Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-13 | Page 12 | Cripple for Life; Still an Optimist

CRIPPLE FOR LIFE; STILL AN OPTIMIST "Happy Bill" Graff, Wheel-chair Tourist, With 30,000-mile record, Visits Salt Lake. Tf the smile oE "Happy Bill" C4raff is au index, Salt Lake is ono of the bright spots of tho earth. Bill is a wheol-cbair tourist. Crippled by rheumatic rheu-matic paralysis sinco ho was 10 years of age, G'ratf lias for the last halt dozen doz-en years travolcd throughout the Uuited States. Tn all ho has covored moro than 30,000 miles, ho says, mord" than half of tho distance being traveled trav-eled in his wheel chair. Graff is now 40 years of ago. He hopes some day to roach Baden-Baden, Germany, to undergo treatment for bbi malady. Tho chair in which he rides by hand power is a novol affair. Tt is not only a vehicle of locomotion, but a veritable commissary of his daily needs. For mouoy with which to defray de-fray his daily epeuses, Graff soIIh odds and ends to pedestrians on tho streets of the cities which he visits. Ho was born in Cliamborsburg, Pa., and left his home in Toledo, Ohio, six years ago to begin his wanderings. "Don't r look as if T do?" responded re-sponded Graff last evening when asked if he liked .Salt Lake. "Yes, it is a beautiful city and seems prosperous and homelike!'' Graff came hero from California. Ho says that the Golden stato is inundated by persons who have gono thero iu the hope of finding fortune or at least easy conditions under which to earn a living. liv-ing. "The result is," said Graff, "they aro all having a scrambling time of it."