The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

P i.:DESTRIANISM.

JOHN LEVITT, OF BATTERSEA, AND JAMBS ELLIOTT.
OF LAMBETH.—The race between these pedestrians,
which was fixed for yesterday, duly came off on Wends-
worth-common. The conditions stipulated were a mea-
sured mile, and the sum contended for 101. At a few
minutes before three o'clock the men appeared on the
course, which was chosen by the avenue of leafless elms,
extending from near the cross road leading from 'Footing
Bottom, in the direction of the Plough at Battersea-rise.
Levitt received forty yards at starting, and here, cn
passant, we may observe that Elliott had at least three
inches the advantage of his opponent in height. The
first signal saw them off, and at 200 yards Levitt seemed
to us to have improved the distance given him to fifty
yards, rather than to have diminished the interval be-
tween himself and his pursuer. Hereabouts he slacked
foot, and his opponent also improved his pace; these
concurrent causes brought the men together, and at the
half way they were almost abreast. Shortly after they
were decidedly so; but here it was manifest that Elliott
had outrun himself; he could neither get, nor having
got, keep, before his man; the race was in the last
quarter virtually. if not actually, at an end. Levitt ran
cleverly away from his man, who almost stopped 200
yards from home, leaving his antagonist to roll in the
victor by SO to 100 yards. The time of the winner was
4 min. 43 see., from which forty yards is, of coarse, to
be deducted.

EVERY ONE HIS OWN SHOE-
MAKER.

On the introduction of gutta percha as a material
for the fabrication or repair of boots, it was imagined
that leather wouli very soon be entirely superseded,
and that gutta percha soles would be invariably and
permanently employed. These soles are so easily
affixed to the upper leather, and prove so sin-
gularly adhesive, that there was every probability of
the expectation being realised. A plan, how-
ever, has just been proposed which will en-
tirely change the current of enterprise into
the old channel, while it will enable every
one to become his own shoemaker with extra-
ordinary advantage to our system of household
economy. It is proposed that instead of applying an
entire sole of gutta percha to a worn-out shoe or
boot, the shoe or boot shall, when necessary, be ve-
neered with the old material (leather), the new ma-
terial (gutta percha) being used in a liquid state
merely as a sort of glue for ensuring its adhesion.
By this arrangement a boot may be instantaneously ren-
dered waterproof, and a fresh sole be applied whenever
the old one exhibits any sign of dilapidation. George
Cruikshank showed in his Comic Amanack for 1848
the disagreeable effects of the new-fangied substance
by his illustration of the Blucher and the Wellington
sticking to the pavement outside the eel-pie shop.
According to the simple arrangement we have just
"explained, the glutinous properties of the gutta percha
can be turned to advantage without any such disagree-
able consequences; while the unpleasant odour peculiar
to itself and to caoutchouc when heated, will be alto-
gether obviated. How far this plan is valuable in a
pecuniary way may be conjectured when it is borne in
recollection that the new substance is 2s. 6d . per
lb., while the old one is merely Is. 6d. and Is. 3d. per
lb. A cobbler's knife, a bottle of gutta percha, and a
supply of leather, would remier any one independent
of his shoemaker for a twelvemonth. The above
suggestions were made by Dr. Turnbull, of 48,
Russell-square, and certainly afford a new illustration
of the old adage, " Aothing like leather."