The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-05-31
The Best Walk on Record.

TN 1772, Thomas Penn contracted with
Il Tedyuscung and some others for I'll
tie to all the land in Pennsylvania to be
taken off by parallel latitude from any
point as far as the best of three men
could walk in day, between sunrise and
sunset, from a certain chestnut tree, at
or near Bristol in northwest direction.
Care was taken to select the most capable
for such walk The choice fell on Jas.
Yates, native of Bucks county, tall,
slim man, of much agility and speed of
foot; Solomon Jennings, a Yankee, re-
markably stout and strong ; Edward Mar
shall, native of Bucks county, a noted
hunter, chain carrier &C., large, heavy
set and strengthened man.
The day-one of the longest in the
year--was appointed and the champions
notified. The people collected at what
they thought the first twenty miles of
the Durham road, to see them pass
First came Yates stepping as light as a
feather, accompanied by 7. Penn and at
tendants on horseback. After him, but
out of sight, came Jennings with strong
heavy STEP and not far behind, Edward
Marshall, apparently careless, swinging a
hatchet in his hand, and eating dry
biscuit. Bets ran in favor of Yates
Marshall took biscuit to support his stom-
ach and carried hatchet to swing in his
arms alternately, that the action in his
arms should balance that of Ais legs, as
he was fully determined to beat the 9TH
ers, or die in the attempt. He said he
first saw Yates in descending Durham
creek, and gained on him. There he saw
Yates sitting on a log very tired; pres
emily he fell off and gave up the walk.
Marshall kept on, and before he reach
ed the Lehigh overlook and passed Jen-
nings-waded the river at Bethlehem
hurried on faster and faster by where
Nazareth stands, to the Wind Gap. That
was as far as the path had been marked for
them to walk on, and there was a colec-
tion of people waiting to see if any of the
three would reach it by sunset. He only
halted for the surveyor to give him pock-
ct compass, and started again. Three In
dian runners were sent after him to see if
he walked it fair, and how far he went.
He then passed to the right of Pocono
Mountain, the Indians finding it difficult
to keep in sight, till he reached Still Wa
ter and he would have gone few miles
further but for the water. There he
marked a tree, witnessed by the three
Indians. The distance he walked be-
tween sun and sun not being on straight
line, and about thirty miles of it through
the woods, was estimated to be from
one hundred and ten to one hun
dred and twenty miles. He thus won
the great prize, which was five hundred
pounds in money and five hundred acres
of land anywhere in the purchase.
james Yates, who led the way Cor
the first thirty miles or more, was quite
blind when taken out of Durham creek,
and lived but three days afterward. Sol
omon Jennings survived but few years.
Edward Marshall lived and died on Mar
shall's Island in the Delaware river. He
arrived at about 80 years of age. He
was a great hunter, and it is said he dis
covered rich mine of silver which rem
dered him and his connections affiuent ;
but he never disclosed where it was, and
it continues unknown to this day.