Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-10-10
IN LEGS.

People who think the numerous pro-
fsssionai and amateur pedestrians 80
ambitiously engaging in the numerous
public walking matches OF the present
day do 1t merely for personal glory and
the fun OF the thing are very much mis-
taken. Those ideas certainly do enter
largely into the spirit Of the OCCASION
bat beyond al other considerations
comes the scquisiiOn Of money; the
incentive Of . large pscuniary reward to
the victor. Even whore the contestant
IL walking for q stipulated salary. per.
sonsi ambition mingles with business in
the desire to prove professionally worthy
Of the salary. for future success II very
largely dependent thereon. In the si1'
day &c. ss-you-plsass matches. whore .
dozen or more entries are made. and the
portion Of the receipts assigned to the
walkers will be divided proportionatsly
among the frst Ave or ak leaders Of the
score, every entered contestant that
steps upon the track does IL with the
determination and desire to DO q oil
those leaders and winners Of money.
After the hrst day or two. or perhaps
even before that. those who find that
their natural pedestrian abilities do not
come up to the requirements. and tina
they have no show to win anything. not
even glory. quietly and wisely drop out
and leave the contest to their more
able companions in the race. The
saddsst Of all poor mortals II
he who has maniully struggled
through to the bitter end. and fails to
sven make distance enough to save his
entrance money. besides failing to O.
tablish any paying reputation a. .
walker. His failure is q terrible one.
financially. mentally and bodily. and
leaves him . total wreck. with few
friends and little sympathy ; the most
utterly broken down. detected and IN
happy man in the world.
In the great six-dsy match at San
Francisco. for instance. just concluded.
the net profits from gate money. etc..
we're about $40. 000. half Of which went
to the four leading contestants in
the proportion Of atty, thirty. twelve
and . half and seven and . half per
cont. respectively. Those making $50
miles saved entrance money. with $50
given to all making $40 and 500 to all
making 400 miles. Naturally the keen
cot interest In the match centsrsd in the
last days performances. and ten thou
sand people were present on that day.
Mcintyre was 90 far ahead that there
VA little hope or possibility Of beating
him % chief In the race. therefore the
struggle was for the succeeding posi-.
tons, and the interest centersd In the
contest for fourth place. between Chen
owith and Murdoch. Early in the
morning Murdoch passed Chsnowith.
and between / and 2 O'Clock was . good
four miles ahead. Chsnowith had 70
tired to his tent for Q short rest. and
whom hs ~resppearsd he was noticed to
act strangely. and staggered. - IL dizzy.
He went again into his tent. was rubbed
down. and onos moro essaysd to walk.
bat fell, exhausted and ssnsslsss. He
vas quickly carried to his tent. and
physicians called In. Rsstoratives were
promptly supplied. but IL was the last Of
the plucky and game little pedestrian on
che track. a. he wa delirious up to the
hour that the contest ended. whom his
condition improved. The truth was
that hs had walked just as long As he
could. His feet were used up As well as
himself ; the poor fellow had to submit
to the inevitable. and his competitor.
Murdoch. scored at the close A22 miles.
leading Chsnovith ten miles. when hs
too retired for his Hrst sleep in thirty
six hours. Chsnowith will get 500 for
his terrible wslk-ths hardest earned
sum Of money he ever saw.
In the grand champion match Of the
same style for the Ashley belt. in New
York. also just concluded. in which
some Of the most famous pedestrians
were participants. the gross receipts
amounted to $74.0Oo. After dsductins
the percentage for the management and
the general expenses, the sum to b
divided among the eight men who each
made over $50 miles in the six days was
sss down ct $50. 900. The division. 40
cording to the articles Of agreement. vas
made % follows:
H.-.u Sfo s00 M T., G,xon a oka m