WHEELBARROW RIDE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 161, 24 June 1935, Page 9

WHEELBARROW RIDE

Mr. Parkinson Wins Wager MARGIN OF 40 MINUTES Big Crowd to See Finish By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright MELBOURNE, June 23. Pushing Mr S. Evans in a barrow through a cheering crowd, Mr T. Parkinson drew up in front of Mount Buffalo chalet at 12.30 p.m. to-day with 40 minutes in hand, thereby winning the £2O wager. MrEvans is to receive a cheque for £2O from a local newspaper. Mr Parkinson also won a number of bets on himself. Publicans in more than one State are bidding for the famous barrow, now known as the “Pride of Beechworth.” Mr Parkinson had an easy task today, with only a mile and a half to cover in clear weather and a hard road. He and Mr Evans were greeted by a party of skiers, and on approaching the finishing line they passed under an avenues of arched skies. Mr Evans suffered occasionally from cramp to-day, but Mr Parkinson was looking particularly well at the end of the contest. He allowed himself plenty of time, and more or less loitered over the concluding stage. Speeches were made by the contestants and their trainers, in which tributes were paid to the sporting spirit displayed throughout the contest. There was a special railway excursion to the chalet for tho finish of the event. Battling through a blinding snowstorm, Mr Parkinson completed a little over four miles on Saturday. Mr Evans at one stage fell asleep in the barrow. The “wheelbarrow Derby” was the result of a wager of £2O a side between Mr Parkinson (a garage proprietor) and Mr Evons (a publican who weighs 15 stone) that tho former would push Mr Evans in a barrow to the Mount Buffalo chalet from their home town, Beechworth, Victoria, a distance of 51j miles, in eight days. The conditions of the wager required that Mr Evans might alight from the wheelbarrow when Mr Parkinson had rested 15 minutes. But tho latter proposed to take rests of only 14 minutes, so that the passenger might never got out until ho was “cramped out.” Mr Parkinson therefore hoped that it would not be necessary for him to stay the course. The wheeler is 45 years of age and 6ft. lin, in height and weighs 14 stone. Prior to commencing his task he wheeled two cubic yards of quartz weighing 1J cwt, about his yard. “I do not do hard work,” he explained. “I am only a garage proprietor. “I expect that most of the time will be occupied in pushing Mr Evans up the mountain over the last third of the distance,” said Mr Parkinson. “When we were riding over the route last month I scoffed at him when he said he would not like to walk up that grade. I said I could wheel him up it. Then the bet was made.” The wheelbarrow was fitted with a pneumatic tyre and the passenger sat on an air cushion. MANIA SWEEPS COUNTRY Fifty Miles in a Trotting Gig SYDNEY, Juno 22. While Mr Parkinson was battling through snow and ice up the slope of Mount Buffalo yesterday, the barrow mania was sweeping the country. Contests were held at Sydney, Dubbo and Brisbane, while at Woodville (South Australia), a man has undertaken to pull another 50 miles in 48 hours in a trotting gig.