their tour.
But, my college year ended, l was free
for week or so before beginning a hard
summers course in finance to insure an
other year of science, to relax my en-
ergies in Whatsoever way served best.
Two of my classmates, congenial to me
and to the plan | proposed, agreed to be
my companions on a three-day bicycle
spin. Said my friend Wilson:
Fellows I'm tired of the monotonous
grind Of the city. Suppose one wants to
take a ride. Can't do better in the whole
world than on our paths providing he
isn't so used to them that he can follow
his previous wheel track and find the
park seats still warm from his last eX-
cursion. But for NE to enjoy wheeling
your Jerome scheme is the only way
Eyes. let us separate ourselves from
the maddening crowd and wend our way,
meandering DER the rolling prairie" put
in our class poet.
.'Rut if the prairie doesn't roll more
easily than your last lines in the Col
legiate, old man, it will make pretty
rocky riding, replied Wilson. In order
to preserve our tires from their peculiar
accidents and ourselves from pedestrian
tsm, let us keep to the beaten track.
And so we passed an evening III discuss
ing ways and means and in discounte-
HANGING each others plans. Finally ii was
agreed to start early Monday morning
following. We were to ride over the
famous century course to Mortified,
fifty miles south; thence cross country,
striking the Minnesota river at Shake
pee. The last stage of the trip would
take us along that picturesque stream
back to St. Paul whittier We expected
20 arrive Wednesday evening.
AS the start was to be made at
o'clock sharp the poet and Wilson
lodged with me, and 1 prepared them
such a breakfast as would enable them
to properly appreciate the scenery. The
Poet went into raptures over my biscuit
and Wilson praised the table salt. Con-
trary to the malicious prophecies of our
friends, we left them serenely sleeping
at 1856 a. m, and were soon rolling along
the great trunk path toward the heart
of the city We had light spirits and
good repair outfits, and as we rode the
air seemed laden with rejuVenating es-
Bence The twitter of the half awake
sparrows and the steady crunch of the
tires were the only sounds, save here
and there the morning alarm and the
challenge of a restless rooster. We had
no baggage, as we intended to so time
ourselves as to have hotel accOmmoda-
lions. We wore no linen, but simply
al, afeAV~c
The high bridge over the Mississippi
was shortly before US. What a climb is
mat, my countrymen! For least half a
mile Of incline intervenes between the
rivers banks. From the middle one can
look down hundreds of feet into the
swirling Father and thank heaven his
mind is sound. for many have been the
suicides hurled from the railing. How
ever, no dismal foreboding affected us,
so entrancingly beautiful was the sun
rise that now illumined the eastern Sky,
reflected dazzlingly upon the water and
threw its splendor over the careless city
behind us.
For some time we travelled the noted
"Dodd Road" in its tortuous course
southwark. 1t is lined with magnificent
trees and boIntiful fields spread far
and wide to east and west. We had
some sport with he Poet, who wanted to
alight and immOrtalize the 'beauteous
verdure of the wheaton field" by assur-
ing him oats were not used to such
things; that the crop would be ruined.
Declaiming against our callousness, he
however forsOOk his notion and again the
country was saved. He had his revenge
when Wilson, noticing an ancient cultiva-
tor left to rot out it's last days, conject-
ured how many years had elapsed since
che pioneer had guided his oxen, over
turning the virgin sod with that self
same plow.
We lunched at Pennington, half CEN
fury Old One-time wheat center; but
now practically deceased in the shadow
of the great Twins. Nevertheless it has
a good school, some enterprising mer-
chants a half dozen struggling pastors
and a good railway station where gath
ers several times a day to meet the
trains half the population. Then it fol-
lows the mail bag to the postoftice and
stands around running the government
on new and improved plans, while the
patient postmaster is busted telling the
various applicants that there is 'nothin'
today
The heat becoming somewhat oppres-
sive, We were glad to shed our coats,
which we tied on our handlebars. Not
withStanding the sun, no jot of enjoyment
was lost. A faint breeze famed our
cheeks and the road, hard as adam
ant was nearly dustless on account of
slight rain the night before We deter
mined to visit the historic Castle Rock,
and by a Slight diversion from the way
were soon in it's shadow. Surely no
Egyptian monument is more symmetrical
than its sides, and whether nature or
man fashioned it the art is pre-eminent.
The tower, by action of the weather, fell
some years ago and so the castle has
lost it's browning glory, but even now
one is ever impressed with it's lonely
grandeur. We fell into an argument
concerning the Indian, his destiny, his
treatment, and almost overstayed our
time, for we had planned to dine at
Mortified.
And we did, being in the mood for a
race. Coming to an exceptionally fine
piece of road We bent over with as much
vim as though prize awaited the win
ner. We had agreed before that the last
arrival at a certain poplar about mile
ahead must furnish dinner for the three.