The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-30
ALL THE WAY FROM OHIO
THE WEARY TASK AND LONG
TRAMP OF a ONEGENARIAN.

Miles - me 6ArrOW WHICH ne
wheeIs-A Pleasant Chat With the
Old Man.
From the Baltimore Americ1n.
The king of Ellicott City yesterday was
Harrison Warner, the old man who, on
April "a, started to push a wheelbarrow
from McConnellsville, o., to this city. a
distance of 5O7 miles. A dispatch from
Ellicott City, published in yesterdays
American, stated that the old pedestrian
had arrived at that place on Wednesday
evening. Yesterday morning reporter of
the American discovered that in the house
of H. c. Becker the old pedestrian had slept
the night before. The proprietor told the
newspaper man yesterday morning that MIR.
Warner had eaten breakfast at an early
hour, and had then started out for a morn
ing constitutional. Nothing was left but to
wait for his return, and the time was put in
by examining what Mr.. Warner called his
Baltimore car" This arrangement is
his famous barrow, about which so
much has been written. Yester-
day morning it stood in the rear
of Mr. Beckers store, and, to look at its
untarnished colorlng, one would not be led
to suppose that it had been trundled through
the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and the
Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains and
through the better portion of Maryland.
The barrow is made in a box fashion, has
long, slender handles, is brilliantly painted
in carmine and weighs thirty-eight pounds.
About one-half of the interior has been con-
verted into a misunderstanding locker,
where the old man carries his entire war
drobe, from a "biled" shirt and suit of
clothes down to backing brush. Among the
other effects were an umbrella, a cane, a
stout canvas strap that the old man places
around his shoulders and attaches to the
handles of his car and few photographs
of the entire outfit that Mr.. Warner had
taken in Hagerstown.
About the time that the examination
was ended a citizen rushed into the store
and told the people that the old man was
coming up the street. A scramble was
made for the pavement, and about square
below could be seen the old man walking up
the street with the sprightliness of a boy.
The first one to grasp his hand was the
american man, and after the old man had
wished him Gods blessing, and that he
might die good old man, the people clus-
tered around him and eagerly waited their
turn to shake hands with him. To have
looked at the old man yesterday morning as
he stood on the pavement in Ellicott City
one would have been led to believe that
man. On his head rested a wide-brim
hat and from beneath beamed a very
sun-burned face and pair of wonderfully
bright eyes. The old man wore tweed
suit and pair of stout shoes that he made
with his own hands. Through his vest ran
a mammoth gold chain, and from his inn
maculate shirt front sparkled little stud.
After he had taken off his coat and taken a
seat in his car, Mr.. Warner began to tell
his story: Like yourself, my boy" he
said, 81 was born in your town on Oct. 5,
1901. In 1919 left Baltimore and started
to emigrate TO what was then known as the
wilds of Ohio. There was large party of
us, and we had a merry tramp over the
very same route that have again traversed.
A person who saw Maryland in those days
would never recognize it now. In place of
well-made pixies there were dirt roads, sur
rounded by dense woods, and probably not
a habitatlon on them for the distance
of ten or fifteen miles. The mountain
passes were steep and rugged, aud every day
we came across struggling band of Indians
or some deserted reservation. We boldly
pushed our course westward, and after
many days of weary travel we finally
reached Morgan county. l Travelled that
route when | was only 10 years old, and
didn't trundle a wheelbarrow, either. Here
l am, 50 years old, aud am honest when l
say the old boy has outwalked the young
man. settled down in Morgan county as
an apprentice TO a shoemaker, made
money rapidly, and few years
later married Miss Rebecca Coleman, the
prettiest girl in GAINESVILLE. 1 went in bust
ness for myself, and with my wife went to
McConnellsville to live. My wife is a hale
and hearty woman of rs years. The out
come of our marriage was eleven children,
nine of whom are still living. One son in
Kansas. another 10 Texas. one in Iowa, and
the rest With the madam. We are the
ancestors of nine loving children, forty-fve
grandchildren, thirty-five great-grandchil-
dren and fifteen great-great-g
l remained west until 1871, when l went to
Washington to see old Gen. Harrison iuau-
gurated. In 1859 l made a journey similar
to the present one
The idea of undertaking this long tramp
to Baltimore originated during the early
months of this year made known my
plans, but at the time never really in
tended to put them into execution. Then
the neighbors began to banter me, and
l determined to undertake the journey
or die in the attempt. | started from home
on April "a, and the weather was so bad
that l only managed to travel fifteen miles
in ten days. You can imagine l was dis
| Outraged; but still my pride would not
trudged, mile after mile, and
after twenty-eight days of actual
| walking, am within fifteen miles of dear
old Baltimore. | made the trip by easy
stages. and although lost twenty-five
| pounds on the journey, never felt better in
| my life. The journey through the mount
| aims was not hard task, and the beauty of
the spots and the grandeur of the scenery
| kept me In better spirits than whole troop
of children. Bad weather made me tarry five
| days in Wheeling, six in Cumberland, seven
| in Frederick and six in Hagerstown. To say
that l was warmly and enthusiastically wei
coined by the people ] met on the Journey
would be drawing it mild. Every one re-
| ceived me with open arms, and only twice
| during the long tramp was | treated with
discourtesy, once in Pennsylvania. and once,
l am sorry to say, in Ellicott City, town
in my native state The Pennsylvania Incl
dent occurred in the following way: l
| reached little town one night, and a man
| who protested to manage boarding house
left me to sleep upon board in his kitchen.
| | found the soft side of the board" said the
| old man, with a merry twinkle in his eyes,
land as | was very tired. it was not long
before dozed off in a sleep"
By this time the store was crowded with
| people and the old man had to cease talking,
and held an Informal reception. The crowd
| pressed on by scores, including all the dig
| nltarles of the town, prominent among
| whom was the mayor, postmaster and the
| sheriff. The boys completely turned the
town over to Mr.. Warner and the last the
A