A Wheelbarrow Election Wager-This Day In Norwood History-March 14, 1902

The much-expected payment of an election wager by Frank H. Farnsworth came off in the central part of town last Saturday evening. Mr. Farnsworth had agreed, if defeated for the office of selectman, to wheel Walter Readel from Guild Street to Railroad Avenue and return. If Farnsworth was elected Mr. Readel was to wheel him. Frank was not elected, and it was agreed that the interesting event in the wheelbarrow line should take place at 8.30 o’clock Saturday evening.

A big crowd of citizens and small boys gathered in Hook Square and other parts of town to witness the event. When Mr. Farnsworth appeared on the scene he brought with him a child’s wheelbarrow of truly infantile proportions. It might possibly have held “Wallie” when that individual was two months old, but was rather small for a man weighing 240 pounds. A larger wheelbarrow was procured, the parties proceeded to Day Street and the fiin began.

“Wallie” rode at tbe back of the barrow, with his feet hanging over the wheel. There was a good deal of snow on the streets, and Frank deposited his load in a soft bank near the Baptist church. The accident was soon recovered from and the whole distance was safely accomplished by both. The two men were liberally snowballed by some Iwo hundred small boys, who found it the greatest occasion of their lives. It was the first event of its kind that has occurred in Norwood for a good many years.

(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)