Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-02-27
An Artist in Walking.

neu not on tne lTack, DcTlHd NOii
Hillern lives and eats and dresses like
other people, with a few exceptions.
She sets her face like iron against alco-
holic stimulants; sweet things, and
pastry. She will not even let her agent
rub whisky inside her shoes to keep her
feet from swelling, for fear people will
smell the whisky and think she is a
tippler. Rare beef, vegetables, oat
meal, and plain, solid food, form the
''chief of her Diet" like that of the
little old man who would never be quiet.
After finishing one of her public walks
she goes TO bed and drops asleep atonce.
Toward morning, about or 4 O'Clock,
her maid awakens her, and walks her
about her room a little time, to keep
her limbs from becoming stiff. After
one of her severe walks she suffers some
what from what are technically called
walking cramps" which are pains
around the knee joints. TO alleviate
this her legs are rubbed with salt and
water.
Physically there is nothing abnormal
pounds, is rather below medium height.
and has the face which, after all, is the
best for steady wear in this world-a
face which would hot be noticed for
being either handsome or homely. Her
hair is very heavy, and of the fashion
able blonde gold color. She would like
to wear it cut short, but, out of regard
TO peoples prejudices, wears it long,
Furthermore it may interest some dress
reformers to know that she wears an
ordinary corset during her walk.
Bertha came to this country about two
years ago. She was famous among her
acquaintance In Germany for her
walking feats as a school girl, She is
native of Freiberg, in Baden, and is Il
Jealous and pious Roman Catholic.
Along with her piety is mingled a
shrewd business streak.
Her money is invested in Boston, and
she looks after it shrewdly, too.
willis INT W
money TO him in Germany" said she,
"but 1 won't do il. | don't like to do
Cat"
She carries about her little instru-
ment called pedometer, which regis
tiers every mile she walks. 1t is kept
going by the motion of her body in
walking. When we saw her, she wore
a sort of lowered polonaise, reaching
down little below the knee, with q
light felt hat, of the "pork-pie" shape
upon her head. She is more muscular
than plump, and her movements, are
energetic as well as graceful. As she
races around the track she looks like a
fish darting through the water. She is
as straight as an arrow, and her shoul-
ders are very broad and square for a
woman. Her walking is not in the
least like that of ordinary persons. 1t
is like that of an Indian on long jour
ney. She seems to propel herself along
with her arms and shoulders almost as
much as with her feet, The peculiar
swing of her elbows and shoulders
reminds one continually of the motion
of birds wings. Her toes do not turn
out, as civilized peoples are supposed
to. They go straight ahead, and the
left foot, perhaps, points slightly in
ward. She always turns upon her left
side as she rounds the curves of her
track, and this constant turning to the
left has made a slight difference in her
sides.
She is very popular with ladies every
here, but dislikes exceedingly to have
them kiss her. We noticed lady bid
ding her good-by, and observed that at
the hand shaking moment Bertha slight
ly drew her head back.
"There," said the agent, smiling,
sshe's afraid that woman is going to
kiss her."
hope nobody will 60 now and say
Beftha Won Hillern is crazy.
Only one man in America can make
her walking shoes, and he lives Chicago.
Her fast walking gait is so different
from HtT WlhlnS Ouc Iudl WHcn SuS
stops to take her brief rests during the
walks, the moment she stops an atten-
dant lifts her in his arms and carries
her to her room, and she does not take
a step until she is carried back. She
would lose her gait if she did, and it
would require some time to get it back
again. The human mind is q very
strange machine. Music and applause
help her along wonderfully in her walks
Ii band can catch the time of her step
it increases her sped several seconds on
the mile. The bottoms of her feet are
soft and tender, like other peoples,
and she is not particularly muscular,
except in the calves of her legs. They
are as hard as the back of a Cincinnati
sugar cured ham.