Diary tells of cross-country bike tour in 1923

Arthur Miller's biking gear

For two Pennsylvania teen-agers taking their journey of a lifetime, a cross-country bicycle tour in 1923 meant living off the land, hopping freight trains and run-ins with local cops.

As you can see from the photo at left, their cycling gear was spartan:

A single-speed bike equipped with a carbide lamp and belongings carried in a bedroll slung over the shoulder.

The cross-country bike tour tale of Arthur Miller and his friend Earl Hagerman was revealed in a diary that recently fell into the hands of Arthur’s daughter, Lois Yingling, 83, of York, Pa.

She shared the story of her father’s fascinating bike tour with York Daily Record columnist Mark Argento.

Slow journey

The two were in their late teens when they left York in May 1923 for the West Coast. They headed to Pittsburgh, across Ohio and Indiana to Chicago, then across the Plains in Nebraska and Wyoming and over the mountains of Montana to Oregon. They worked their way down the Pacific Coast to Los Angeles where they eventually headed back to the East Coast on a freight steamer via the Panama Canal.

Argento writes about how the pair slept in courthouses, on farmhouse porches and in abandoned homes. Many folks came to their aid of these traveling bicyclists with meals, lodging and friendship. The two teens also earned expense money and meals by doing odd jobs on farms and in restaurants.

Local cops

They also ran into trouble with the law. In Ohio, a motorcycle cop confiscated a revolver and knife from them. In Nebraska, they pleaded guilty to what sounds like trumped up charges and had to spend 15 days in the local jail.

Those troubles didn’t dampen their spirits, and they continued on their journey to see Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park and crossing the Continental Divide at Granite Park — they crossed the Divide at night so they wouldn’t spook the horses on the route.

Adventure ends

The pair returned safely to New York City via that steamer in October. Arthur went back home, worked at the York Safe and Lock Co., started a family and died at the age of 27 in 1932. At the time, his daughter Lois was just 3 years old.

What an amazing adventure. While it sounds so different than most highly planned cross-country bike tours today, I’m sure there are still those who earn their expenses at odd jobs while they travel.