The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-05
r. /. P0TTER'S LONG TRAMP.
TRrNDEING ms UHEELBIRROW FROM
dLEfNY TO san FRANCISCO.
Vo,,, rhousnnd aud EiVhty-ave Nile, In Two
hundred aud Fineen DRys-rhe Most he
wurLnhic Of all Journeys Across the Com
,t,rut- winning the Tramp championships.

v,,rL able Of all Journeys Across the Com
incnt winning the Tramp championship.
So TH\>cl-co, Oct -. II. Lyman Potter
,t,.ny. y. Y. may Justly Ice styled the cham
,ian irampof America He has lust arrived in
a. r.ty. after walking 1926 miles from the
u '-an River. NS1 write ho yet fingers I'M
co., In the suburbs Of the city. dcfcrring. for
g. sIfat.,c reasons his entrance until to-mor-
4. Ncvcnng But have seen him. convcrscd
will him examined his diary. and studied his
f..r books of autographs gathered along the
r..d. uifD-fl}. his presence at the points inli-
cH.dUt the given dates. lie started from Swan
mi Warren streets. Albany. on the afternoon
81 April 10 and tomorrow night. when lie on
TER. This city. will complete his l0Qth day out
Il. las walked 1905 miles. and as. under tho
conditions OF his tramp. no was not permitted
to walk on sundays. he has walked III days.
oul averaged 2s.03 miles day. Moreover. ho
has lost upward Of twenty working days from
various causes which. however. he is not al
lowed to deduct. but which really Increase his
average I, a. aut twenty five miles day. This
Ne has dono through rain and shine. in heat
and cold. over mountains covered with snow
anil arross the burning alkali plains. trundling
oil tho way n whoelharrow containing a load
that varied from forty to sixty pounds.
Potter Is lank person. about five feet ton
inches in stature. weighs. perhaps. 40 or 145
pounds and has n physique that suggests
either chronic fever and aguc or confirmed
Dyspepsia His hair is thin. though now long.
because Of his forced absence from the bar
Der shop and his thick. dark. bushy. whis-
hers completely hide tho lower part OF his face
But above is sharp. nervous. suspicious pair
Of eyes. and over these high. retrcating fore
head. approaching to badness. He is n native
Of Ohio. IS years Of age. He has dwclt in Al
bany for many years and IL an upholsterar, n
Widlwer. with two young children.
Potter says that this walk was the outcome Of
hconvorsaiion among group OF Albany me-
Of a man and n horse. Potter insisted that I'm
The long run man would wear horse out.
And that a man could walk rs far in n day aa n
horse could. and keep tup longer. The com
pany had generally agreed upon eighteen to
twenty lmiles as fair average days walk for a
horse. Potter said that he could walk nineteen
miles day and keep II up longer than n
horse could. 4 man offered to give him 81 900 II
be- would do II. and after some talk 2lj days was
settled upon as the test But the man who had
proposed the purse found himself after n irw
days, unable Ia raise the money. and on his In T.
forming Potter of the fnct the conversat on WAS
renewed. and Potter offered TO walk across the
continent within the 2l5 days. and trundle a
yhceoarrow all the way; This boast inspired
10 raise the money. He took subscriptions and
contributions from everybody and anybody,
many throwing in what loose change they had
Just torholp Potter along and the purse OF
1900 wnsAade up Then papers were drawn
uprcquring Potter not merely to walk across
llr continent. but to walk 4.0S5 miles within 2l5
dals. thus making the average exactly 10 miles
day. lie WAS 10 count every day, from the
tine Vt setting out until the end Of the walk
win no allowance for sickness. storm. i'm
pissaile roads. or other cause: nor WIS he In
walk on Sundays. nor were Sundays 10 b.
counted In the general estimate Of time. He
vas 10 irundle u whcclbarrow the entire dis
u','r. and carry in the whrelbarrOw not lrsH
than IS pounds east OF the Missouri. nor less
Y4N a nf huf rtN A
s,i ativc Of the contributors 10 the purse was
10 company him.
l,ti.r ~ once set to work preparing for his
journey. He had q wheelharrow made ok
pr.-sly for him. This does not differ essen
naly in rs frame work, and running gear
lron an ordinary whe"lbarrow, except that
perhaps the framei II u little smaller and lighter
IL surmounted by chest or trunk like box
about two and half feet in length by two In
width and perhaps thirty inches deep. painted
blYc. and efpolazoned on ion with the legend
Across the Continent; 4,os5 miles IN 81
days On the end toward the wheel is adiustrl
dimlnutive flagstaff carrying small UnitoL
htntes flag; and az the other end. directly In
front Of the driver OF the wheelharrow. il "a Tin
receptacle Tor tin cup, a blank book for the
trnltures Of persons met, two or three bottles
Of simple medicinal preparations and letters
ior delivery along the road. The box itself con
hiuod necessary clothing. provisions. camping
convent noes. and other necessary luggage
Tn outside was we'll covered with hu-Ino
cards and advertisements displayed for d
money consideration. Potter having resolved tc
pas his way along by this advertising and by
90 ut The vehicle. when completed and loaded
lNr tho Journey, weighed about scVcnty-twO
pounds. One stipulation of the contract re-
an reed him % trundle the vehicle without the
AL of any strap or othcr device.
Thus equipped. Potter started on his tramp ai
3uNiocS Ou the afternoon q The 10Th uf May
la-i. ln drnnrhing rain. which continued al
w. way % schenectady, sixteen miles, which
place ue reached Ut - +. NJ. footsore wet and
ur'i. and somewhat dispirtcd. The next day
however despite the ran, he kept On. following
A' Wuplke toward Utica; and when be-
reached Utica ou the morning Of the 18th. hay
ns mad" 10 miles IN little over four days. he
Ms tempted 90 abandon the undertaking. and
Do might have done so but for the tone Of the
u'W-iiirrs. They ridiculed him, called him
~ .liuf. tramp, hrainlees fool. and prcdicted
~ failure; and after reading these Disagree
~ ui.ne- ho resolved to pCrsevere. He kept
90 lowing the highway through Syracuse
.hr canal from syracuse To- Rochester and tho
Highway ggaln thence 10 Bufnlo. which city
'Fc"rAel on me 25ih 81 Hay, having made q
When Potter started from Albany he hal ouly
''} 20 his pocket II was not his intention 70
~ his way along, but honestly TO earn his liy-
me- he sought shelter at nights in the hotels
Ntrn they We're available. and In farm houses
nl,n IN TIE open country. Throughout tho
~ lre state hc was Hospitality received. and
thi'l - permitted 20 nay for either lodgings OF
h'H.. From the outset he has becn careful
shl frugal cater. allowing himself only two
lih,- Jay ANA never eating or drinking any
lOi drinks. His income from advertising and
,,''r} hg small mess ngrs gave him all the
d h'y necessary In New York. But further
*. u- the population became sparse. be had
l'r" frequently to pay for lis lodgings and
provisions. nd M the same time hi- income
49, IrNlNrii0ngtrly reduced. Thus he says-tc
iil .uIte the nurrutivc-the actual expense OIL
y. journey has been nearly $500. and he has
,'h oll god several times - send back tC
tma HuiIalo Potter took what is called the
i Ridge 20 Painesyille. tn nee 70 Cleveland
'dH and Fort Wayne. usually following
ways. aud from Fort WAyne keeping Tho
Ih' ~ tho lu-hurgh and Fort Wayne Railroat
I'i-'. which point WIS reached on the 23l
81 '"y. Wnklug ~ average daily walk Of TWEEN
'iI rrst Up 10 that point h had much
t".i W'ailer and in addition 20 the discom
'N 'i it'r.urg m drenched clothing he hat
70. BE-
nn th' ago Potter trudged on 10 Joliet
1"'l Do" % the line Of tho Chicago and
ad RAJ road, crossing the Mississippi
' Nf'-' VI hat road at Davenport wher,
i"u days. From Davenport he tray-
'"I IIr highway To Cedar Greek, Iowa and
~" t'il tb" railrond 10 Dies MOnCs and
ID % 4Nt. I"arilng the latter city on tn,
i4i., Here ho wGs obliged 10 lay by fol
,." -.'. l.Hr railroad men would not allow
U4' ' hio barrow Hcross the bridge cN-
IN WI i.y when there were fewer trims
,D'. 'H sunday, the 23i, he crossed keep.
"i of ms tnrrow On the rail. Thir
BIZ ' o. ON a.iu. = $50 mil IS from Albany
'tl''.lod. lie md then been out
Nf. inHuding Sundpya md lost
AD. 'A 'iuAIug sundays nearly 30
stopped lut Nyr da ys. taking good
'ns rom the ELECTS Of an attack