The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-02-19
Former City Engineer Jas. Wilcox
.{N Walks rs Miles.
Game All the Way From New Town
in Ballard Countylto
Paducah.
EXHAUSTED AND MOST FROZEN

Former City Engineer James Wilcox
had an experience Tuesday that he has
no desire to repeat. Mr.. Wilcox is the
engineer who has been down in Bal
lard county laying off La Center, one
of the new towns on the Cairo branch
of the Illinois Central, and had for
several days been at work when the
blizzard swooped down on him.
He and Mr.. s. 7. Payne, general
manager Of the La Center corpora
ton, and carpenter named Shick,
from Metropolis, decided that they
would return home until warmer
weather arrived. By this time the
ground was covered with coating of
ice, and several inches of snow.
One wanted to go to woodville and
catch the mail hack. another wanted
TO go to Ogden's Landing and catch
the Dick Fowler, but Mr.. Wilcox de-
cided to make bee line for any old
place where he could get horse.
They first tried one horse rig, but
found that they all couldn't go in it.
They then hired a team, but found
that would not go. The mules were
not rough shod and went about 100
yards aud then slid down. They were
abandoned as hopeless and another
council Of war was held.
The Metropolis man decided he
would walk to Ogden's Landing and
take his chances of catching boat
and getting tc Metropolis, and Mr..
I Payne also made for Ogden's. Mr..
Wilcox decided to W ak TO Woodville.
a distance Of eight miles. He started
about noon, and could make but scant
Roadway against the snow.
When he reached woodville he
learned that there was not team or
horse to be found anywhere. There
was not one rough shod that the own
er would lend, give away. sell or leave
where IL could be stolen, so Mr.. Will
cox started for Maxon's. When he
struck a railroad camp, out Of thirty
mules only one had rough shoes and
this on only two feet.
At Maxon's Mr.. Wilcox found friends
but no available oonvsysnces. At
Woodville the mail hack had not been
there that day, and no one knew when
to expect it, and he was confronted by
difficulties equally as grave at Max
on's. He declined all offers Of food
and lodging, and in the afternoon start
ed towards Paducah. He espied some
distance away . man fioundering
through the snow, and called to him.
He found that it was tramp and they
became good friends. The tramp want
ed to travel at the rate of three miles
an hour, but Mr.. Wilcox induced him
to put on the brakes so he could keep
mp. They went any old way that
seemed short, through snow drifts and
over frigid hills where the knife wind
made them think of the GOOD old
summer time" with ineffable longing.
Mr.. Wilcox had his grip which the
tramp, who was strong, well sea-
soned "hobo" kindly carried, or he
would have had to sbandon il. Their
lunch consisted Of a few frozen bananas.
To make a long story short, Mr.. Will
cox had several times to be assisted by
his companion, because Of his exhaus-
tion and the cold, and they struck
Rowlandtown about 8 p. m. Their
hearts sank when they learned that
the cars were not running on that line
and when they telephoned q hack
they were informed that all the hack
in the city were engaged. Mr.. viii.
cox had been disappointed every time
he had reached what he believed was
the end of his journey, .ad managing
to rise the two disheartened, exhaust
ed mon tramped on towards the city.
Mr.. Wilcox fully expected after his
run of, poor luck to find his house
burned and all his friends away from
home. so he would be forced to keep
wslking, but fortunately he didn't.
He had travelled over 25 miles
through the worst prssibla weather,
and had been for about nine hours ex-
posed to the cold, he has now about
recovered, but says he will mover again