The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-08
NORTH SIDE NEWS
Anniversary OF FOucht's Strange
Election Bet.
WheeIbarrOw Ride From Station
/ TO State House.
"BUCK" MILLER LOST.
Wagered That Indiana Would
Go Democratic.
Agreement Carried Out in Zero
Weather.
"BUCK" MILLER LOST

J. H. FOUGHT, 81. years ago today,
with weather similar to the present,
was given wheelbarrow ride from
the fire station to the state house, a
distance of about two miles at an
election bet made by Buck" Miller,
now dead, then living near Tecumseh.
/ Miller was known as 1.-The Democratic
leader He had made the bet de-
! ScrIbed with Mr. Foucht the preceding
\ fall that Indiana would go Democratic.
1t went Repu The date for
carrying out the bet was not decided
until January 1, 1881, when, in spite
of zero weather, Miller gave Mr..
FOUGHT the Wheelbarrow ride agreed
upon.
Mr.. Miller came into my store the
day before the election in the fall,
said Mr.. FOUGHT this afternoon. HE
wanted to bet at first IS that Indiana
would go Democratic, and finally re-
duced the bet to 81, but I kept re-
fusing, telling him that didn't bet
Finally, told him that l would bet
him WheelbarroW ride from fire
station No. /, that Indiana would go
Republican, and he took the bet.
Indiana did go Republican and it
happened that | was elected repre-
sentative to the state legislature from
this district.
However,, we could not agree upon
a date for carrying out the bet. Fin
ally, Jan. z, 1881, was chosen Early
the morning of that day saw the Their
mometer several degrees below zero.
A snow was on the ground. But NIL
Ter was game. AT 10 o'clock in the
morning he appeared with his wheel
barrow at the fire station. I was there
also. I wore an extra pair of under
wear, heavy winter clothes and arctic
boots and covered up with a buffalo
robe. We each weighed about $50
pounds, although with my extra cloth
ing and the wheelbarrOW, Miller had
to push about 175 pounds. He pushed
me clear to the state house, not allow
ing me to walk. He was steaming like
horse before we arrived and had
shed his coat and vest. Our bet was
we'll known and the streets, in spite of
the cold, were lined with people. A
band went ahead of us and would
stop and get warm occasionally But
not Miller. He was perspiring long
before we reached the state house.
The ride took about an hour. A large
crowd was on the state house grounds
to greet US when we arrived. No, 1
didn't get cold
With the thermometer "a degrees
below zero. how would you like to be
5000 feet in the air and travelling at
about As miles an hour?
The present cold weather recalls an
experience of this kind to Charles
Foster of S22 North Kansas avenue,
formerly an aviator at St. Louis He
said that the flight was the result OF
a bet made as TO how cold it was high
cit happened at the Kinloch avia-
ton school at St. LOUIS said Mr..
Foster this morning. 1T was about
the sixth of April On the ground the
weather was fairly warm and over
coats We're not necessary. Two men
came to the field in autos. They were
making bets with the aviators as to
how cold it was up in the air and
asked me to settle the bet.
It donned a fur suit and went up
about 5000 feet, as near as can guess
at the height Just before I started
down I glanced at the thermometer,
which / had borrowed from one OF
the autosits and hung on my machine.
The mercury stood at "a degrees be-
low zero. I did not mind the cold, as
was so well wrapped in the fur suit,
with thick goggles over my eyes and
face. I think L was going at about
As miles an hour when looked at the
instrument Then I came down..
Frank H. van Orsdal of Silver Lake
is confined to his home with two brok-
en- ribs, caused by two teams running
over him, when twenty teams en-
ployed near the gravel pit near Silver
Lake became frightened and STAN
peded Saturday afternoon. Mr.. Van
OrsdaI is in a serious condition, but
it is thought that he will recover. The
teams were frightened by the sight of
horses approaching from a field near
by.