On March 18, 1899, in the Truro Daily News, sandwiched between an ad for DISH CLOTH SOAP (only 25 cents for a long bar and a nice dish cloth on offer from S.M. Bentley & Co) and an ad that read: Ladies (in large bold type) If you are fond of delicious new confectionery, call and see our stock of chocolates, snow flakes chocolates, creams, mixed candies - all of the best from proprietor J.M. O’Brien, there was an article reporting on the character and background of Karl Creelman.

It read:

Many of our readers will be surprised when we make the announcement that Truro has developed a real “Globe Trotter,” but such is that fact. It is the intention of one of our promising young men, on or about the 20th of May, to start, awheel, on an adventure trip around the world. Karl M. Creelman, who is the person to undertake this certainly difficult and tedious feat, was interviewed by a ‘News’ reporter today, and strongly asserts that he has fully decided to begin the journey in the coming Spring.

Mr. Creelman is the son of Eben Creelman, a resident of Bible Hill, this town. He was born at Upper Stewiacke in 1878, but has lived in Truro for the last 10 years. He has attended the Model School and Academy here and for the last six and a half years, has been employed in the wholesale and retail stationery business; for the last two and a half years with the late firm of D. H. Smith & Co., and previous to that time, with G. O. Fulton, Inglis Street.

He expects to spend four years in “trotting” the globe, of which time he will spend one year in Australia, and one and a half years in Europe. On his arrival home again in 1903, he proposes to enter Dalhousie College and take the B. A course and prepare himself for the field of journalism.

“Karl” has always had a desire to travel abroad...he will leave Truro with only a stinted supply of cash, and expects to earn his way, and enough extra money to put himself through his proposed college courses on his return.

A general outline of the route to be taken, is as follows: Across the Dominion of Canada to Vancouver; thence, by steamer across the Pacific to Yokohama, through Japan and across the Yellow Sea to Shanghai; down the coast of China to Hong Kong and thence across the China Sea to Manila; through the Philippines and across the Minore Sea to Borneo; over the Celebes and Ceram Islands; and across Banda Sea to Papua; thence across Torres Strait to York, in the North of Queensland; down the East coast of Australia to Sydney New Zealand will be toured from end to end; thence to Hobert in Tasmania, over the Island, and to Melbourne in Victoria. From Southern coast of Victoria, south and western Australia to Perth, and across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town, Africa; North up the coast through Natal, Transvaal, Sofala, Mozambique, German and British East Africa; along the shore of the Red Sea, through Abyssinia, Nubia and Egypt; around the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, through the Barbary States of Tripoli and Algeria to Tunis; thence to the Sicily Isles, and up through Italy and Switzerland, Germany and France, across the English Channel to England; from England across the Irish Sea to Ireland and sail from Cork to Halifax.

The total distance of the whole travel will be some 39,000 miles of which 20,000 will be over land. “Karl” has never been away from home before, and the only people he expects to see after leaving Truro, whom he has known previously are at Toronto, his cousin Adam Creelman, of the law firm of McCarty, Clark, Oscar & Creelman; at Kamloops, B. C.; Herbert Creelman, of Medicine Hat, N.W.T.; “Denver” Smith and F. Putnam, Vancouver, B.C, formerly of Truro, H. McDonald, at Wellington, New Zealand, Robert Melville, at one time assistant cutter with William Cummings & Sons, this town; at Manili Surgeon Fred Cox, of Upper Stewiacke; and at Auckland, New Zealand, H. Moutray-Read, of this town.

The chief object of the trip is to lay a foundation for his proposed educational courses, but, by way of a “side show”, he expects to bring home at least $5000 in his side pocket.

The ‘News’ wishes this young townsman every success in this plucky undertaking, and his safe return home will be watched with interest four years hence.

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