Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-21
LONG HORSEBACK RIDE
DR.. A. D. SMITH CROSSES CON-
TINENT TWICE.
Philadelphia Physician Covered. Most
of the Distance on
Horse.

| The Philadelphia Press of today says:
Bronzed by exposure and apparently bene-
| fitted in health, DR.. A Donaldson Smith of
| this city, widely known as a traveller and
| African explorer, returned home Wednes-
| day night, after an absence Of six months,
( during which time he made an overland
| equestrian trip to the Pacific coast.
| Accompanied only by his valet, he COW
| cred distance of nearly 1000 miles, using
! wagons and pack animals when necessary,
| but for the most part riding horseback and
| trusting to friendly farmers for food and
| shelter.
The novel trip was made for both health
end pleasure. That it afforded both Is at
tested by the doctors robust appearance
and his enthusiastic account Of the jour
ney.
ut was the most instructive and fascinat-
| ing trip ever made" he said. 1T is the
best way in which to study the United
| States and the only way in which to be-
! come acquainted with her people and her
vast resources. The mere study Of the
| map or the reading of books cannot convey
proper idea of the richness Of the land
| The country must be seen and the people
talked to in order to learn and appreciate
fully how really great this country is in
natural wealth"
For the most part. the doctor said, the
farmers were friendly and hospitable, but
| these were not characteristic traits Of those
in Iowa.
Il had a great deal to contend with in
that state" he added. II found the people
inhospitabe and 1t was often difficult for
me to obtain nights lodging. Only one
exception came to my notice There was
one farmer who gave me shelter from Sc
we're rain storm One morning rain began
to fall, and 1 saw a black, funnel-shaped
cloud in the distance which gave promise
of a tornado.
II applied at the nearest farm house for
shelter, and the farmer consented to let me
remain until the rain stopped. He said in
explanation that when he came to Iowa
several years before from Illinois he had
encountered a day severe that one
was and that he mad been denied shelter,
so he had determined then never to turn
away a traveller.
After crossing the Big Horn and the Bad
Lands DR.. Smith passed through the basin
of the Wyoming into the Yellowstone Park,
where he remained six weeks. He then
proceeded to Portland, Greg, where the
horseback journey ended. He arrived there
in the early part of this month, benefited in
health, but somewhat fatigued, and after
short rest returned by train to this city.
1.-The old vest said DR.. Smith, in concu-
sion, lis rapidly disappearing. The coun-
try is being settled extensively. This year
alone there were &c, 900 immigrants taken to
the west by the trains, while additional
thousands made their way there by wagons.
That section of the country will some day
be all-powerful. In many states, however,
the old cowboy life is still left, and in the
smaller towns I found the riotous and free
and-easy life that made the west famous
years ago"
DR.. Smith made effort to hurry on his
trip. He stopped for some time at different
points along the route where hunting was
good, and brought back many fine speci-
mems of big game and other trophies to add
to his already notable collection in his
apartments at 1920 Chestnut street. He left
this city on May II and Travelled continu-
ously until he reached Chicago, where he
remained a week, making arrangements for
the more difficult journey through the west.
From there he went to Dubuque, whence he
made his way through South Dakota, Wy
oming, Idaho and Oregon to Portland.