The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-10-02
Old Man Friday Rolled his Wheplbar.
row from Chicago to Atlanta.

Old Man Friday Rolled his Wheelbar.
row from Chicago to Atlanta.
That good old man Friday, of wheel
barrow fame, is apparently having
quite pleasant stay in Atlanta since
his arrival the early part of the week.
Friday is veteran roller of the
wheelbarrow, and since the early days
of his life has found pleasure and fas-
cination in this particular avocation OF
life. He has travelled many miles be-
tween the handles of the barrow, and
though he has encountered many
hardships and dangers he has reached
a good old age, he still proposes to
follow his strange profession and con-
tinue his work for the remainder of his
days.
Friday left Chicago several weeks
ago and with him he pushed his old
barrow the entire distance to Atlanta.
Through rain and shine, over hills and
across deep. muddy swamps, through
sparsely settled country and through
crowded cities, he followed the roads
to Atlanta in order that he might be
present at the opening of the exposi-
tion.
Friday left Chicago without bread
or change of clothes, and, like the
apostle of old, carried not even scrip
in his hand. Everywhere he stopped
he was either entertained by the good
country people or paid meagre sum
for the stories he told, with which he
paid his lodging. In many places he
was royalty received by the curious
who had been advised of his coming
through the newspapers. In other
places he was turned away from the
village without food and had to beg
his way for miles. In his barrow he
carried coffeee pot, tea kettle and
other kitchen furniture, in which he
cooked his meals when fortune was
against him and he. could not obtain
anything already cooked. When he
reached the city he was followed by
large crowd of boys, who poked fun at
the strange old man. This he says was
the case almost everywhere he stop
ped, and he has now become accns-
toned to the greetings from the
youngsters.
In many respects Friday is very
weird old man. He is bent with old
age and his shoulders greatly bend
under the increasing load of time. He
is we'll educated and is close student
of human nature. His story of a
wheelbarrow trip across the plains
years ago is interesting and his man
ner of telling it only adds to it.
Here is what he says about the first
trip: ;, .,,., r.,
dMany years ago, said Friday, II
found myself stranded on the prairie
near Council Bluffs. My horse had
been stolen, my outfit was gone and l
had nothing wherewith to buy me any
thing at all. I was in bad fix gen.
orally, and was about to despair when
a happy thought struck me. A boy
came along who was rolling a wheel
barrow, and then it was that I deter
mined to go in search of gold in Cali
fornia and carry all Of my tools and
all my cooking utensils in wheelbar-
row.
"Early one spring morning [ left
Council Bluffs aud in front Of me 1
pushed wheelbarrow that had been
constructed especially for the occa-
sion. I set out to cross the plains
and flushed the task in just one hun
dred and fifty days. I reached Hag-
town with one ounce Of bacon, four
ounces of shirt and one thousand
pounds of energy. 1t was the most
difficult feat that | have ever accom-
plished aud one that nearly cost me
my life. How I lived through the
heat and dust of the desert 1 cant
say, but I did manage to existin some
sort of fashion. I not only made the
trip myself, and forded swimming
rivers and crossing arid wastes, but ]
saved the life of noble woman and
her two children. For this I'm CRATE
full that the trip was undertaken and
shall never regret the hardships en-
dured.
"Mrs. Owens and her two children
had been lying on the sands of the
desert for several days when I first
found them. They were without wa
ter and provisions and were just bare
| ly alive. My feet were blistered, and
I. too. was about to die of thirst and
want of cooling drink. But did not
hesitate to take them and place them
in my wheelborrow and push them
along. Every two or three steps l
had to sit down and rest, and was f.
nally rejoiced to see wagon coming
, in sight. The driver took Mrs. Owens
and the children and placed them in
theNyagon and took them across the
desert.,,, The ground was deep in sand
and the bones of animals that had
perished we're lying so thick that L
could have walked the entire distance
without having gotten off tao bones:
It was terrible trip
ri will be in Atlanta some ssfEc auus
will see the exposition. The trip from
Chicago was made in good time and 4
saw new portion of the country
I will return by the same way as
came" e
When Friday reached the city
was almost in rags and his apped
ance was in evidence that he had se e.
pretty rough times while en- route
the city.