The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-16

has often won wagers from men who
were told that he wore artificial legs
by kicking a hat held seven to eight
feet above the ground In like man
ner he has won wagers by his natural
style of walking from those who would
not believe he was wholly dependent
on artificial legs. Since his limbs were
cut off and he adapted himself to his
new pedals, he has made a record of
fifteen feet in three standing jumps.
AS dancerihe is vigorous, enthusiastic
and graceful he dances the schottish,
waltz and cotillion with equal skill and
grace.
Farrier tells his friends in the great
est confidence that 1t is better to lose
leg than an arm, or both legs than
both arms, for there are more things
that q man can do with his hands than
with his feet Then, again, he declares
in the strictest confidence that it were
better to lose both arms and both legs
than to lose ones head. So 1t will be
seen he does not regard his condition
as being an extremity of misfortune.
This remarkable man continued to do
his own blowing and general farm work
up in Minnesota for some time after
he had adjusted his artificial limbs to
his person. This made him the Won
der of the entire neighborhood People
for miles around came to see him per-
form these seemingly impossible feats
Before sustaining the loss of his legs
he was known over the entire country
side as one of the greatest athletes
and lovers of outdoor sports in that
section of the state. AS a sprinter, he
was never beaten; not only was he a
champion runner, but as long dis
lance and high jumper he never met
with one who could defeat him. He
leo 11rN1n - IL L.
wheel bicycles with astonishing sue
cess In a short time he expects to
make his debut on a safety here in
this city He will also show to the
world what he can do in the way Of
fancy ice skating as soon as the winter
Kinks are thrown open.
AT the present time Farrier's great
est ambition is to prove to the public
that a man who meets with the terri
bic misfortune Of losing his fiesh-and-
blood legs and is condemned for the
rest Of his life to the wearing of arti-
icial substitutes has no earthly need
OF walking like a cat on a hot stove
or Of carrying cane or crutch to help
himself along. The artificial legs which
he wears, and with which he is enabled
to do so many wonderful feats, were
evolved out Of his own brains and made
by himself. He worked them out as a
case Of necessity.
In the first place, after his frozen
legs were amputated, he went to ST.
Paul and paid 5000 for pair of wooden
legs, on which he could not walk at all;
they weighed eleven pounds each; they
were SO heavy he could hardly drag
them after him. let alone walk and
stand upright on them. Altogether he
made three trips to st. Paul, trying to
get legs that would fit and serve him
so that he could go about his farm
work as usual. There were fittings and
ref1ttings, but all to no purpose, and
after an outlay Of several hundred dol
lars he was no better off so far as walk
ing was concerned than when he went
reeling and stamping about in clumsy
wooden pegs which he had originally
Whitfield out at home until such time
as he could visit the leg dealers in st.
Paul Then he began in earnest to
study the science of artificial legs for
himself. The ultimate result was these
legs which he now wears, and which he
declares are the next best thing to the
original legs that God gave him.
They are made of sole leather and
aluminium; the main body is stiff sole
leather and the joints are aluminium
set upon rubber bearings. The feet
are made of rubber and wood, with
toe and ankle joints, and shoes are
worn just as upon the natural feet.
Farr1erS artificial legs are diStin-
guished by their light weight and by
the natural manner in which the joints
work They weigh only two pounds
and three-quarters each. Some of the
old fashioned wooden legs, he says,
weigh more than four times as much
as his invention. His legs are held in
place by means Of supporting strap
which passes up over the breast and
shoulders and about the neck. He sits
down and raises from a chair without
the help of his hands, and crosses his
legs and assumes all natural and easy
positions with apparently as little eff
fort as any man on earth.
Farmer Farrier has not even the
trouble of unlacing his shoes when he
goes to bed and Of lacing them up
again in the morning, and these things
he finds add vastly to his natural
cheerfulness. He came to Chicago
about month ago. His wife and
children are now on farm which he
owns down in Indiana. He was born
in the Hoosier state. Wabash county,
some fifty-four years ago. He weighs
considerably over 200 pounds, notwith-
standing his reduction in stature.
Silas Wegg, who charged more for
reading poetry than for prose because
Of it's weakening effect on the mind,
wore a wooden leg. Sometimes he also
wrote a little verse Farrier says
that he canot write poetry, but can
kick higher and outwalk any man in
the world who stands on artificial I'M
derpinning.