According to the announcement in the Truro Daily News, on Thursday, May 11, 1899, at 12:45:
Karl M. Creelman began his long and weary “wheel” around the Globe. After touching farewells and parting from his family at his home in Bible Hill (father, mother, one brother and five sisters at home) he rode to the Railway Esplanade, mounted his “wheel” and proceeded to his route. There were about fifty bicycles and 1000 people to see the departure of the young adventurer, three cheers were given and about 30 cyclists and a group of runners escorted him to the Board Landing Bridge that connected Lower Truro with Onslow. Karl departed wearing a black and red sweater, black and white pants, stockings, cap and his packed items for his trip.
Three days after he departed Truro, Karl wrote a letter home to his younger sister Mattie (Marta Creelman) itemizing what he had packed: “I counted up my belongings last night and here is the list: a box of puke pills, a box of headache powders, a box of carbolic salve, a 2.0 lead pencil, ¼ thousand envelopes, and a suit of clothes.”
So, in addition to the clothes he was wearing, he essentially packed a travel first aid kit equipped with powders for pain relief, pills for nausea and the salve to treat any cuts or bites, provisions to write letters and an extra suit. The suit was a tweed suit presented to Karl from the Oxford Manufacturing Company. The Oxford company made arrangements for Karl to be photographed in the suite when he arrived in Saint John, this image was then used by the company as advertisement, perhaps establishing Karl Creelman as one of the first “influencers”?!
But back to the letter.
This was the first of over 40 letters sent to young Mattie. Mattie was six years younger than Karl, so age 15 when he first departed on his journey. The letters are very different from Karl’s formal letters he wrote documenting his travels to the local newspaper or what was reported when he was interviewed.
The letters from Karl to Mattie are quite endearing and read like an ongoing conversation between the two siblings over the three years of Karl’s absence. It’s clear in this correspondence that even though he is the one setting out on this incredible trip and being exposed to new places and people on a daily basis, the dialogue is equally about his interest in her pursuits and activities in normal day-to-day life.
I’ll be referring to these letters throughout this journey as they offer additional insight as to how Karl was feeling during his journey and the character of this young man.
In case you’ve missed them, click here for more Karl Chronicles