Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-02


Nov that the walking match in New
York is ended, and Rowell has walked of
with the spoils, it is hoped . long suffering
public will have q short respite from the
dairy rehash Of their progress" ''score,"
etc. sent by the Associated Press 1t is
about time, too, that the walking match
humbug was exploded. for it is getting q
triae monotonous. O'Leary goes over to
England and walks himself about to death
for q champions belt, and thousands of
people sit on the benches and amuse them
selves By looking at him wear himself out.
Then he returns Disguised with the Eng
lish people to New York. and Rowell, an
other poor simpleton, walks night and day
with six or eight thousand persons anus
ing themselves by watching him. while
O'LeAry gets sick with over exertion.
Rosell wins the belt and takes it back to
England. and then Weston makes a fool Of
himself by straining himself blind to cap
tire the trophy. Rowell gets sick, and the
public visit weston's performance and
chuckle in their sleeves to see a man en-
gagged in such folly. Weston brings the
belt back. and Roweil comes over and thir-
teen geese go toiling around the track, pre-
senting a brutal exhibition which bad men
pay . dollar apiece to look upon. When
Rowell returns to England he will actfairly
and squarelv by contracting a slight spell
Of sickness, and O'Leary or Weston will
take the belt and suffer the gate money,
and Rowell will rave another chance to
take advantage Of their timely indisposi-
ton to carry off the belt and endure the
gate money in a subsequent contest IN New
York. Thus these poor fellows suffer with
great regularity, and the public has all the
fun.
They are very foolish to thus tax them
selves for the amusement OF others, but
then there are some self-sacri6cing people
in this world. There are others mean
enough, however, to suspect hal this belt
business is growing to be a little too regu-
lar to be honest. They fancy hat q small
Ckk4uc VI tc0CStA Aofo he'C Ohe
"a. and they win the belt and the public's
admission fees by turns, and by turns get
sick or have a sore heel or faint or strangle
in cigar smoke, according as it is their
turn to lose. 1t is charged that the fools
are in the audience, and not on the track,
and that the patriotism and national en-
thusiasm Of the populace are used to put
money in the purses Of these professional
walkers. The crowd in England runs to
see the race. and pay their money and hur-
rAh themselves hoarse; they see an Amer
lean about to win and they vie with each
other in trying to appear m-agnanimous;
and they take the opportunity to testify
their good feeling toward their Western
brethren; and the newspapers advertise
that kindly internatioaal feeling, and all
strive TO appear generous in defeat and dis
play their appreciation of leg merit ire
specsive Of personal or local preferences,
and the winning man is feted and toasted
and carries OF the pile with much respect
for the Heeced locality. Then the ocean is
crossed aud the sans thing is repeated on
this side with the Englishman for the
winner.
The regularity Of these performances has
excited the universal suspicion that the
champion belt'' business il bnt . little
scheme Of kippodroming. and Is growing
n-onotonous: that the " countries are
being well worked and that the pedestrians
Are not inch simple and innocent fools As
the people who pay 70 see them. But this
can hardly be 30. The regularity with
which the belt is won and lost. and the
money taken alternately from the two conn
tries, is merely to keep up the balance Of
trade in leg muscle. II would be well.
however. 70 avert . damaging suspicion.
for several Of these champion walkers to
have somsthing really serious happen 10
them ; for instance. break their necks or
die Of exhaustion. II they would do this
ms cad Of fAintins. or skinniag their shins.
or getting biistcrs on their hesis. the most
sksptical woald cease to doubt the ;ateg-
Eity Of such shows.