West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-11-01
rhantRsms Of TIE walkers,

Nine cots with excelsior mattresses stand
beneath the tents at the side of the track
Weston and Rowell sleep in rooms at the
eastern end Of the Garden. Guvon rests
in the Putnam House, near the Fourth
avenue entrance All the other walkers
sleep in their tents. The hours of mcon-
sciousncsS are few. Up TO midnight Mcr-
ritt had slept only seven hours since the
opening Of the tournament. They can
hardly be called hours Of rest The weary
pedestrian is spongcd or has a bath He
pitches in his cot. lie is wrapped in his
blankets. The lights in his tent are extin-
guishcd. He closes his eyes and enters a
world OF phantoms The cheers of the
crowd, the music of the band, the clapping
of hands, the murmur of vast hive of
bees, and the tread Of many feet fit through
his sleep. His body is mckcd with pain
There is an appalling heat in his feet. His
temples throb. The blood becomes stag
nant and frequently nightmare follows
The dreamer Is still ON the track. He secs
his competitors passing him one by one.
and IL unable To increase his own speed
O'Lcary says that during his walk for the
belt in London he never went To slcep with
out the shadow Of Vaughn before him 1t
would follow him around II phantom track
~
times IL would bar his way. Ii would
stand facing him at the curves. making
grimaccs and contortions. Up To the mo
mcnt of walking Naughn's shade never left
his sleep. Guyon has a similar experience.
On Wednesday night he slept the sleep of
the damned. The pain in his feet was so
intense that it had turned his stomach.
Weston was ever before him. When nc
turned in Merritt had passed him and taken
second place. Weston was doing splendid
work, and rapidly Overhauling him. A
ghostly Weston pursued him i'm his dreams
Whichever way hc turned Weston was at
his heels. Nor was Weston the only phan.
tom. The dials assumed the faces of the
other contestants and tauntcd him IA he
passed. \ spirit Krohnc fifty feet high
was walking over him. Although he was
IN the Putnam House, far removed from
sight or sound of the garden, he heard the
murmur OF the crowd, the roar Of brass in
strumcnts, the tread of "A thousand feet, and
pcals of laughter. When he awOlSo toward
morning he found n tumbler beneath his
pillow The pillow was drcnchcd He
was unable 10 account for il until he re-
mcmbered that i'm his dreams he had n
spirited contest with Weston. The dreams
OF the pedestrian are based on the condi-
-tion Of his stomach. When the stomach
refuses nourishmcnt threatening apparitions
frequently appear. In one case a pcdes-
trian fancicd that he was rolling among old
logs covered with thousand-legged worms.
In another case the pedestrian thought him
self on the track, but unable to walk.
Upon ganCing at his feet he was shocked
to see that they had turned into hickory
""rhmB' and TIA" snplings grow with such
rapldity that they raised him i'm the mir
The agony of these hours OF unrest is IN
creased when the haplcss walker awakcs.
His blood is still stagnant There is n
prickly heat upon his skin. He feels as
though hc was being prickcd by a million
OF needles. Neuralgic pains throb through
his muscles His joints are stiff His eye
lids seem paralyZed. Worst OF all his feet
and shinboncs arc numbcd. Every move
mcnt sends a thrill Of pain through the
body. He is oiled and rubbed a swallow
of warm bccf-tea, or some other decoction,
puts him into little glow and infuscs him
with painful energy. He hobbies upon
the track, and the noise, the lights, and
the dark shadows OF his competitors confuse
him. The cold AIR strikes him unpleasant
ly. He makes one lap, and the impulse to
rc-enter his cot is frequently 80 great that
he finds il irresistible. Before coming on
the track he lies upon his cot in scmi-un-
conscious state while he il rubbed and clad
He hardly appreciates the situation before
be finds himself upon the track. If his
Shoes have been changed during his rest,
his feet feel like Jumps Of lead The sore
spots smart more than ever, and it is with
the greatest difficulty that he can lift his
feet from the track He occasionally feels
nausea about the stomach and his nerves
are strung to the utmost tension The
swapping Of a whip a deformcd face
widc-brimmed hat or a peculiarly shaped
bouquet cxcitcs his mind, and he becomes
in measure insane. Weston has peculiar
adherence Of tobacco smoke. 1t probably
Affects his stomach. At times the sight OF
pipe or cigar throws him into nervous
spasm, and he becomes so excited that he
frequently leaves the track.