The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-09
FIFTEEN MILES IN THE RAIN.
MIR. TOM BENNETT IND WILLIAM ".
WEBSTER VIKING ron $50.
starting FROM the Woodblre In sixth Avenue
nj 4 4 10 =. N f"r Dudu~ smiths. an the Bou.
levard-The breakdown aud the Rcturu.

lJ3tbb NtultSNhJ nlRHb wis Wnub UHy
very properly be called nm awful night
rnined. 1t poured. IT blew. II came down in tor.
rents But It was good n ght for social chat inc
comfortable snuggery. and in ono of the snug
l,cst OF these in this city very social party Was
gathered The locality WIS tho back pnrlor N
the time -honorcd Woodbine. nj tho corner OF
Thirteenth street and Sixth avenue. and sundry
old frcquenters Of Jim Nolans hostclry wore
there congregated.
Prominent among these was William II. Web.
ster a lea ling broker Of the Wv York Stock
Exchange a member Of tho Old Guard. ex-Cap-
tain Of the word-rcnowned Atalanta Rowing
Club and tho man who took charge OF the crow
on thor trip to Englnnl Of the booncst Of
boon companions. n man who is known NJ tho
Great American Blonde. and who con lcsccnd-
ingly allows his intimatcs to address him rs
Billy Webster. Count Webstcr. or by any othor
respectful synonym. and whose average fight
ing weight is about $50 pounds-a good follow,
a GENEROUSLY bullt man in In" prime OF life. and
enthusiastic in all athl"ti sports.
There nso was Harry VI imam Englshman,
Commodore Purser of the In man lin Of steam
shi M, AMI ut present comm ission"d as Purser
Of the steamship City NJ Montreal. whirh sailed
for Liverpool yesterday MIR. Main is n model
specimen OF n well-grown. well-nurtured. we'll
fed and hearty }rtish"r.
There also was Mr.. John J. Cox Of Jersoy
CITY, ex-member OF Congress- in Burhannns
time. y highly respectable and steady consorva-
ty.. old gentlemnn. of sixty; p.,
lnHft WIS NlSO l1f. pll DH0nfUs M fIlNllNh'
man n jovial good fellow, average hghtns OF
walk weight about 200 pounds. u wealthy
rnssnr w tbn wall Known arm Of Crozicr Il 90.
Tom has record or a least his father hnd. iot
Bennett senior WIS the first mnn who rang ms
chimes on the bells ol Trinity Church some
eighty years ago. But Toms iah'r went max
to Ensland after ringing Trinity's first peal
resided there somr ht,en or sixteen years
during which period Tom was bornl. and re-
turned TO this city and died here sundry years
ago.
There. also. in the snug back parlor Of tho
Woodblne. WIS Cnpt Tom Hrev"s. inc y1trrnp
regret OF all his New York friends. for the sums
gades Of Enterprise. in Florida; He won't by
the CITY. of Cnarrston. commanded by his old
friend. Capt Bob Lockwood.
There. also on that evening. was this same
| Capt. Bob 10 'kwood. so dear 70 everybody who
| ever made u trip in his vessel.
| Besides the above prin pal dranntis PERSONA
| there were congregated on that awful, ght OF
| Jim Nolan, and sundry of his intlna"s. whose
| horses and whose fncns we'll known on
the lane" as William II. Vanderbilt or Ma
The Observation-Disclosures on the beastly charao-
ter Of the night w., nigh, net III ,9r "a
the coastw e shouldn't like to have far to
| Then up starts bold Billy Webster. and
| thus to Tom Bennett who had occasionally
| ynunted Of deeds Of prowss of pluck. OF On.
durance, N t9e launtlest Of TOMS; Tom; WHY
made Of sugarl Tom Bennett knew the chal-
lenge was meant for him. He scented tho
Just SOFA gorgeous night for n walk" Now.
look here. Tom" said Buy. "lll toll you
man Of YOUR sir. III Jus, walk YOU now from
thiT hons9 to judge Smiths on n Boaigysra
says Tom. oh. knew YOU would back out"
answered Webster. Hold on rctorted Ben
nett; you want 70 walk against ne now nov
W your money, md Tn exactly your man"
| IAN right said Billy her,s my $50; but IN n,
running. no skipping. no jumping the
money was PM ~. and bets to " amount OF
and on almost every possible contingency winch
could occur in come ton Will il. Money was
wagrred that neither of the cont ,-tnnts would
eyer reach Judge Smith : that. II eitnrrOfth IN
did, he would never walk lnct; tIint Mother
could be back. II he walked AL the way. belpro
! ~ in the morning. Several attempts were made
/ by the friends Of 10Th pedestrians Ia iissuida
than. but thoy all proved inrr 'iual.
10y each ol the cont ~unis should accompany his
antagonist in "a coupj. Mr.. Webster SOLICITED
Tom bennett soiectel his friend Mr.. Cox to ac-
company and watch Count Webster.
the coup6s were sent for 10y telegraph. ana
| promptly mad their appearance.
The veteran Capt. Reeves, even at the final
moment. remonstrated with the men. ia TOO
mon who know thu Old Nct'Ian swear be- WIS
only -purrlng ihrm. Y. Wh9t, sad biliy,
out Of bout race. and IN walk 10 Smiths and
hn.k this light. or hr brought home corpsl'."
Then Tom Reeves seriu- that Billy was hcnt on
business quietly suggested that tho Count
should PIT a lemon in his pocket and knowing
the Counts weakness for row!ns. said; " You
/ know. Billy. evrn rlwor- take 81 X pccasiOn-
ally when their ihroHis got uarehed:
The cnup's were at the door. The umpires
| got in, Pur-er Main into on. ~ the friend u
BUY Webster To accompany and watch Tom
BENNETT Nj. Cox into n" other 70 arcompany
/ and watch Webster rs the friend Of Tom Benz
nett. bottle oi brandy was hanled into zach
coupe, in casc rcyivrr might b. required on
/ the rond, tn" word WIS given nt ! 90 L. NJ ana
on the gallant pedestrians started.
The roqts out and home was about hfteen
nvonn, To- Ihirtrrntn strr.t anu ruin avenue.
w, filth avenue To Nintlelh street; IN thn Park
Stn,s"ns IN the s"vrnth nv,n'' ntrn n's:
thence up the avenue To Florences. round
florencc's across Mucombs Dam bridge to
judge Smiths; thence home over the same
course. 100
Tom Bennett started with an umbrella; Billy
Tom Bennett led from the start but Billy con-
ldently intImated Ia Mr.. Cox, who accompanied
hun. Oh don't he alarmed, III oVertako him
before he reaches the Park
And before the Count reached the Park occur
red one OF those accidents which occasionally
heiall heroes and other oyer-conndent men.
Billy wanted TO see jay Gould about some non.
senscnl Lake Shore OF Western Union, and
pulled up NJ the Windsor. Mr.. Cox nlightcd
from the coupe and quietly demonstrated with
Webster on tho .iimpolicy oi losing, so mnrh
valuable, time. Don't be alarmed. replied
Billy; III catch him on the hOmestrrt'h. Two
got him az sure as Jay Gould has .ot those fools
who are bearing Lake Shore"
The rest Of the story ssoon told. Tom Ben
nett walked straight ahead. when they lrit
| tho IarK AT the NNrnlh avenue kht' the
road war ankle deep in mud: II was not an
occasional gutter hut the whole brca,lth Of tho
road WIS onn immense puiI,mirc. But whom
ever he attempted to SKID across any par
ticular puddle that snomrd almost uniWhom-
able, the ever Wig liant gunrdlan oi Biily Web
stcr = interest Harry MAN, strei h'i pa
head out Of tho coupe window ana yelled
at him. CONF" ! say, none Of that. YOU
know no jumping, You Know that = barred
out far heed and toe you know. And the I'M
, perturable bnt pucky Tom would s"ttle down
quietly suggesting that the roads must nave
been intended for cithur birds or fish, and that
! hc wasn't much un either swimming or iiy ing
However. Tom Bennett and his accompany,
| ing umpire ia the coupe, Harry Main. rra 'li"d
, | Judge Smith =. on the BOuleyard. at ON" minute
! heiurc \. ". Nothing had bicn seen of u lily
Webster since the start rhe ostl"r at judge
I smiths was awakrd, the coupo hors" was
watcrcd, and the mouths OF the ped 'strian and
I | III his companion were also washed Out " ~
q brandy. II sllll poured ON their rriurn nome
/ | Nh. Bennett sauntercd quietly oyer Mromhs
4 Dam bridge, trusting TO meot ms lr"nd dnt
\ antagonist. Webster, IN hls outward ZIP llt
i wa, disdppoinlol. lilo met no one hul STRAY
= and droneh'l POLICEMAN Bat ~ stuck To- N'
| walk toe and heel. hrrl and toe. down th" ave
nuc. through the Park. down Fun ~ ny" Il
Thirteenth street, AMI homo .tgthr Moglhn'
H. reached the Wuoihuc at 90 NJ, hnlnl
walked the entire distance, winch j. au ul il
teen miles. in tour hours and NiiS -ilNm mludi'7