Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-02
ONE OF THE "WEALERs.n

He Walked All the Way From Mas
sf1lOn and Kept q Diary ON a stick.
Some of the men with the Coxey army
have interesting histories, and can talk
most entertainingly, when they forget that
they have newspaper people about One Of
the men who made the trip from Massillon.
Ohio, is Mr.. John Park of Marion, Pa. Mr.
Park Is PALE quiet-looking man. with
nothing Of the tramp in his makeup
though he walked every foot of the way,
except the trip on the canal, which was
extremely pleasant. He is a gentleman who
uses good language, and wears violating
Clothes He Is a paperhanger by profess
sion, and also sign painter; he had heen
out OF work for many months, and believ-
ing that the Coxey idea was a good one
Joined the ranks to make the descent on
washington. He thinks now that II he
had known how Indifferent Congress would
be to the army he would not have made one
or 1t, though he does not regret the trip,
which he regards as a rare experience that
one would like to remember. He speaks
kindly OF the people whom they met along
the line Of march, and says that the reason
that so few Of the "commonwear' entered
Washington Is because there were several
hundred who got tired and took part of
the trip that was hardest on the railroad
and that did not suit the originators of the
scheme, as the idea was to walk all the
out the trials were fired out. He says that
the closer they got to Washington the
harder treatment they met with; he IL of
the opinion that there were many in the
ranks who Will never recover from the
effects of that most perilous trip over
the mountains in the rain and snow. He
speaks most kindly Of the treatment. the
army has received at the hands of The
says that the newspapers have generally
been fair with them. Mr.. Park has as a
memento OF the trip a wonderfully carved
cane. he cut a birch sapling in Indiana
kA
when he started out with the army he made
the stick kind Of diary Of the trip. The
end OF the stick. with q crook on It, is
carved into q birds head. Then along the
SIDE Is cut his name-John Park-and on
the opposite side "Coxey army" Then on
the bark is cut the name Ohio" and on
the opposite side Is a notch for every town
that they stopped in in that state and a
small notch where they stopped two days.
Then come Pennsylvania Maryland and
District OF Columbia. On the opposite side
the stick Is notched for each stop made in a
town. and where the state was entered
there is a ring clear around the stick.
There are thirty -four Of these notches, and
FOUR rings. 1t is regular Robinson
Crusoe affair and well worth the preserving.
Just after reaching the city Mr.. Park was
approached by citizen. who happened to
mention to him the name Of Major Moore
Mr.. Park remarked that a man whom he
had known and regarded very highly in
pennsylvania was named E. W. Moore.
The gentleman to whom he was talking
said: why. l know him very well; he is in
the War Department" Mr.. Park, while on
business In the neighborhood of the address
given him. called. and found his friend. Mr..
E. w. Moore, at home. and greatly pleased
to see him. The cane he had made on the
trip he presented to Mr.. Moore. by whom
1t will be highly priced. Mr.. Park has had
rather eventful life. He was in the
regular army, and was sent to Montana to
help fill the gap made in the famous sew
enth cavalry when Custer and his brave
men were killed. He served In the western
department long enough to have several
tumultuous interviews with old Sitting Bull
and his braves, but tumble from a horse
In one OF these caved in his breastbone and
broke up his anatomy In a way to destroy
his usefulness as a soldier Mr. Parks
great grandfather was the first settler in
Indiana county. Pa. and lived In q log
house built for him by the Indians.