150 Years 1872-1886 The Dalles THE DECADES OF HISTORY PART TWO OF THE DALLES CHRONICLE'S TEN-PART SERIES. March 30, 2007 page 10 OCEAN TO OCEAN WHEELBARROW RACE A CURIOUS CONTEST - At No. 23 West Third street, in the hallway, is a quaint looking wheelbarrow, marked "From San Francisco to New York." This little vehicle has a story, and is regarded with considerable interest by pedestrians. Last year Lyman Potter wheeled a barrow from Albany to San Francisco, arriving in the latter place in October last. He challenged any one to wheel against him on the return for a purse of $1,500, the route to be by way of San Jose, Virginia City, Reno, Ogden, Cheyenne, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Elmira and Albany to this city. The ferries were to be crossed and the wheelbarrow was to be trundled the entire distance. This challenge was accepted by Mr. Leon Pierre Federmeyer, and the return journey was begun on the 8th of December, 1878. Mr. Federmeyer is a Frenchman and forty-one years of age. The wheelbarrow weighs 123 pounds and the wheeler about the same. He arrived in this city at five o'clock on Thursday morning, having accomplished the distance from San Francisco in seven months and sixteen days. The start was made at a quarter to four o'clock on the afternoon of the 8th of December. Both men started together. On the first day they made six miles. They were cheered on their journey by parties of spectators, and at Santa Clara doubts were expressed by those who saw them as to their ability to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was half-past four o'clock P.M. on the 22nd when they crossed the California State line and entered Nevada. Virginia City was reached at six P.M. on the 24th. The Frenchman arrived at Battle Mountain January 12, ahead of Potter, who began to show signs of weakness. For the next few days they struggled through the mountains. It snowed frequently and on the 16th the thermometer was sixteen degrees below zero. On the 14th Federmeyer says that Potter was a little weak and sleepy, and on the 16th saw nothing of him. On the 11th of April he reached Kansas City and made arrangements there for a walking match. He left there on the 20th. Reached Jefferson City on the 30th of April and St. Louis on the 8th of May. Left St. Louis on the 10th and arrived at Cincinnati on the 26th of May, and was received by a number of reporters, who nearly talked him to death. Pittsburgh was reached on the 17th and a month later he was in Albany. He arrived in this city on Thursday morning. - N.Y. HERALD. November 18, 1879. Incoming and Outgoing messages protected by Trend Micro PC-cillin program