The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-20
Tramping that Pays.

Tramping that Pays.
A contest closed in New York on
Saturday evening at ten O'Clock, which
for q week had engrosscd the attcn-
ton Of all Gotham and Il large portion
ofthe outer world besides, and re-
ceivcd equal prominence with the
marriage Of the Duke Of Connaught
to Princess of Prussia, the crisis in
France and the contest. over the
speakership of the lower house Of
Congress. The actors in this affair
were four men, three ut least unknown
to fame, and their struggle was to
prove which Of them had the strong
est stomach, the toughest feet and the
greatest grit, the means of proving
which was u six days tramp on Il
sawdust walk in huge hall, cram
med, jammcd and stuffed with people
and recking with the fumes of
whiskcy and tobacco. The mcagrc
dispatches that came last week giving
the number OF miles made each day
by Rowcll, Ennis, Hartman and
O'Leary, convey to the average read
crno conception of the immcnsity of
the contest or the great sum of money
involved in it. For this reason VIC
must give a'esume Of the affair.
Pcdcstrianistic contests have for the
past few years excited great interest
both, in America and England, and
all sorts Of strange mrtchcs have been
made. Old fashioned races of hun
drcd yards or even half n mile have
been discarded. They get over too
quickly and draw but little gate
money. So we have runs Of fifty
miles, tramp Of hundred hours
with no rest, Gone chap having actual
ly eludcd the tool-lillcr long enough
to walk four days and four hours
night and day without stopping) ell
comprising thousand halfnilcs in q
thousand hours, and lastly, twenty
seven hundred quarter miles in us
many consecutive periods of ten
minutes each. The last feat Is almost
incredible, as nineteen days, night
and day, arc passed with not moro
than few minutes ofslccp at time.
But the crowning event Of all was
the recent match Of six days. walk,
from one o'clock, a. m., Monday to
eleven, p. m., the following Saturday,
for the Ashley belt and the Champion
ship Of the world. This belt, of silver
and gold, costing five hundred dollars,
and presented by Sir John Ashley, NJ.
p, Of England, was won last year by
Daniel O'Leary, who made score of
five hundred and twenty miles, de-
fcating twenty other contestants.
O'Lcary had previously distanccd
Weston md other competitors, and
had Oh several occasions made even
five hundred IN les. This year he was
challenged by Rowcll, an English
walker, sent over by Ashley, while
his other competitors were New
England chap, Hartman, and an
lrishman from Chicago, named Ennis.
The twelfth Of March was the day,
and Gilmore's Garden the place of the
contest. Thousands Of dollars were
staked on tho result, O'Lcary being
the favorite at odds against the field.
Strange as it may appear to the
uninitiatcd, tough stomach is more
essential than b@wny leg. Pluck
makes amends for the latter, but
nothing can withstand diseased COM
missary department.. The pony
built Rowell took the lead the first
day in a regular jog trot, acquired,
it is said by his enemies, OH British
trcadmill.' Ennis collapsed for four
hours at the opening, with stomach
ache. O'Lcary, the champion, went
to pieces in four hours. Nausea and
vomiting prostrated him. Still he
kept on bravcly, though tottcring as a
man asleep, and he actually walked
two hundred and sixteen miles on an
empty stomach before finally yielding
to nature. He had in seven previous
contests worn himself completely
out; and, though but II trihc over
thirty, is n used up man. This is not
surprising, as one such tramp would
kill an ordinary horse. Hartman
stuck out boldly, long, lank, lean, and
resembling a skeleton in seven
league b0ots Rut l>,, Erl,,,,.x1 !,