TOURING WITH BICYCLES
Mr. and Mrs. H. Darwin McIlrath Arrived From Chicago Yesterday.
Crossed the Continent and Will Ride Through Japan, China, Asia and Europe.
Two dusty cyclists crossed the ferry yesterday morning, and as they rode up Market street attracted considerable attention. They were Mr. and Mrs. H. Darwin McIlrath of Chicago, who are touring the world on their wheels. Other than being considerably tanned from continued exposure, they are none the worse thus far from their long trip, and told to a Call reporter an interesting story of their journey to this City.Mr. McIlrath is traveling in the interests of the Chicago Inter Ocean. He has been a newspaper man for many years, and represented his paper at the Paris Exposition and the Chilean rebellion. He is now writing a weekly story of his trip, which he expects will be of several years duration, as he and his wife are making the journey leisurely, visiting all points of interest and enjoying themselves generally.
They left Chicago on April 10 last, and have thus far ridden 2995 miles, their actual riding time being fifty-eight days. The balance of the time was spent in sightseeing. They ride Fowler wheels, fitted with single-tube tires, and were fortunate in having not more than a dozen punctures en route. Mr. McIlrath is loud in his praises of the single-tube tire for cycling, as it is easy of repair and gives but little trouble. Merton Duxbury, who recently arrived here from a trip across the continent, had several score of punctures on the trip, so that Mr. and Mis. McIlrath consider they have been very fortunate. Mrs. McIlrath is thoroughly acquainted with the mechanism of wheels and the repair of tires, and attended to that herself. She is a remarkably pretty, petite little woman, weighing little over 106 pounds, and her husband weighs about 150. He lost considerable flesh on the trip, while she gained several pounds.
They will remain here a fortnight and leave on the steamer China, August 13, for Yokohama, when they will tour Japan and eventually China, Asia and Europe. Mr. McIlrath has several relatives in this city, Judge Charles B. Darwin being his uncle. He expressed himself as being delighted with California, and wished he could remain here longer. One day last week they thoroughly enjoyed snowballing each other in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the morning and found themselves eating fruit, with the thermometer at 100, in the afternoon.
The local wheeling clubs will show the tourists considerable attention while here. Both are charming conversationalists and take great pleasure in relating incidents of their trip. Yesterday was spent in sightseeing around town, and a trip through Chinatown will be made some evening this week. Mrs. McIlrath rides a diamond-frame wheel, in bloomer costume, and is a strong advocate of this style of dress for wheelwomen.
Note — wheels used by the McIlraths on their trip around the world are "The Fowler," for which Davis Brothers, 718 Market street, are agents.
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