Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1920 — A FORMER MEDARYVILLE MAN [ARTICLE]

A FORMER MEDARYVILLE MAN

Ride* Bicycle From B*n Diego, C«IW., to Old Home—l* 72 Year* Old. Monday's Indianapolis Star contained the following dispatch from Medaryville concerning a former well-known resident of that place, which will be of Intereat to many readers of The Democrat: Medaryville, Aug. lv —John Warner, 72 years old, a prominent farm owner of San Diego, Calif., Is the guest of his mother, Mrs. Julia Warner, and his sister, Mr*. Albert Belger, here, after traveling 2.200 miles of his journey from the coast on his bicycle. He left San Diego late In May and arrived at Herman, Neb., July 8 to visit a sister and other relatives. While In Herman he learned that his mother, who is 93 years old, was ill, so he decided to make the remainder of his, trip by train. Two years ago Mr. Warner made his second trip from San Diego to Medaryville on bls bicycle, on which he has traveled a total of 30,000 miles. Mr. Wlarner waa bcfrn In Medary ville, served through the civil war In an Indiana regiment, and went to California 30 or 40 years ago. Mr. Warner’s trip from California to Nebraska cost him something like |l9, which Included his food and lodging enroute. Repairs to his bicycle during the time was 15 cents for a patch on hie front tire. Gasoline and oil cost nothing. Room rent cost him just $1.50 for the six weeks. He slept outdoors every night but one. And he cooked every meal for himself all the way from California to Nebraska. Warner carries a unique “kit.” His cooking utensils consist of two little tin pans which fit into each other, a little skillet with a detachable handle, and a canteen for water. His bedding consists of two pieces of canvass, two blankets and a small air pillow. All rolled together his “kit” fits on his handle bars. He sleeps outdoors in rain, snow or moonshine, just the same. "And I’m riding straight toward the 100-year mark,” Warner says. Twenty years ago Warner had tuberculosis and was fast nearing the grave. • “You are walking with one root In the grave,” a doctor assured him. “All right, henceforth I shall cease to walk and I shall ride,” he answered. Warner was a physician hirnself. He had practiced medicine for years and was pretty well off. So he gave up his practice, bought a bicycle, and started out for health. He simply wandered. He had no set place in view but went wherever the notion struck him to go. For twenty years he has followed the same rule. Three times, in that period, he has ridden across the continent. , There Is scarcely a city in the United States In which Warner has not appeared In the last 20 years. But he never sleeps in one when he can get out of it. He will spend the day in the city, but at nightfall, winter and summer, he takes his old

“bike” and rides out into the country perhaps a mile, perhaps 10 miles, rolls up under a tree and goes to sleep. The next morning he rides back into the city, perhaps. Per haps he goes on and sees that city again In four or five years. On his present trip from San Diego he averaged 85 miles a day “But I didn’t ride during the heat of the afternoon,” he explains. “I usually lay off three or four bourn and ride In the cool of the evening.” Along the last of June, while crossing the desert In Nevada, Warner came upon two young fellows who had started walking across the waste of sand without knowing what they were doing. They had no water and were 50 miles from any. They were both about three parts dead and would never have lived to reach water. From his canteen Warner gave the two young fellows a few [swallows each. Their lips and

tongues were swollen and parched. To have given them as much water as they wanted would have meant death to them. He had to fight them to make them relinquish the canteen. After remaining with them half a day and seeing them strong again, he gave them his canteen of water, knowing that on his bicycle he could make a stream days before they could hope to do so. "The automobile is a wonderful Invention 'but for longevity and health and downright pleasure, give me the pedal-propelled old bike,” says Warner. "I can go anywhere an automobile can gch and can go lots of places an auto can’t touch. And except oil the very best roads I believe I can really make better time than an auto can make. . But I’m not riding to save time. I’m riding for health and pleasure. I’m riding for the century mark.”