The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-12-17
BILKrxs WILL START ABROAD.
Unless prosidentzalIy Hindered the
Major VIII Start ON His Trip
Around the World Sometime In
January

January.
Our special writer, Major Zeke
Bilkins. expects to start On his trip
around the world sometime in Janu-
airy. The Major had expected to &C
abroad several months ago. but was
prevented On account Of illness In
his family. but he now writes IL that
be expects 10 start on his wonderful
voyage about the first OF the year.
lie will write a full account OF his
trip weekly and his letters will aD-
pear in The Caucasian. each week.
exclusively.
The articles descriptive OF this
trip will be of more than ordinary
educatio value, considering the
small amount 1t will cost to read
them. and they will be entirely
original.
Both old aad young people will be
Interested. for the story will be writ
ten In plain language. The descrip-
lions viii be pen pictures. You will
live and move with Bilkins and see
the great world through his eyes.
Some of the experiences will proba-
bly, be of the side-splitting variety.
Mr.. Bilkins has had this trip In
view for several years and his pre-
vious letters might be termed fore
runners Of 1t.
Mr.. Bilkins will tour England.
France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy,
Spain, India, Africa, Denmark, Swe-
den, Turkey, Morocco, Holland, and
other European Kingdoms in that
portion of the world; also Russia,
China, Japan, the Philippine Islands,
and other countries in the Far East.
Comparatively few people have
gone around the world. In most in
stances they have hurried through
the trip, getting only casual glimpses
of the various countries from the
beaten paths of travel. Mr.. Bilkins
will travel leisurely and take in the
interior as well as the principal
cities of each country. He will hob
mob with monarchs; but he will also
GO down among the masses and see
how they live, and dispense advice
where he thinks it is needed. Doubt
less Bob will be the centre of at
traction in many countries where the
American mule is unknown. His &C.
,centricities will play an important
part in the articles.
Bilkins will hunt lions and tigers
in Africa and elephants in India,
shooting them from Bob's back. He
will spend some time with the Sui
tan of Turkey and try to learn why
he is the greatest ladies' man since
the days of Solomon.
A special and most interesting
feature of the series of articles will
be exhaustive descriptions of Egypt,
Jerusalem, Palestine, and other lands
and cities anciently familiar to Bible
students, but about which so little
is known to-day owing to their lack
of commercial Importance. Bilkins
will trace up old family history and
relics back to the days of Adam and
Eve.
At some time during the tour Mr..
Bilkins will make an attempt to
reach the North Pole. In fact, that
dreds of thousands of dollars have
been lost and many lives sacrificed
in attempts to reach the North Pole,
but it seems impossible owing to the
extreme cold. Bilkins processes to
believe that Bob can make the trip,
regardless of ice and snow. Doubt
less the stories of his experiences
| will be thrilling.
OF course, we cannot go into de-
| tails. Suffice it to say that these
articles will be genuinely descriptive
and historically true even though
| they will not be written in a serious
vein. Mr.. Bilkins will be given
plenty of latitude, and he will write
in his peculiar style. But we can
safely promise that the reader will
know far more about foreign lands,
| the peculiar customs of the natives,
| their good and bad points, their past,
present and future, year from now
than he or she knows to-day, and the
stories will be interspersed with
quaint expressions, odd experiences
and thrilling narratives which will
tend to relieve them of all du1lness.
| As a writer, Zeke Bilkins has oc-
cupied an humble and modest posi-
ton. Society has never set its seal
of approval upon his work The
great literary critics who can make
and unmake writer's are blissfully
Ignorant of his existence: fate has
decreed it so.
| But Bilkins has a small but grow
ing coterie of friends who read his
letters regularly, and refuse to be
comforted without them. This little
army consists of boys and girls from
five to ninety years of age. Among
the number who may be classed as
admirers of his letters, on their testi-
mony, we believe it safe to say that
there are more boys and girls from
| eight to fifteen years of age who can
come nearer repeating yer batim one
of his letters written perhaps one or
two years ago than any other writer
can claim in proportion.
| This goes to show that his work Is
natural and impressive, though far
from brilliant.
The trip around the world will
begin soon, and will continue for a
-ear, or longer. Those who care to
read it should send a dollar for q
years subscription to The Caucasian
at once. If your subscription is
about to expire, you should renew
promptly. IL you have been a sub