The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-10-08
WALKING A THOUSAND MILES IN A. THOU.
SAND HOURS

Most people IN reading the announce
ment Of such feat rs that now being
performed ut Stewards Gymnasium, over
tho Boylston Market, nro apt to misappre.
hcnd and miSconccivc its difficulties. A
thousand miles, Travelled at tho rate Of
twcnty.tour miles day, would break down
ninc men out Of every ten, and leave the
best drilled army minus half its forces but
to walk thousand miles in q thousand
consecutive hours is n feat immeasurably
more difficult. No sinlge hour, it must 10
remembered, must he allowed TO pass with.
out mile having been accomplished
during the time in which the minute hand
makes its circuit. Each hour of dawn, of
sunset, OF midnight or noonIay, whether
tho rain pour without or the thermometer
stand at 9S in tho shade, must have its
mile measured with weary fcet-hour after
hour-hour after hour-night and day for
six successive weeks. Nothing OH earth is
so refreshing rs night Of calm, quiet
and connected sleep, but in performing
the feat under consideration such rest for
the tired body cannot be obtained, and the
hurried maps which arc taken, instead Of
really invigorating, serve only to inspire an
intense longing for that continued rest
which alone can refresh tho weary, either
i'll mind or body.
Let any one, in ordinary circumstances,
be forced to lie awake every alternate hour,
for even few nights in succession, and lie
will find serious inroads made by it upon his
health and spirits. That such undertakings
rs that at Boylston Hall can be successfully
carried out, only shows what excess of an
endurance the human frame may 10 made
to withstand by careful training.
Tho young man, Lambert, who is now
walking his thousand miles at Stewards
Gymnasium, is native Of York, in Eng
land, and about twenty-ono years of age.
lie was bred sail maker, but at the age
Of fourteen lie was thrown considerably in
to the society of sporting characters con-
nected with celebrated English stable.
and as consequence had his mind so much
impressed with the exploits of certain
pedestrians that he put himself in training.
His first foot race was over the York course
the Same year, when he accomplished his
two miles within eleven minutes. At Belle
view, near Manchester, lie won purse of
f25 against ono Jordan, running quarter
Of mile in fifty-thrce seconds. Since
then le run half dozen races, the last of
which was at Lawrence, last Fast Day,
when he beat Naley, the Shooting STAR
in five. mile race. lie has once before
been engaged in walking feat similar to
the present, namely, at cricket ground
near York, in Yorkshire, England, where,
having assisted pedestrian who walked
five hundred miles i'll as many consecutive
hours, he laid a wager that he could do the
same thing, and won tho wager.
The match at Boylston Hall is for ST.
600 side, and both the parties to it have
their agents present, to watcl, the course of
events and see that all things are done
fairly and i'll order. The ring in Which lie
walks is about a yard wide, laid with saw
dust, and runs around the hall, all the
gymnastic paraphernalia of Professor Stew
art being within, and the subscribers to the
gymnasium are constantly OH hand, exer-
cising themselves without in tile least
interfering with the pedestrian. Twenty
seven times around this ring makes the re-
quired mile.
At twenty minutes before o'clock, last
evening, our reporter saw Lambert COM
mence his six hundred and ninety second
mile. He was in good spirits, and had
been conrersing freely and with apparent
ease, and went off in good style on his
walk. lie was dressed in red silk shirt,
with short sleeves, black velvet breeclles,
reaching to the knees, check socks, and
shoes with light kerchicf round his neck
leaving lis calves, arms, throat and head
barc. In height lie is about five feet seven
or eight inches he has a light blue eye,
and very pleasant genial aspect Of face.
Ills natural weight is 135 pounds, but by
training he reduced himself to 1877 pounds,
and has fallen off six or seven pounds since
commencing his walk. The six hundred
and ninety second mile was accomplished
in just fifteen minutes.
During the first two weeks of his pill
grimage he felt worse than at present. lie
frequently had pain in his legs, and wcar-
ness, as well as headaches, and after eacl,
mile his knees gave him some pain. BY
frequent bathing with alcohol, and right
attention to diet, however. he is enabled to
keep up, and appears to be quite strong
Appearances are in favor of his successfully
accomplishing his task, although Of course
the last one or two hundred hours will test