WHEELBARROW BET

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 June 1935, Page 5

WHEELBARROW BET

VICTORIAN TOWNSHIP THRILL.

[BY CABLE —PBEBJ ASSN.- —COPYRIGHT.]

MELBOURNE, June 16.

The Wheelbarrow Derby began yesterday at the. town of Beechworth. It is a challenge with a wager for £2O aside, between two prominent citizens of Beechworth, T. Parkinson and b. Evans The former is undertaking to push Evans from Beechworth to the Mount Buffalo Chalet, a distance of 50j miles, in eight days in an ordinary, wheelbarrow. Parkinson has been training strenuously. Each evening he wheels the local gaol warder, who weighs sixteen stone, for 21 miles in a wheelbarrow. . A public holiday was declared at Beechworth for the start, and there was a tremendous crowd, and a brass band present, while aeroplanes flew overhead, and the streets were decorated. Mounted troopers had to keep the crowd back. Parkinson started out at 1.8 p.m. He quickly adjusted the weight of his fellow townsman to his arms, and v ith the aid of a shoulder strap, he strode out manfully. The wheelbarrow was followed by a procession of cars and cheering people. Parkinson covered six miles in four hours and twenty minutes, with seventy-six stops. Park inson hopes to cover at least thirteen miles to-day (Sunday). LATER Parkinson to-day covered 11 miles. LOSS IN WEIGHT. (Recd. June 17, 11 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 17. 9 Sunday’s journey was through hail and rain, with the temperatures never far above freezing point. Parkinson is a stone lighter than when he began. Evans has lost eight pounds.