The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21
FROM SEA TO SEA.
Three Men and a Woman to
Tramp Across the Country.
wHEELBARRoW FOR SUPPLIES.
-Four seatt1eites Undertake . Big Con-
tract to. Win a Wager-A Hod-
carriers Undertaking.

Four adventurous persons, three men and one
woman. will leave Seattle about the middle
OF March for New York, with no other means of
conveyance than a wheeIbarrow. They are
J. f. Cheatham. John Howard, f. W. CASTOR
and Miss Lou Howard. The men will take turn
about at pushing the wheelbarrow, and only
when the woman gives out from exhaustion
Will she be allowed to ride. Only in case of
sickness will stops of longer duration than
Twelve hours be made at any place until Chicago
IL reached where it is intended to remain for
three days, and then push on to New York. 1t
Is the intention OF the quartette to cover the
distance between Seattle and New York in five
months.
Cheatham, the chief promoter of the scheme,
is heavy-set man, whose hair is tinged with
gray. He is typical "down-easter," and, like
his two male companions, is odd job man
the easier the job the better he likes it. Miss
Howard is a lady OF very uncertain age, and
claims to be a variety actress. She is taken on
the expedition because the male members of
the combination believe woman in the party
will bring good luck. She will be under the
especial care and protection of Howard, who al
leges with emphasis that "there amt another
woman in the country as can beat her at sing
in" At present she is employed as soloist in
the "Never Touched Me" saloon on Jackson
street, where she nightly regales crowd of idle
men with such musical gems as "That Is Love-"
rades," "McGintys Picnic" ETC.
This transcontinental expedition is being
fitted out in the rear OF an empty building at
2l7 South Third street When a PosT-INTELLI-
GENcER reporter visited the scene of operations
last evening he found carpenter busy making
the wheelbarrow, which will be a very light
affair, of ash with steel wheel. Cheatham said;
We mean business. We are going to go from
here to Tacoma, then to Portland, and after
leaving there stop twelve hours each at Pendle-
ton Baker City, Boise City, Pocatello, Ogden,
Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St Joe, st.
Louis, and then we go to Chicago. When We ar
rive there we will pick out the route TO New
York. The wheelbarrow will carry our tent,
provisions, bedding, etc. Our cooking utensils
will consist of one pot. one frying pan, four tin
plates four cups, four knives and forks and one
coffee-pot.
We're going on bet If we make it in five
months we will be well paid. If We fail we
won't get anything No. won't tell with whom
the bet was made. because l promised that 1
would not The old woman will carry a flag on
which will be painted list of the names of the
people who contribute money to help us along,
and underneath, in big letters. "God Speed the
People in Seattle Who Helped Us Poor People
Leave Town" On another flag will be painted
in big letters the words -
Cheatham was at a loss for a name and, after
thinking moment, he turned to the "old
woman" whom he had referred to a moment
before, and asked:
81 say, old woman, what shall we call our
selves?"
swhat's the matter with The wheelbarrow
Association"
"That amt enough. What do they call the
railroads what goes across the country from
one ocean to the other-trans- something-"
"Trans-complimentary! interrupted the
woman.
Chea.nam adopted the suggestion and con-
tinued:
That's it. We will paint on another flag in
large letters: Trans complimentary Wheel
barrow Association" and stick il up in the
front of the man who pushes the wheelbarrow.
At every town we pass through we Will go to the
postofice and get the postmaster to write nQDe
and then put his stamp on it. We will then put
the note in mail box under the barrow. You
see when we get to New York that will prove
that we have kept our contract. l have been
across the country in an OK team when l a
boy, and reckon we can make it in wheel
harrow.