The record-union., 1897-10-29
4 MAN WHO BET ON BRYAN.
BOB WOoDWARD'S HARD TRIP
FROM NEW YORK.
Has Been a Year Crossing the Con-
tineRt on the Hurricane Deck
of a Donkey.

R. P. Woodward. whose letters are
addressed "R. Pitcher Woodward" ar
rived in town about O'Clock last even
ing. He is a prominent club man OF
New York City. and one of the two
members of the Writers Club who
voted for Bryan.
On October >, 1896. Woodward was
induced TO lay a bet With Ben. Lilliard,
editor of the Popular Science" of New
York City, that William J. Bryan would
be elected to the Presidency to succeed
Grover Cleveland.
Most people know the nature of the
bet. Lilliard wagered $1,000 that Nc
Kinley would be elected and Woodward
took the short end, binding himself 10
ride from New York City to San Fran
cisco on donkey, and to be at the Pal
ace Hotel one year from the day OF
election, provided the boy orator of the
Platte was defeated, and that he would
start on the trip without a dollar.
Most people-all in fact. except few
in Milpitas-know that Bryan did not
prove a winner, and on the 9th of
November of last year r. Pitcher
/ Woodward mounted an animal similar
I to the one that Balaam rode few years
before the birth Of Susan B. Anthony,
and started for the Golden Gate.
Mr. Woodward's s advent was greeted
by an army of boys of all ages. He
came down from his donkey at the en-
trance to the Golden Eagle Hotel, and
had not news Of his coming preceded
him it is doubtful whether the young
man with the immaculate shirt front
and immense diamond would have ad-
mitted him into the sacred precincts
OF that hostelry.
In short. Woodward looked tough.
His hat was down at heel; his coat was
more holy than righteous his elbows
We're out at the knees Of his pants:
his shirt fit him in spots, and his
/ trousers were held in position by piece
of rope that had seen better days. His
fiaxen hair had assumed the length
usually accredited to Biblical patri-
archs, and his mulberry beard showed
signs Of having passed through hard
winter, and gone the last stages with
out feed or water.
Woodward is of medium hight
and build, and has clear
cut, expressive face, if not
handsome one, and is possessed of am
honest eye and pleasing address. He
told his troubles to a Record Union"
reporter without skip, and when it
was all over his hearty, ''All right, old
mani" would have branded him as a
jolly good fellow even had he been
picked up in a snow storm on the sum-
nit or in the bogs of Yolo County.
I've had all kinds of a time since
left New York. 1856 days ago" said Mr.
Woodward, and to tell all about it
would take a month. / started with
my eyes open, but the worst I could
picture fell far short of the actual
have had ears and nose frozen in New
York State; been stuck in snow drifts
and waded through two feet of mud
and dragged a donkey in Ohio, had my
beast stolen by college boys and hoist
ed to the third story recitation room in
Indiana, and have paid my way from
start to finish.
''I lectured at Yonkers. and had for an
audience the call-boy, one of the cham
bernaids and the proprietor of the ho-
tel, whom / owed So. Most Of my
money I have made by selling photo
graphs, and if anybody imagines life to
me has been a round of pleasure and
a free pass over the railroads, let him
try it"
Then the man who bet on Bryan
struck a reminiscent vein and recalled
incidents, facts and faces which he had
encountered on his trip. He is a young
man, and has a lot of snap and ginger
in him, and it Is evident that hard times
and plOdding donkeys have not shaken
his faith in the belief that the value Of
silver follows the price of wheat. He
has become used to handling silver
in small quantities-since his troubles
began, and fully appreciates its i'm
portance as a circulating medium.
'I have five and one-half days yet in
which to make San Francisco said Mr..
Woodward. and I'll make it. and when
I get there the little burro that has
stuck to me throughout will wear silver
shoes. I have here a telegram from
Swan of Chicago to the effect that they
will be in San Francisco on my ar
rival
BY the time the man who bet on Bry
an reached the "Hawkeye" State, he
came to the conclusion that it was not
good for man to be alone, and as the
donkey had corns and an in-growing
toe-nail. he secured the services of a
chambermaid in the person of IT. w.
Glines Of Cedar Rapids. Glines is an
excellent valet (for donkeys). He is
also very agreeable and companions
able young man.
Four donkeys have seen service under
the free silver apostle, but only three
arrived with him in this city. One, he
sold yesterday morning in Folsom, and
one was lost in storm encountered
while crossing the summit.
The crossing CT the Sierra Nevada,
Nj Woodward said was the most pro-
digious task he was called on to under
take. He was met by the storm before
he was half way up the mountains.
and found three feet Of snow on the
summit He. Glines and the donl1eys
kept foundering on. unable to go into
camp. and finally made their way into
Plaeerville travelling over the Straw
berry Valley road. He made the march
from Folsom yesterday, and will leave
for San Francisco some time to-day.
going by the way of Benicia
While MIR. Woodward has written a
number of syndicate letters for Eastern
publications, under the terms of his bet
on Bryan he can draw no money for the
same until he shall have reached the
Pacific, which he expects to do on time.