barrow man

As the term "barrow men" is all but incomprehensible to readers of the present day, it may be pertinent to explain they were convicts who were hired out to do paving and similar work on the city streets. The jail at that time was at the southeast corner of Sixth and Walnut Streets. The five "barrow men," it appears, while at work on Market Street near Thirteenth accidentally discovered a drover who had in his possession a large sum of money just received from a sale of live stock.