Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-08-01

what absorbing interest you read Jules
Verne's Around the World in Eighty
Days" for the first time? Who doesn't?
You could scarcely turn over the
pages rapidly enough to follow the I'M
equal and fluctuating fortunes, the I'M
expected adventures of Phileas Fogg
and his companions, so graphically de-
picted by the gifted French author.
Since Fogg made his fictitious trip
many others have done the real thing,
and in much less than than 80 days.
AS transportation facilities, both rail-
way and steamer, have multiplied and
improved, the time of the record trip
has steadily been reduced.
The best record at present stands at
80 days, 10 hours, 43 minutes, made by
Andre Jaeger-Schmidt, newspaper
man and also a Frenchman, who trav-
eled $4,000 miles in doing it.
An attempt is now being made to
break this record. At 12:43 o'clock on
the morning of Wednesday, July 2,
1918, John Henry Mears, for many
years past manager for John Drew, the
noted actor, started on a tour around
the world from New York that, should
his plans work out, will land him in
that city on his return, in 35 days, 81
hours, IS minutes. In this trip Mr..
Mears represents the New York Sun,
and the first leg of his journey is
across the Atlantic on the Mauretania.
The start was made under obstacles.
A heavy street traffic of market wag-
ons. Notwithstanding the hour, and
drunken sailor impeded progress to
the boat. Finally, police officer
stopped the auto in which Mears was
racing for the steamer.
Let me explain" began Mr.. Mears.
"You can explain to the lieutenant at
the station house." broken in the officer
sarcastically. Look a'heer," said the
chauffeur, we've got to get" Nov
don't you try to get funny" warned
the irate policeman, climbing on the
running board. Take the first street
to the right and don't try to hit it up
see?"
Mr.. Mears was having difficulty re-
straining his friends, but he was get
ting deperate himself. "See here, off
ho nrin {,,ct CT ~ tn
around the world to beat the record,
and I've got to make the Mauretania!"
The policeman's attitude changed in
stantly. You're not John Henry
Mears? Why. read all about you in
the paper today. Go along, and good
luck to you. How did know it was
your" climbing down from the run
ming board. Give my love to old Ire
land when you--" But the car was
far away by now, and the last words
were lost, and let us hope the LINK"
was, too.
Mr.. Mears' travel will be entirely by
boat and train. Unlike Mr.. Fogg in
Verne's account, no elephants or other
unusual means of transportation will
be used. MIR. Mears' route is via Lon
don, st. Petersburg, Mudken, Fusan,
Shimonoseki, Yokohama, Victoria, Sc
attic, Spokane. Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Chicago. He has very carefully
figured out his schedule with its. in
many cases, close connections, and has
tiers of introduction to railway men and
others of influence in foreign countries
will, it is hoped, interest them in his
rapid fire" trip to such an extent as
to smooth the obstacles from his path
and prevent broken connections from
delaying him. Among these letters Is
one from Mayor Gaynor of New York
to the lord mayor of London. Leaving
out London and st. Petersburg, where
Mr.. Mears will remain two days and
one day respectively, his stay at con-
Meeting points will not exceed three
hours at any one place. In two or
three instances 1t will not be more
than Is or 20 minutes.
His schedule provides for his reach
ing Victoria, B. c., Saturday. August 2,
on the splendid new Canadian Pacific
railway steamship Empress of Russia.
There a private yacht of the Seattle
Yacht club will meet him at quaran-
tine and whisk him to Seattle. Here he
will take the North Coast Limited
train of the Northern Pacific railway
for St. Paul on August 2 and continue
on to Chicago by the same train via
the North Western line. Between Chi
cago and New York the Lake Shore
and New York Central lines will be
used, New York being reached Wednes-
day, August 6, at 10 p. m. The crucial
point in the whole journey is at Yoka-
hama If that connection with the EN-