DAY 32: JULY 2: CHILLICOTHE (MO) TO KIRKSVILLE (MO)

Time Zone : Central (GMT -6)
Todays Distance: 95 miles
Cycling time: 5 hrs 39 mins
Average Speed: 16.8 mph

Today’s cumulative ascent: 4565 ft

Average Heart rate: 118 bpm

Distance so far: 2321 miles

Ascent so far: 78,024 ft.
Centuries so far: 6
Punctures so far: 4

Today’s Profile:

Today’s Route:
Dedication: Today is for Michael Ryan and J J O’Dwyer who have travelled to Shillong with Abbey India Project and have done so much to encourage and to empower local communities there.

Starting this morning I was excited about the prospects for the day. I was planning to make a short side journey to visit Tipperary, Missouri. It was also Day 32 so something surely was in store. There was …….. a reminder of home.
We left Chillicothe before 7 am and took CR ‘V’. the morning was quite dark and we knew that storms were brewing somewhere. Skies were overcast and quite a few riders had their rear red blinkers on. Heavy drops were falling but not enough to warrant rain-gear. One would have got as wet by sweating up in the gear as we were in the raindrops. A sure reminder of home, from what I hear.
Not much work would be done in the meadows of Misssouri today and the machinery stood idle. A short period in the early afternoon turned sunny and began to throw a few shadows. This inclement weather assured me that indeed I was close to Tipperary. It seemed that the day couldn’t make up its mind what to do and that suited us fine. We could hear thunder far off to our right. This type of storm activity had been forecast since the weekend.
Another puncture today. The fourth in 32 days….can’t complain. The roads again were uneven especially where there was evidence of flooding recently. Cracks ran across the road and I reckon that I got a pinch-flat as I hit one of them hard. No sign of any thorn or steel in the tyre. Didn’t take long to replace the tube and luckily the SAG wagon came along so I could use the foot-pump. In fact it was Gerard, the resident mechanic, who gave it all the finishing touches. Roads were rough but not as bad as the road from the Rosy Cross down to Donaskeigh.
This morning I set off with Gary and Deb and Forest as I wanted to make up some time to visit Tipperary. We kept up a smart pace exceeding 16 mph even though we were on rolling hills again. The touch of rain didn’t slow down the pace and by noon I was at the 74 mile mark and ready to depart from the scheduled route. No one else was on for this bit of a detour…. I didn’t expect there would be.
Tipperary involved a 5.5 mile side trip on K road. I had checked it out on maps.google last night and knew what to expect. The K road went through lovely wooded countryside….oak, hickory and sycamore, and more grassland than soya beans or corn.
All that remains of Tipperary now is a junction with two houses, the Fischers and the Ledfords. It is also called Midland and Ida. Midland because the Midland Mining Company owned a lot of the coal mines in the locality and they put up the houses for the miners. Midland is the name on the signpost but the older residents still refer to it as Tipperary. Originally (till 1930’s) there were 31 houses here and all of the same design.
Square, four rooms and a pyramid roof. The two remaining are original with a back section added on and renovated. The other houses were moved to other mining locations. I saw the map of the plots as they were before the place almost disappeared.
Coal mining was big in this locality and miners were brought in from various parts of Europe and added colour to the culture of the area. Each miner had a disc with his number on it and nailed it to his wagon of coal as he sent it up. On that basis he was paid. I got one of those and another is being sent on. I saw one other of the miner’s houses in some disrepair and the old school in nearby Salisbury.
I called enquiring to Fischers but they have just moved in. Across to Ledford’s but not a lot of information there but she directed me to a house 1.5 miles back the road.
As I neared this house an oncoming car flagged me down as a cyclist and offered his back porch as a place to rest and enjoy the view (magnificent) while he was off to town on an errand. Very kind of him. I thanked him but said that I was looking for the people with all the knowledge of Tipperary. ‘That’s my Ma and Pa. You’re from Tipperary, Ireland!’ He swung the car around and brought me in. Unfortunately his parents weren’t in just then. Probably be back soon.
He was Rick Stanford and his parents Margie and Ellis. Ellis has just had bypass surgery at 85 and wasn’t up to chatting but he had maps and document dealing with the mining days of Tipperary. Rick (married for 41 years) gave me a quick synopsis and then had to get to the bank, but I was to relax on the back porch for about 30 mins.
He was back pronto and the chat continued…. I trying to get info on Tipp Missouri and he seeking the same on Tipp Ireland. He is a member of the local History Society and lived in a miners house in Tipperary for 14 years. Only sold it lately to the Fischer’s. The story behind the name is that as two miners (presumably Irish) were making their long way from the mine back up to the houses on a wet dreary winter evening, one said to the other ‘Well, tonight its’ going to be a long way to Tipperary’
Rick’s parents returned and I met Margie. Ellis was suffering distressing pain and just wasn’t up to talking. She (82) had yarns about the old days there and was thrilled to meet someone from the real Tipperary. Tipperary was popular in the bootlegging days as Cripple John always had a store of liquor for those willing to travel for it. I explained that the meaning of Tipperary (Tiobraid Arann) was the Wells of the Ara people and the proliferation of wells in the environs of the town. He told me there was a well outside the back door of Fischer’s where Cripple John lived and that he kept the liquor hidden in that from the Revenuers and also to keep it cool. Maybe there is a connection.
We exchanged addresses and information will flow each way. He gave me one of the miner’s tags and I was scalded that I had no Tipperary item to give him. This was the last thing I expected. Have to set up a twinning with Tipperary Missouri. It is shown as Tipperary on maps.google……just type in Tipperary Missouri and there she is at the junction of K and DD roads.
I finally arrived at the motel in Kirksville on my own at 4.15. Kirksville is where osteopathic medicine was pioneered and is still a leading centre. The other cyclist were so keen to know how I got on. I told them that I had spoken personally to every resident of Tipperary, Missouri but would answer no further numerical questions.

A most interesting day. Being Number 32, I just knew it would be. It may well be the start of a new link. To day I found that I was not a long way from Tipperary. Really shows the potential that is in even the title of that song. Today, for once the cycling took the back seat.
Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.

Heard Today: 'Well, how did you get on in Tipperary?' so many times since I checked in this evening.