The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18


WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY RMruBLIc.
To dream Of the wonderful adventure o.
a trim around the world on q tandem ticy-
Gle. and then to realize that hops. 10 the io'
OF James Hetzel and his pretty bride.
Theirs was no doubt one OF the NOS
unique honeymoons on record
They were married in st. Louis an houi
before they started on their trip. and VII
now reside here.
One morning a year ago last Novembe'
the world found on its breakfast table
morning papers containing accounts OF
thrilling fight with four murderous Beroefs
in the Salt Desert OF Asia Minor. IN wnich
Mrs Hetzel was wounded, and In wntcn
Eetzel, single-handed. killed the marauderS
That Is only one of the many strange eS-
periencos encounters by the daring couple
Their story Is hero told for the hrst timo
Now that their journey is ended, and they
are amid the comforts OF home. they shud-
der over rome OF the incidents. and discuss
with delight others of q less threatening
aspect.
They brought back with them photo
graphs taken along the entire route. ano
relics. souvenirs ana medals rom .o sha
the world. These things. together with the
numerous passports In foreign tongues. ass
stored away in several large trunka
BY JAMES HEIZEA
After a courtship. which began In HAT
ford, Conn, at q bicycle meet. my sweet
heart and I were married April !. 1900. In st.
Mary's Church. 81. Louis.
The same day we started for New York
on a proposed trip around the world on Q
tandem bicycle.
Both being bicycle enthusiaSts. We had de-
termined to spend our honeymoon in an Of
fort to win the 5000 prise offered b. the
International League of wheeImen to the
married couple who should enclrcls the
globe on q wheel in two years. n return
to the starting point with the same machine.
My wife received q marriage dover Of L.
600 marks from her parents In Germany. and
this. with what I had and VIA we expect
ed to earn on The road. seemed sufficient
money to make the trip successfully.
While we failed to win the wager. Il wa
beyond human power. to do more than We
did.
We were two month"; ahead Of schedule
time At Angora. In Asia Minor. when my
about six months.
We started In to make up lost time and
were dve months behind schedule when
stopped at Kahara by the American author
tiles on account of the Boxer troubles.
1t wa impossible to procssd in time to
look the only course left open to us-to re-
treat our steps.
This We did. returning By nearly the
same route We had come. cutting out Con-
stantinop1e. where / had vowed I would
never 20 s6ain.
But 1t wal due TO the indomitabls
courage OF my wife that we made tho good
showing We did. I confess that on several
occasions I proposed to give It up, but she
would not consent. and I determined to
stick to her though 1t cost me my life.
Having started life rs q mechanic, I de-
termined to myself build the vince thai was
to carry US
Realizing that It should b made ~
strong ~ human skill n good steel could
make II. i spared neither time nor thought
IN its construction.
1 intend sons day to write . book on our
experiences. ~ 1 have been requested to
do by tourist clubs all over the woorid.
Royalty never received more cordial well
comes nor was accorded better treatment
than We received from cycle clubs in this
country and IN Europe.
In every large town the wheelmen met
us outside the city and after entertaining
US. conducted u half way to tho next
town. where tho same courtesy vas re-
peated.
SAILED FOR ANTWERP ON
STEAMER KENSINGToN.
After a twenty-three-day trip We reached
New York.
~ kSO ef@ VIA hAiS
ton. bound for Antwerp.
Our schedule included Belgium, Holland,
France. Germany. Austria. Hungary, Ser
via, Bulgaria. Turkey. Ismid, Smyrna, Ko-
mia. Alexandria. Cairo. Sues, Bagdad. Bonn
bay. Calcutta. Beluchistan. Kahara. Shanx-
hal and Yokohama to San Francisco.
Our first danger was encountered In ROW
mania. where We were attacked by super
sttious peasants. who declared We were the
devil riding on a wheel.
They were armed with clubs, pitchforks
aud stones, and 1t was with diniculty that
We escaped them.
But there was a greater danger ahead Of
us. p
Seeking to prevent this IN the future, I
went to the Chief OF Police at Slattina, who
did not believe our story n ordered "
taken to Karakal TO be cast into prison.
This was not long before the trouble over
the Kidnapping of Ellen NJ. Stone.
This order was rescinded on recommandA-
stead Of being thrown into q dungeon ~
were held under guard in a hotel.
This gaye US an opportunity to wire the
ranged for our release.
An account Of the episode was published
and public favor was turned In our -direc-
ton.
The very officers who had comprised our
arrest started a fund for US and We left
our erstwhile prison with 800 francs that
had come from military sources
Jnccuntable numbers OF cyclists met W
going into Bucharest
Xs were entertained In grsat s6lA