The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-14

r. Pitcher Woodward, who as "Pythag-
oras POD" saved 5000 wager he made
on Bryans election in 1896 by riding or
walking with a burro from New York to
San Francisco. starting with a capital os
50 cents, has found that financially It rstid
to be a freak for $40 days and two hours.
Mr.. Woodward now is a mining man as
a result of the notoriety he got then.
followed by an application of the zeal
that he showed in his ride, and has been
in New York for a few days promoting
Leadville scheme.
Mr.. Woodward left on Saturday for
his home in Kansas City. Il was q
freak for year" he said TO a New York
Sun reporter at the Hotel Marlborough
the day before he left. but I attribute
my success since then to the fact that
I had the grit TO do what I did. Most
people called me a fool my family didn't
Ike it, but there was method in my
work. I'm beginning TO get the results
now"
Mr.. Woodward is a Brooklyn boy and
was graduated from West Point in 1857,
but didn't stay in the army long. He
resigned and became a newspaper re-
porter. He also wrote stories and a good
deal Of verse. He is a son of the late
Judge Woodward. Of Brooklyn. His father
was class poet when he was graduated
at Hobart, and his mother was the poet
Of her class at Vassar. He had an at
tack Of nervous prostration the summer
Bryan was nominated the first time
Then he got better and was one Of the
most enthusiastic of the silver propa-
TnnFa rf'rrrs.
Years Before the Mast while he was
sick, and also Robert Louis Stevenson's
story Of a journey with a donkey. His
family wanted him to go TO a sanatOrium.
but ne decided 10 take all outdoors as
his sanatorium. and hence made the trip
to the Pacific Coast,
Had TO Earn His Way.
Woodward was so sure Of Bryan's
election that he told Benjamin Lillard of
New York city, that he would bet 5000 on
it. He asked odds. and finally it was
agreed that if Mckinley won Woodward
should have the alternative of proving
that he could ride 10 san Francisco on a
Donkey's back within a year. He had to
wear a stovepipe hat, start with less than
a dollar. put goggles on himself and the
other donkey" lie was 10 earn his way
It took a month for him 10 get ready,
and he had just S4l days to complete
the Journey. He blocked Broadway for
three hours from Fourteenth street 10
Twenty-third when he started out. He
sold papers at a dollar a piece TO get
the money TO pay for his burrO. The
bUrro tangled up the Broadway cars,
tumbled his rider into the street, and
when he got to PoughkeepSie, rolled
and put the city's police force out of
business. There Woodward snapped him |
for another donkey. and on that animal
he made the Journey, walking about
$500 miles Of the 1895 he Travelled.
Woodward earned his way by selling
photographs. lecturing, writing FOR news
papers. touJing for a patent medicine, !
and doing other stunts along the way. In
speaking of his experience, he said:
1t was a hard trip, but it made me- /
Once I nearly died Of thirst in the Salt
Lake Desert. That reminds me of my
dog Don, half mastif and half blood /
hound, which I picked up in Western New
York. lie saved my life a more faith /
ful animal never lived. I had picked up
a young fellow in Iowa and had four /
more buTTos and the dog. We had less |
than a Quart Of water when we got lost /
in the Salt Lake Desert on our way to Fee /
dora Springs. near the Granite Mountain 1
Tom Went Crazy.
My companion, Tom, was almost /
crazed. He demanded a drink. I told him /
he would drink only when I did and we /
would divide a little of the water be-
tween US. He demanded it ALL He started |
10 draw his gun. I got mine out first /
1t was the first time l ever drew a gun |
on a man. We finally divided up two or |
three swallows. Then I insisted on Civ
ing Don a drink. We had turned two OF /
the burros and Don loose 20 find water
They came back an hour later and had
found none. Guns were drawn again. |
pretended to yield TO him. He fell asleep
and then ! gave that dog a drink. lie.
licked my clothes, my hands, my feet
my face. and lay down beside me 70 watch
over me against Tom the whole night
long. I never saw such gratitude
In the morning Tom went plumb
crazy, He had Mysteries. We went down
a trail which we had climbed into the
blazing desert. Tom threw his clothes
away. He tore his hair. I pretended I
saw a signbOard and told him could. /
We struggled on, and only half mile
away l did find a board which said that
Fedora Springs was two miles away. I
gave Tom all the water we had left. 7
remember walking for about half a mile
further and that is all. The next I knew
I was drinking at a hole in the ground
with the burros and Tom and the dog. and
stranger who had come East in prairie
schooner was standing over me and say
ing: There's plenty of water, stranger,
l never looked at him. I drank and drank
and fell back exhausted
Grit and Pluck.
NO man ever can know what suffering
is until he feels thirst ike that. Don af-
terward saved my life by his warnings in
Nevada, when two desperadoes tried to
Kill me. wandered all over the country.
roughing it in my desire to build I'D nv
health. Don went with me. Out in Cali
fornia one time I met a man who was
kind 20 Don and me. Don liked him. The
man wanted him, and because the ranch
er was kind and was a man Of good re-
pute ! let him have Don until I should
send for him. Don liked his new home
and have never sent for him. I wouldn't
hurt that dogs feelings for the world.
He's still my dog. I hear of him from
time TO time, and some day I hope to see
him, Once we went 196 miles without see
ing a habitation. He watched over me
while I slept.
I could always lecture 10 Don. even if
/ had no other houses. remember that
in Yonkers, on my first night out. I had
Just three persons at the lecture all dead |
heads. OF course, things improved as I |
went on and got notoriety, and mayors of
cities used to ride my burro out of town.
and all that. 7
Il landed in San Francisco with 81 295
in my pocket ali of il earned on nv Wav