Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-04-13

and independence day orations, and
Tor various fraternal ORGANIZATIONS, as
ne is a member of most of them.
While on the staff of the Portland
Orcgonian he was appointed BY the
state board of immigration as man
ager of the car Oregon on Wheels,
which he took 1885 miles on an ex-
hibition tour through t~wenty-four
states in 1912, to the entire satisfae,
ton Of the press and people Of ore
gon. He then Wen to Chicago and was
on the starr of the Chicago Tribune
until after the world 5 lair, returning
to oregon IN 1896.
Having learned to rideva wheel III
Chicago, he became so fond of thu
bicycle tha he made many long rides
ana several centuries October II.
1896, he left Portland for a tour OF
Oregon. California, Arizona, New
Mexico. Texas and the Mexican re.
public TO the City of Mexico, as cor
respondent and general travelling
agent of the olympic. OF san Fran
cisco. and contributor to several east
ern periodicals.
Major Weeds object in visiting
Mexico was to write up its resources
and advantages, 10 secure views and
information for illustrated lectures
and for a descriptive book of travels
of that highly interesting n wonder
full that the people of the
United states may better understand
and appreciate their sister republic.
Since his return to this country, he
has delivered many lectures in the
eastern states on Mexico, the Won
derland,' illustrated by lantern slides
made from pictures he too himself,
and from a number presented to him
by that grand statesman and eminent
soldier, Porfirio Diaz. president If
Mexico.
on the trip through the tropics he
rode a wheel and carried 35 to 40
pounds of baggage. He is acknowl-
edged to be the champion old man
long distance idcr of North America.
He crossed the Rio Grande at Eel Paso.
Texas. March /, 1891, into Mexico,
taking It leisurely. noticing everything
OF interest, reaching the City of Mex
fco September 6, 1897, having ridden
5,0S1 miles since leaving Portland. All
over the Mexican republic, or in TWEEN
states. Major Weed travelled on wheel,
mule, railroads and various convey
ances over 10000 miles until Febru-
airy 3, 1899, when he left that couli
try at Progresso, Yucatan, and went
by Ward line stcawer to Havana. y
few days were spent in Cuba. thence
by steamer to New York, arriving
February II, 1899, on the coolest day
that city had experienced for TWEEN
ty-two years, forming a wonderful
contrast TO the hot weather he had
left in cuba, only ninety hours be-
fore, like a jump from hot summer
to extreme cold. lie had then Travelled
over 22,750 miles.
Since then until October Is, 1904, hr
toured the eastern, middle and west
ern states and Canada to Pittsburs,
Pa. a total travel for eight years of
9,735 miles. In that time the eN-
tremes of weather encountered We're
% degrees below zero in New York
and 100 degrees above zero IN Mex
leo. The highest point reached with
wheel was La Gina, the rumalit be
tween the valleys of Mexico and
CuernaVaca, 1855 feet above the sea
and the lowest at Salton in the Death
valley of California, 263 feet below
sea level. the lowest inhabitable spot
in the world. 1
A few of Major Weeds barrow &c
capes from death were as follows:
suffocatcd with smoke while
to save property in a burning
building in Grand Rapids. Mich, in
1871; nearly captured by sharks while
in Gulf of Panama, one
moonlight night in November, 1874;
Utmost drowned in saving a boys life
Sacramento river at Redding Cal,
n 1876: lost in the mountains of the
rOast range in a binding snow storm
n Trinity county. California March,
for forty hours with neither
ihelter nor food; and various minor
hangers too numerous to mention.