The Lincoln County herald., 1868-05-14
Great Walking Match One Thousand
Miles In One Thousand Hours.
[From tho New York Evening Post.1

Great Walking Match-One Thousand
Miles In One Thousand Hours.
[From tho New York Evening Post.1
An interesting pedestrian exhibition is
now going on at u billiard saloon in Chat.
ham street for the purpose Of testing the
endurance Of two sporting men. Two
Englishmcn, John Gouldiug, aged thirty.
i've, aud James Miles, aged twenty
years, are each endeavoring to walk a
thousand nilos in thousand consecutive
hours.
Their field Of action is billiard room
containing three tables, at tho back Of q
drinking saloon. Forty walks around
these tables completo the mile. A begin.
ming was made last Saturday at noon. In
order to perform the feat, it will be nee
essary to walk for Elk weeks, less eight
hours. A state Of complete physical ex.
haustion may be expected on the part Of
both contestants long before that time.
The only man who has yet accom-
plishcd the feat was Captain Barclay, in
England, about thirty years ago. lie
showed signs Of great fatigue before his
five hundreth mile was completed. lie
would fall while walking, and frequently
had to be raised. Severe castigaticns
with whips were administered, to excite
and thoroughly arouse him. lie was
pricked also with needles, and pistols
were fired near his ears. Doctors were
constantly also present to administer stm.
ulants. Profound sleep would ensue at
| Inn IS NJ tko olo nj
tho feat it was long and enduring. His
nerves and muscles, however, from con.
stant previous habit, impelcd him to rise
at the usual intervals, for at least fort
night, and walk while sleeping. To pre-
vent this, he was torcibly held until his
system returned to its normal condition.
Barclay had an advantage over the pres
ent contestants in walking in the open
air. lie had beds Immediately within
the outer doors of two cottages, and laid
in them alternately. Goulding and Miles
are in an atmosphere somewhat vi,iated
by q constant crowd, thouyh n drafl
,ushes through, and at the close Of eacf
walk, arc compelled to ascend pair o.
stairs to their bedrooms. Both are light
b,ny men.
Goulding is five feet five inches II
height. lls was aprrenticed to n butcher
during oyhood, IN England, but adopted
the profession OF "hurdle jumping" a
the ago Of seventeen. In later years HI
combined with it walking and running
Hurdle Jumping is performed by jump
ing q succession Of twenty-five hurdles
each thrco feet six inches high, placed il
a circle, ten yards apart. 1t is neccssar.
to jump this circle twenty times, equalin!
five hundred hurdles. Gouldng, in
running contest, was beaten some year
ago by Jackson, tho "Amcrican Deer,
His best running was nineteen miles il
one hour and quarter.
Duriu, the present contest, Gouldin:
wears q thick flannel shirt under thin
WOODEN elastic shirt. His legs arc GOV.
, cred by loose woolen drawers, and roun'
his neck is u silk handkerchief. lie wear
also light cap.
Miles is similarly DIRE sed. lie La
, tight cotton drawers upon his legs, like
f circus rider. lie wears neither cap no
handkerchief. The socks worn are cot
ton, and the shoes have low heels.
10th men take a long breath Mt th
close Of each circuit of the tables, whic
t lasts them nearly to their return. The
I look at no one in passing. Their eye
are vacaut and indicate mental abserE
+ ton in their work. Their elbows ar
curved and hands brought to level wit
their chests. Each shoulder is elevate
and depressed in turn, as steps are taker
! This materially aids motion and stays fa
D tigue.
They perform their milo, usually, i
from nine to three minutes. Each ha
I. once performed it in eight minutes an
, forty-ons seconds. They take q mornin
0 shower bath Of salt water, and are rubbc
o from time to time with oil. Their ie'
q are often bathed in beef brine or fore
water, in which blaoksmiths have dippc
' hot irons. This is mingled with lit
g carbonate Of ammonia.