Fortunately his dress was not punctured by
the blow and he continued the journey to Emlenton, forty three miles
from Oil City, where, on account of the accident and the fact that he
was almost frozen, he decided to remain over night instead of
rushing on to Kittanning as had been his intention.
At all towns he passed, crowds of people lined the banks and offers of
hospitality were numberless. There was great rivalry between some of the
towns as to which would get the voyager to stop off, and the arguments
used by the inhabitants to induce him to favor them, were very funny. A
citizen of Parker come to the front with a statement which he thought
would surely be a winner.
"Tell Boyton," he said to one of the newspaper men who followed by train
from one station to the other along the river, "that he should stop
off at Parker instead of Kittanning, because Parker is an incorporated
town and Kittanning is not."
Paul was not greatly refreshed by his rest at Emlenton. He arose in the
morning, stiff and swollen, his hands and face very much so, being
slightly frost bitten and very painful. He was somewhat depressed in
spirits and said he could not reach Pittsburgh until Sunday. He
bravely entered the water, however, and that day he shot over Parker's
Falls.
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