The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-05
TOURING THE OLD WORLD
Interesting Observations of
 a. Bridgeport Chauffeur
SIGHTS AND SCENES THATLINGER

After a seven months automobile l tour of Europe, Clinton Barnum See ley of Ingleside Place and party in | cluding Mrs. lSeeley, Miss Austina Futile, Mrs. Seeley's sister, c. Barnum Seeley Jr., and maid, Robert Jellif of BPS Connecticut avenue, chauffeur, re- turned to this city Sunday evening from New York where they landed in the afternoon from the S. S. George Washington of the North German Lloyd line The trip was begun March 4, 1909 and was under the aus pices of the Automobile Association of America. The car used was a Pack ard '0F> and withstood the bad roads remarkably. Not an accident occur red to mar the pleasure of the<trip. The first stop after leaving New York was at the Azores The auto mobile was not unloaded at the isl- ands owing to the primitive means of transportation of passengers from the steamers to the land. The natives row out from the land to the ship which can get no closer than mile or mile and half from shore. The massive masonry on the Azores was of particular interest. The high sea walls and the buildings some of ce- ment, most of natural stone were full of interest for the party. The Ma deira Islands were visited after leav- ing the Azores. These islands are fa- nous for their wines. The people were found to be mostly Portuguese and all were looking for the Ameri- cans money.
 Tt was Sunday when the party ar rived at Gibraltar and they were un- able to see a great deal of that fas nous fortress. March 15 Genoa was reached and the tourists disembarked: They started in the automobile from Genoa to tour Southern Italy but found that when they had gone about 75 miles from Genoa the roads were so bad that the automobile could not be used. The trip was continued by train. Rome, Venice, Naples and oth- CT places were visited.
 Three weeks were spent at Mice, France. The chatteau district of France was enjoyed immensely. The party found that France was by far the best country for the motorist. The roads are in good condition.
 There are a large number of auto mobilists touring France all the time. Three weeks were spent in Paris.
 In Germany, the roads were good but the farmers were like savages to- not regarded as a desirable acquisi- tion and an American chauffeur has to go around with a chip on his shoul- der all the time to get by.' The party found the beautiful Rhine food ed so that in some places the roads were covered with feet of water and the route had to be changed.
 The excellent conditions of the roads and conditions generally in Austria were an agreeable surprise to the tour ists The roads were veritable mountain boulevafds,'' and they found that the mountain scenery al- most equalled that of Switzerland.
 The most thrilling part of the tour was in climbing the Stelvic pass from Austria to North Italy. This pass is 1-2 miles long, rises to a height of 948O feet and is considered the most perilous of European passes for auto mobilists and very few attempt it's as- cent. Some idea of the read and danger may be known when it is con sidered that it requires 5 hours to go over it. A drop from many parts of the pass would mean that machine