Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-07-06
Feats Of a Treless Man.

OF McMlnnvIlle, oregon, would pro-
claim himself world beater as a long
distance pedestrian against time, as
well as a champion at almost any class
of manual labor ike wood-sawing,
grubbing, spading and such work, his
fortune would be made as soon as the
wagers could be secured and the tests
appsed.
Eugene Leoper Is a spare built man,
5 feet 5 inches high, 81 years old, and
weighs no pounds. For many years
he has been in this city, and the stories
of his records Of walking, wood-sawiug
garden-spading, &c, have been told
and retold, few doubling and many
marveling; yet strange to say they
have scarcely ever been published,
even in the local papers. This Is ow-
ing as much as anything to the trivial
significance given them by Mr.. Leoper
himself, who is in no sense sporting
man, but who will walk, saw, grub or
spade any time for 20 cents an hour.
The remarkable records he has
made have in no sense been under test
or on wager, but purely as matters Of
business. One day he found 1t neces-
sary to go to Corvallis, which Is forty
eight miles from here. He left the
Southern Pacific depot at : "a. m. and
arrived at Corvallis eight minutes be-
fore y NJ. He ran every step OF the
the way at a gait very nearly ten
miles an hour. Leoper says when he
is in a hurry he never waits tor a
train. On this same occasion he went
on to Albany, about twelve miles, re-
NAMED there until the next morning
at : o'clock, reaching home via Salem,
where he stopped Briefly, at 3 ?. IN.
The distance covered was nearly sew
enty miles, and he made it in about
eight hours.
Salem is twenty-five miles from here.
Leoper went to that city, transacted
business and was back in nine hours.
Tillamook is likewise about fifty miles
away, the road being by no means a
level one. Leoper lett this place at 7
a. m, stopped an hour at Mountain
House for dinner, and arrived in Till
amook at / ?. m. Leoper desired to
see a man living in Newberg, about
sixteen miles distant. On arrlv-
ing at the mans home he was disaP-
pointed to hear that he had just left
on horse back fer this city. LeoPer
started back and arrived here ahead Of
his man.
A prominent man Of this place had
a tree in his dooryard, and, desiring
to have it removed, he asked Leoper
what he would charge to grub up the
tree. reduce it to stovewood, burn the
brush and refill the hole. Twenty
cents an hour" was the reply, to
which Mr.-stated that he would
not pay such wages for that kind Of
work. Later he summoned Leoper
and told him he would give him $l5
to do the job. Leoper sized up the
tree and accepted the offer On the
following morning he set to work, and
in Just fifteen hours the job was com
pleted, and he had made $l5 instead
of 20 cents per hour.
Another old resident had piece Of
ground he wished to have sPaded.
He asked Leoper what he would charge
to do it. Twenty cents an hour,
was the answer, but the old gentleman
wouldn't pay any man such wages
for spadiDg." If Leoper wanted to do
the Job for s. he might do it. He ac-
cepted, and completed the work in
twelve hours, more than trebllng his
20 cents an hour.
Neither Of the two gentleman men
toned has since given LeoPer stroke
Of work, the only reason stated being
that they cannot afford to pay such
wages. These are not the only ones
who have no work for Lsoper for the
same reason; but Leoper is never out
Of work, there being plenty who pat
ronize him for the very reasons that
few have for not doing 30.
On another occasion Leoper left
here at 6 a. IN. by train for st. Joe,
walked the remaining distance ofover
two miles to Lafayette, sawed two
cords of ordinary cordwood into stove
lengths, saving each stick twice walk
ed the entire distance Of FIVE miles
home, arriving before 3 P. N.
These are but few Of the pbenom-
enal accomplishments of this man.
Every day adds more Of this kind.
He will tell you at any time that one
very aggrayating feature Of his work
for certain ones is that he has TO do a
part of the job and then go to another