The San Francisco call., 1897-11-03
RODE A BURRO
FROM NEW YORK
R. Pitcher Woodward Comes
to Town Astride of
MaCaroni."
Bet on Bryan and Had to Cross
the Continent on a
Donkey.
Was $40 Davs on the Way and
Would Not Repeat the Trip
for $4,000.

The newspaper man who, because he
bet on Bryan in the late Presidential
cam paign, had to ride a donkey across
the continent and reach his destination
to-day at noon or forfeit $1,000, completed
his journey when he arrived at the Palace
Hotel shortly after o'clock yesterday
"Macaroni," on which he started from
New York City last fall soon after Nc
kinley was elected.
When he arrived here yesterday R..
Pitcher Woodward was a fright, an ami
mated scarecrow, made grotesq@e by long
hempen- colored haIr, a seedy, meager,
blonde beard, a dilapidat-d ombrero, a
long-taIled cutaway coat torn and soiled
and of a pronounced greenish hue from
long exposure to all kinds of weather, and
a pair of trayed and tawny Ieggings,
pieced out, ragged, baggy trousers and
partly covering a pair OF mlsshapen and
worn bicycle shoes. As if this were not
enough 10 attract attention, he wore, By a
condition OF the pct, pair of big steel
trimmed spectacles, tue right glass OF
which was badly cracked.
His slow coming up Market street, ac-
+compan:ed by his valet" I. W. Glines
OF Cedar Rapids, Iowa, also riding a we'll
-la1en burro, his appearance In and sub
Esequent ejectment from the court of the
Palace Hotel and his ride TO a stable on
Bush street to put up his donkeys all at
tracted motley, eager and curious throng
of men and not few women, who trailed
his footsteps and crowded close about him
and his burros.
After he had changed his apparel R.
Pitcher Woodward did not look the
tramp, although he is not blessed with
handsome face or an attractive figure.
He has ben journalist for the East SIX
years, during which time he has been ell
gagged principally in writing semi hum or
Gus articles for newspaper syndicate. He
is also the author OF Frozen Hum or,
now going through It's third edition. For
two years he was cadet at West Point.
His father is ex-Judge B. w. Woodward
of Brooklyn and he mas an uncle in Port
land, Or, the well-known exJudge John
Ii. Wood ward, whom Re proposes soon 10
visit before returning East.
Speaking OF his trip he said:
My bet was with Benjamin Lillard,
publisher OF Popular Science News. l
was TO start without a dollar and to earn
my living by the way. | was 10 wear a
plug lat as far as the Mississippi River
and Prince A bert coat. | wore the coat
ali the way here. l was to wear big spec
tacles aud so was the donkey l rode.
3" Until the last three weeks, wnen
found 1t necessary to push forward with
out losing any time, l had written forty
syndicate letters, or eighty five columns
OF newspaper stuff, but | could not use
any of that professionally earned money
until l should arrive here.
:. by careful estimates Of persons living
along the way | believe that l have ridden
a total distance OF 1896 miles. 1t took
me exactly $40 days. My largest days
ride was forty-fve miles into Dayton,
New, and my shortest was three miles,
from Greenville to Dalton, Ohio, through
mud seven teen inches deep. | clam be1ed
along on rail fences and dragged the
donkey.
L would lot repeat my trip for $25 030
a donkey stubbornness and slowness are
dreadfully trying on man's nerves. And
/ suffered hards hips, particularly on the
cold winter nights in the East, for l had
TO work most OF the day TO earn expenses.
II value 'MaCaroni' now at $4,000, and
! expect to get that for MIN when l return
but it will only be with signed contract
that he will never be subjected again 10
hard work. He has accom- plished the
greatest record ever made by donkey,
and l daily studied his health ana needs
10 get MIN here alive. The dog that came
all the way with me- though often footsOre,
is all ri bit and | would not sell him for
$500 "
Mr.. Woodward is staying at the Occi-
denial Hotel, to the proprietor of which
he brought a letter from Sam Davis, the
well-known journalist OF Carson, New.