The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-16
THE GREAT PEDESTRIAN.
A Few RemarRs ON his UndeFtahinE
---who Mr.. Weston Is and the way he

who Mr.. Weston ts and the. way he
WALKS. ..is. .f,-5,..,..s .li,i.
3nH. w. Pr addresses the following
Communication to. the editor OF the
Boston Transcript. @ia-.4
The audAcious design of Mr.. Edward
/ Paysoh Weston to walk 1 ,226 miles in
so consecutive days, his hitherto steady
progress in spite of muddy roads and
dark nights, and the intense interest
which the entire public manifest in his
performance, is very remarkable. tits
tnotRble thatall are anxious that he may
succeed; thatall, the ladies In particu-
lar, sympAthize with his-supposed hard
fate, and 1t would almost appear that he
Is performing some heroic achievement
for the common welfare. Yesterday
witnessed the progress from Salem TO
have him arrive in Salem on Wednes-
day evening. Owing to the rainy
weather and an accident to his foot, he
only reached Ipswich Wednesday
morning. BE was expected in Salem
during the morning, and every one was
whole turnpike for miles was aliYe
with carriages and crowds of people
| on foot, who manifested the most
intense interest. All the horses
were in requisition; andn the busi-
ness men made q holiday. What
4 Mdl5 LutFb 70 Httf. n. 1Ou0k Vi
modest manners, OF athletic, 1.-The and
graceful movement, walking at the
rate of some 40 PAGES per minute,
steadily and inexorablyi like ma
chine of STEEL / walked At his side some
hundreds Of yards. I too have been
tried in exploring expeditions, and
have even assembled TO the height of
the level of the sea over the eternal
snow and ice. Butto think'of MY miles
daily of this WalkinRl 1t Is ahoErible
nightmare! The human organization
will not endure such a trial. These 120
long steps per minute are already tire
some. But'the mysterious figure at my
side moves rapidly. steadily, silently
forward. Two or three men follow him
on foot, a coach containing the witness-
es or judges, and a crowd of carriages
with spectators Not word Is spoken,
and the only sound Is from the tramp
rious work. Perhaps he may perform
what he has determined TO, and his
faith may accomplish what the scrip
lures have told an unbelieving world
is within Its power. These brutes OF
horses which draw his witnesses have
to be changed daily-on the terrible day
| OF 100 miles they must be changed twice
but their strength is only Of the.earth.
BY invitation OF an enterprisiDg pho
ltOgTaphiC friend, L abandon walking TO
Chicago, and mount his chariot and we
Idrive ahead to seize an instantaneous
picture OF this wonder. Arrived at the
Chelsea toll. house, the camera Is To-
cussed on the point where he must APP
pear in going through the gate. Per-
haps, ut Sthe signal, he Will stop q
second. But no; he politely salutes by
movement of his hands, and in quick,
clear tones-not like a man out OF
breath-says, ''You must excuse me, l
can't do it'll have promised not to-l
can't stop"-and is gone. The camera
lis turned on hIsTetreaing figure, but
he is hidden by the people behind him:
He does not appear lame, he is in good
spirits, his faith burns bright, he dis
| lappears. Perhaps he will succeed in
his impossible task-we are now more
lIinclined to believeit. Even Phil. Sner-
lidan-Who also performed impossible
lthings through the faith that was In
him-even helwouldI have been desert
ed had he been hereabouts-to day.
Returning home, we reflected on the
meaning of this deep stirring up of the
| depths OF the public feeling. II certain
lly Is not in the simple fact that a man
| is, walking for wager. i have not
heard of single bet being offered or
l taken during the day. 1t probably has.
some connection with the manly de-
termination to do a difficult work. and
a respect for the resolution which alone
can accomplish II. .,F -. i
| If Mr.. Weston succeeds It Will en-.
courage others in the possibility of their
making long journeys on foot, which
are sometimes necessary. i have
\ known people. detained from their
i homes because they had not money to
4 pay for being carried there. The idea
never occurred 70 them o,tgdk home.
Certain explorations are only possible
when men learn to walk and to endure
Il as Mr.. Weston Is now teachtng them.
And we have an illustration of the su5;
Il perior results OF voluntary action over
4 that induced by compulsion.
Ieappears5 that Mr. Weston has made
his walking and diplomatic talents use
| ful to the country's cause durtng the
4 war for the Union; and his own ac-
| countiss ssagreeahlyJL written and COM
mendably free from that egotism which
! too Omen exaggerates the difficulties
/ passed through. He is, perhaps, to be
| ranked inIthi respect, and IN his cheer
| ful narrative, with Capt. Cook, Mungo
PARK and Stevens and the heroic DIR.
Sonntag, who gave his life in fulfill
| mentioI his promise to accompany Dr..
Hayes'a second time TO the Arctic re-
gions. - -if' =.
votes the $4,000 he 10 trying 70 gam
| namely, the payment of his obligations
due his friends, and his establishment
| in business for the support of his fami-
| iy, is commendablei and all hops he
/ will triumph. .,.i. D. ,.ss-f- - d
| The Hartford Conn., cottrGntr malkes.
the following minute calculations OF
the feat to be reformed; 'f-s
To give the reader a clear idea Of the
magnitude of the Undertaking In which
Mr.. Weston is epgesedsi and the great
| power of endurance necessary IN 0Tuer
| 10, o,accomplish the feat. we have made
an estinafe of the number of steps
| which he would have TO take for the
whole distance of ], ,226 miles, including
l,thel humber for each day and each
hour. There are $3.50 feet ina mile. .
land at his ordinary gate, Westoniwould
\ 1robabIy average Just about thirty
| inches TO each stride, in which case he
would have to take 2,579,3l in going
the entire distance from Portland
| 10 Chicago, Limiting the actual time
| of travel 10 tWentY-seven days ne viii
have to take g5, $50 steps per day; and II
he travels on an average sixteen nouFs
ner day, he will have 10 take 5,9T0 for
each OF the sixteen hours. Can ne keep
mn This constant strain Of nerve and
muscle sixteen hours day for twenty
seven consecutive days3
The Meeting OF ConEress.-.Rhato Of the
PInAneesf
Front lIs NelO York Tribune.
AS the meeting of Congress approach
%. its action upon financial questions
| is discussed with great interest. All
uarties are agreed that a policy should
| be promptly adopted which Will restore