Newton Elliott Barrett with a bicycle

Newton Elliott Barrett with a bicycle
Originally uploaded by dvdbarrett

Newton Barrett (1890-1976) wrote about this photo:

Uncle Will had bought a bicycle for his rural pastoral calls near Geneseo, Ill. I learned to ride it; and used it more than he did. I put the seat down as low as it would go; and he at first would raise it and screw the nut to hold it up. This was too much for his indolent nature; so he would put it up only half way, in hopes I would stretch and wait for the pedals to rise to where I could touch them. This picture was evidently taken near a public building in 1903.

Newton Barrett was orphaned at the age of 7 and went to live with his 'Uncle Will' (the Rev. William Barrett Millard). Newton had decidedly mixed feelings about his uncle as is evident in this quote from his photo scrapbook.