The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-28
TRAVEL FOR THE OLD.
Conditions Have Greatly Changed In
Their Favor.

! The frightening Of human life and the
/ extension OF the period OF activity are
I illustrated BY the large number OF men
and women as velI-whc continue 70 be
capable OF hard work after they have
1 reached what Used 70 Be considered old
+ age Lawyers. physicians. bankers. mer-
! chants, business men OF every class, poll
/ ticians, 70 longer accept the idea that
| they must be shelved Is they become
| elderly. The ministry. 70 be sure, has its
/ ''dead-line," which rules out many an able
! clergyman after he has reached the half
( century mark. but the exception IN this
/ profession only emphasizes the rule which
+ applies 70 other occupations Veterans
/ are constantly given important cases in
/ the courts, and IL Is a frequent occurrence
for a senator who is well along IN the
/ seventies 10 be reelected for another six
! years term.
I The vacation season brings 70 the 10
1 tee OF all who leave their homes an
/ other aspect Of that change BY which re-
I tiremeut from active life is postponed 50
much longer now than formsrIy-the
great extension OF the period FOR travel
/ Half q century ago, it was hard for any
( but the most vigorous 10 make long
( jorneys; even twenty-five years ago. the
conditions were still severe, except along
q few Of the chief lines, On a journey
by rail the roadbed was rough. and the
joIting wearisome; the cars were com
paEatlvely light IN weight, and not steady
on the rails; meals must be eaten in
haste at railway stations. and could SCI
dom be well served; there had 20 Be fre-
quent changes from q train OF ore line %
that OF another, and often tedious waits
for connection The result CT al this was
that an cid person dreaded a trip Of any
length, and was apt 10 be deferred from
undertaking 1t by the fear OF Illness or
an exhaution which would prevent any
pleasure at the journeys end
An entire transformation has been
wrought in this matter. Better road
beds. heavier coaches. the running OF
parlor cars and sleeping cars On al in
partant lines. the introduction OF the
dining car. the abolition Of changes. so
that one may occupy quarters in the same
car from New York to New Orleans or
from San Francisco two-thirds OF the
distance TO the Atlantic Coast, the close
connections between railroad and steam
ship lines-these and other ike improve
ments have rendered it a comparative
II simple and easy thing 70 take a trip
which occupies days. even for people
who are advanced in years. The Journey
from New England 10 California can
now be made by an elderly person with
far less discomfort than used TO be ex-
perienced, in the early days OF railroad
ing, on trip no further west than Iowa.
Even greater changes have occurred in
other parts or the world. Formerly il
was only the robust man IN his prime
who could do much IN the way OF FOR
eign travel without risk OF breakdown.
Now facilities for easy transportation
are provided. by both sea and land, in al
most all parts OF the earth. and comfort
able hotels are found IN places which.
generation ago. were TOO remote for any
but the most hardy explorer The noun
tain railway is another modern insti-
tuition which IS widening the field OF
travel that may easily be conquered by
the weak or Inirm, 70 whom the summit
OF Mount Washington and the Alpine
heights once seemed almost as mae
cessible as the clouds. Moreover. there
has been a great cheapening II the cost
OF long journeys in all parts Of the world.
The efec- of such changes is clear
enough 10 the most careless observer.
On any through train one Is pretty sure
10 find number OF people well along in
years, who show no sign OF WEAKNESS
or discomfort from even q long trip
At a great fair, Ike the pan-American
exposition at Buffalo. are old persons OF
both sexes from remote parts OF the
country. who evidently find as much en-
joyment as the youngsters. The tourist
agencies which send parties 70 the Vel
lowstone. the California resorts, Alaska
or Hawaii. always expect a good sprin-
king OF sexagenaria1s and septuagena- T
rians in every such body. Il has be-
come a not uncommon thing for a man
or woman seventv-fve years old 70 make
the circuit OF the globe. Returning trav- (
eIers tell amusing tales o. the uniquity /
OF the elderly English or American tour 7
ist, Ike the story OF the English woman I.
eighty years old who rose in rebellion /
against her niddle-aged daughter az .
Cairo when the younger traveller pro- +
posed to veto her mothers trip Up the .
Nile tc Khartun few months ago.
II is = real addition 70 the resources I
OF later life which has been made By +
this extension OF the period Tor travel 4
The claims OF business. the cares OF .
the family. the other demands upon the .
purse have always nut long jour
news beyond the reach OF most persons +
while they were bearing the burdens Of
middle life such people used 20 la
ment that thev would never have the
10 travel until they Should
be too old 70 improve IL / suppose by
the time I an sixty. I shall b. able 20
leave home for a long time. 50 Ear as
family obligations go. bat then 7 shan
be unable % stand the strain Of travel
.uz--that VS. once the common way ~
putting IT, Now Il almost seems IS
though NOBODY ever got too cd % pack
CD and start on a Trip % the other side
OF TIE globe taking things IN the leisure
IS way watch Is possible 20 those who are
through with the hurry @. active lfs-
What all this mems can only b aQprs-
-iatei when one happens aPoa such an
elderly Traveller. aIled with delight in e.
scyi-E the beaCties Ct some place wEich
rot long ago vas 50 remote ard inar-
cessille that a man CT woman - sixty
X seventy who should hare suggested q
visit q that part II tlle world would have
been thought oe1t OF committing suicide
View Tcrk Evening Pest
THE WEATHER.
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