The record-union., 1897-01-10
FARRIER'S ARTIFICIAL LEGS.
An Athlete Whose Feet Were Frozen
Oh.
Can Do Almost rs rlany Things as
rlost rIen With Natural
Legs.

James T. Farrier is probably the most
remarkable pedestrian that ever walked
on a pair of artificial legs. He is will
ing to walk against any man who wears
artificial legs for any distance from one
mile to five miles for the champion
ship of the world And he is confident
of his ability to win. His dexterity in
using his artificial limbs is wonderful.
He never thinks of using cane,
crutch or a. staff for assistance, as do
so many who move about on old-fash-
toned wooden legs. In fact, any
stranger seeing him pass through the
street would never suspect he was not
walking on the legs that nature gave
him. He is tall man, his gait Is nat
ural and he walks with swinging
stride.
Farmer Farrier is now a resident OF
Chicago, but until recently he lived on
what he calls "a little farm OF LOU
acres" in the Red River Valley in
Northwestern Minnesota. 1t was near
the town of Crookstown, in Polk Coun-
ty, about 700 miles north Of this city.
There he was engaged in farming and
he raised wheat, oats and barley on an
extensive scale, until misfortune over
took him. One winters day he got
caught in a blizzard; this tells the
whole story to anyone who VINO mas
ever encountered a genuine blizzard,
whether in Kansas, the Dakotas or
Minnesota. But those who have never
had the experience know very little
about the nature of a real blizzard.
Early in February, 1893, when the
mercury was ranging low and there
was an ominous look in the sky, busi-
ness took Farrier away from his home
on a trip to Minneapolis and ST. Paul.
He transacted his business in those
cities, and. after an absence of seven
teen days, started back with as little
delay as possible. He knew that his
wife and children would be waiting in
great anxiety until his safe return. He
| had several miles to walk across the
bleak prairies after he left the railway
| sta ton nearest to his farm, but he
| thought nothing Of this at the time,
! for he was muscular and fearless, and
could walk at a gait that would keep
an ordinary pedestrian trotting beside
| him.
AN EXPERIENCE IN A BLIZZARD.
II had come within sight of my
house." he says, in telling his awful
experience, before / began to feel that
there was anything dangerous in the
air. Then l knew terrible storm was
coming, and I pushed forward with
renewed energy. The color of the sky
was like lead; ne wind had been blow
! ing for some time, but / now began to
| feel particles of sand and ice cutting
my face Then l noticed for the first
time a pale brownisR yellow haze, or
cloud, extending many hundred feet
above the earth. The air seemed
charged with electricity, though it was
! bitterly cold. Deep snow lay over the
whole country and it began to swirl
in binding eddies. Still l didn't think
I was in any great danger. I felt sure
l would be able to reach home before
| the storm became violent But it was
not to be.
Il was about seventy rods from my
house when the blizzard struck me with
all its fury. 1t seemed to come out
of the northern sky like fash 1 have
not been fearful about many things in
my life, but you may well believe that
the first grip which that Minnesota.
blizzard laid upon me struck terror to
my heart. l took one longing, farewell
lcok at my house the moment before
every object in the heavens or on the
earth was shut out from my sight, and
then made a herculean dash to reach
1t before the fury of the storm should
overcome me. / could not see foot
before my face, and was quickly carried
out of my course / missed the house,
as / afterward learned, by about seven
rods. Night came on, darkness fell,
and / was still standing buffet against
the raging madness of that blizzard.
AT times 1t would lift me from my feet
as though l was leaf or twig, and
then drop me to the ground. 1t was a.
night of despair. Again and again
would struggle to my feet and grope
my way in blind confusion against the
blast. AT length, exhausted l fell upon
q drift, face downward, and folded my
arms under my head for a pillow, so
that l could breathe Then and there
! gave up the struggle. / had a smoth-
ering sensation, but did not suffer any
pain from the cold, although 1 knew I
was slowly freezing to death My last
thoughts before I lost consciousness
my return at home, which / felt must
be very near by.
UNDER A SNOWDRIFT.
The next morning al daybreak they
came out upon the search, and after
! much weary trailing found me two
miles from home In the snowdrift where
/ had fallen. I was carried home as
stiff as a petrified man. Both my feet
We're found to be frozen through and
through, as solid as chunks of ice The
temperature was ~ degrees below ze-
70. Three days later they brought the
doctors and had both my legs ampu-
tated a short distance below the knees.
That is how / lost my legs"
Farrier is as cheerful and uncom-
planning IS any Mark Tapley could pos
sjbly be under the circumstances. He
seems as blithe as Autolycus in his
philosophy of life. When standing up
On the props which nature gave him
he was a powerful fellow. 6 feet 4A
inches in hight. In adjusting himself
to artificial legs he reduced his hight
to q feet inch, thus at one fell stroke,
as he says. effecting saving of nearly
four inches in the length of his trousers
You have all doubtless heard that no
man has yet been discovered who, by
taking thought, was able to add one
cubit into his stature Farrier has done
the next best thing-he has taken a
part of cubit from his stature He
laughingly says also that he is not now
troubled with corns, chilblains and
stiH joints in his neither limbs when
| he gets UP of morning. When he
talks in this manner it is only the un-
affected poetry of his own nature bub-