The Newtown bee., 1879-07-30
EDWARD PAYSON WESTON.
Sketch of the Winner of the Astley Belt.


 A New York paper gives this sketch of the life of E. F. Weston, the worlds champion pedestrian, who won the Sir John Astley belt--wrested from O'Leary by Rowell in New York--in London, and made the unprecedented record of $50 miles in six days:
 Edward Payson Weston, the cham pion long distance pedestrian, was born in Providence, R. l., March l5, 1889. According to a quaint biography writ ten by his mother in 1868 for the Turf, Field G'ad Bdr7lt, he weighed at his birth only four pounds six ounces, and was for years 8 weakly, sickly child He showed no powers of endurance in his youth, and up to the age of nineteen he was considered q youth of feeble in the spring of 1861. He then walked from Boston to Washington to witness the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. The feat was performed in payment of a wager that MT. Lincoln would not be elected. He started from the steps of the Bos ton State House on the 22d ot February, and reached Washington on March 3. The whole distance travelled was 453 miles, and the actual time occu-- pied was POS hours. WestoH afterward came to this city, where he engaged Tn the occupation of selling periodicals, His occupation developed his walking power, and he became known "among his associates as man capable of en- during great fatigue.
 This reputation, and possibly the lik ing for pedestriauism developed by his walk in 1861, resulted in his undertaking, in the fall of 1867, his great walk from Portland, Me. to Chicago. This was before, long-distance pedestrians had come into notice, and the announcement that a man was to undertake to walk l,226 miles on ordinary roads in thirty consecutive days created great excite ment. 1t was said at the time that he was walking for purse of $l0,000 in case he accomplished the under taking, and S6,000 if he succeeded in making 100 miles ill twentv-four hours. On the 29th of October, 1867, at noon, he set out from Portland. He made four attempts to cover the 100 miles in twenty-four hours. In the first attempt he made siXty-three miles; in the second even less on ac- count of bad roads; in the third, ninety one miles, with over three hours to do the nine miles in, but gave up, he says, by the advice of his trainers and friends, who were with him. This failure hurt being bought off. He always stoutly denied the charge. His last attempt to walk 100 miles in twenty-four hours was made on the 25th of November. He only made eighty-six miles. He reached Chicago on Thanksgiving day, Novem- Der 2S, and was received with great demonstration. This walk made Wes- tons name a household word for months. His effort inspired young men everywhere to become pedestrians, and gave the start to the pedestrian mania which has become so general. His name was upon all lips, his photograph in nearly all households. There were Weston shoes, Weston hats and Weston coats. Musicians composed Weston marches, and young ladies danced to Weston waltzes. The pedestrian was determined not to give up the idea of walking 100 hours in twenty-tour hours, and, after featuring tour eastward, he made the attempt on October ', 1868, at White Plains. He accomplished the task in twenty-two hours, ten minutes, ten seconds, and the sporting papers of the time characterized the feat as unpre- cedented.
 In the same month Colonel Dan Rice. the veteran circus man, offered to give him purse of SEQ, ,000 if he would walk 5000 miles in 100 consecutive days, not to walk on Sundays. The correspond ence between Rice and Weston developed the fact that the pedestrian was re- ligiously inclined, and his letters were filled with pious sentiments. He also was an avowed temperance man. The result was that many excellent people who would naturally have nothing to do with professional pedestrians gave Wes- ton their hearty sympathy, notably Dr. Theodore Cuyler, whose correspondence with Weston was published at the time. z lo H. f,f1 1nI lack of funds to carry it out.
 Returning to New Y ork, after lectur- ing tour, Weston gave an exhibition walk in Steinway Hall, at which Horace Greeley presided, and which many prom inent persons attended.
 Weston walked little for several years except when his duties required it. He became reporter on the Sun, and it fell to his lot to visit the police stations on the east side of the city at late hour at night. His speed in coming to the City Hall from Fifty-ninth street became proverbial. He used to say that he never rode in street cars unless he was in no hurry, and he often beat them in making trip.
 The most successful walk in this city was in the spring of 1874. On May Il he started on six days walk in the American Institute Rink, with the in- tention of making 800 miles. In the first twenty-four hours he made ll5 miles, but he failed to cover more than 430 in the six days. This was consid- cred good walking then. In September of the same year he twice attempted the same feat in the Hippodrome, and each time he failed. On the I4th of Decem- Der he began his six days walk in Newark, and he claimed to have walked in the six days, less twenty three and three-quarter minutes, 800 miles He covered ll5 miles in twenty three hours and two minutes. In March, 1875, he beat J. R. Judd in six days walk in the Hippodrome in this city, walking 43I miles. In No vember of that year he walked against OLeary in Chicago for six days, and was beaten, O'Leary making 5O3 miles and Weston 451. After this walk Wes- on went to England, and on the 30th of September, 1876. walked 5OOI miles fo,.txr esbt vordS it, civ dave ip ira,.