There must be a good story behind this picture. Election bet payoff?

This old photo shows a lot of men and boys (Where are the ladies?) dressed in their Sunday (probably) fine suits and one man is pushing the other in a wheel barrow. I like the way they are all dressed the same, just as we dress alike today and this was around 1900.

The White County Historical Society has this to say about the picture.

Election Bet. Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad conductor Ed Ferrell cashes in on an election bet in this downtown Searcy scene c1900. Ferrell is the passenger in what appears to be the payoff of an election wager. The power unit is Claude King who operated a dray service in Searcy and was a member of the town's brass band. The wheelbarrow is the type used by the Henry Wrape Co. at their plant which was owned by Searcy Flooring & Lumber Co. The individual on the extreme left is "Whiskers" Simpson. He was a professional slaughterer for the several meat markets in town. The picture was made by the old Rock Island depot. The picket fence enclosed the Spring Park.

How times have changed. Do we have professional slaughterer's anymore? Surely that would be a politically incorrect job description today. The Historical Society gives credit to Ivan Quattlebaum for this picture.