Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-04-30
A Wonderful Runner.

|
In the early part of the present century
running matches were as popular as at the
present time. 1t was then excited by the
wonderful and almost incredible perfor-
mances of one man. This man was Menser
Ernst, born in Bergen, Norway, on October
10, 1893. He was the son of a sea cap
tale, and when still boy entered the Eng
lish Navy. Although his powers as a run
ner were displayed even in his boyhood, he
made three voyages to the East Indies, and
had completed a three-years' cruise on the
frigate CaledOnian, before he made public
exhibition Of them, which he first did by
running a race in London, when nineteen
years old. Though up to this time he had
no training, and had even lacked pedes-
TRANS ordinary opportunities for muscular
develOpement, he was famed throughout
the navy as a runner, and wonderful stories
as to his extraordinary powers circulated
| among all branches Of the service At last
heavy sum of money was wagered by the
officers of his ship that Mensen would run
from London to Portsmouth, distance of
seventy three miles, in less than ten hours
The feat was attempted and accomplished,
VIZ NAStttAie' b'hi- NtNNiNh ~ Ail'
sailor in exactly nine hours. Shortly after
wards he ran from London to Liverpool, a
distance of $50 miles, in thirty-twO hours
Although thus successful rs runner, Mensen
did not quit the sea until after having dis
tinguished by bravery in the battle of Ma
varinO, fought Oct. 20, 1927. Soon after
that date he became professional runner,
and, after winning a number of lesser
matches, was induced to undertake the great
feet Of running from Paris to Moscow He
started from the Place NendOme at four
o o'clock in the afternoon of June IL, 1881,
and entered the Kremlm at ten O'Clock \.
NJ, Of June %, having accomplished the
distance, l,760 miles, in thirteen days and
eighteen hours. This feat created decided
sensation throughout Europe, and the en-
ployment of Mensen as a courier extraordi-
nary by kings and princes became a popular
amusement in European courts He ran
from country to country and from court to
court, bearing cOngratulatiOn, coincidence,
or dispatches of greater importance, and
whenever matched against the regular
mounted coqriers easily succeeded in beat
ing them. He always carried with him a
map, compass, and as many BISCUITS and
ounces of raspberry syrup, as there were to
be days occupied on his journey. In winter
he took with him a pair of long, slender
Norwegian snow-shOes, and in travelling he
always chose the most direct line. turning
out neither for mountains nor rivers, but
climbing the one and swimming the other
He never walked, but invariably ran, keep
ing up long, swinging lope for hours at a
time without rest His only refreshment
one biscuit and one ounce of raspberry sy-
rup per day, and two short rests of ten or
fifteen minutes each in twenty-fOur hours.
These rests he took while standing a tree OF
other object of support. At such times he
covered his face with a handkerchief and
slept, and after such nap he would pursue
his way apparently as refreshed as though
he had slept for hours. He was very I'M
easy when compelled to be quiet, and could
not sit still for half an hour without feeling
a sense of suffOcation. lie was very ami
able man, a favorite with ell who knew
him, and was made much of by his royal
patrons. In 1898, he started from Munich
at l P. VI, June 8, with dispatches from the
King of Bavaria TO his son Otto. King of
Greece. These dispatches were delivered at
Nauplia at 9 a. NJ, on july / 4; OF seven DAYS
sooner than if they had been sent by the re-
gular post In 1886. while in the employ
of the British East India Company, Mensen
was charged with the conveying Of dis
patches from Calcutta To COnstantinOple
through Central Asia. The distance is
>, 6l5 miles, which the messenger accom-
plished in fifty-nine days, OF in one third o.
ff,.. r1aaa.. nv no -tk-fffaSf
On this wonderful journey he made his
way across terrible deserts, awful salt
swamps. where, for hundreds Of miles, he
saw no living being, and through countries
whose inhabitants were savage robbers, and
who lived in a state of continual warfare.
The man seemed invested with super -natu
raj powers, and his fame spread far and
wide. One of the most interesting pro
blems of the age being the discovery of the
sources of the Nile, il was suggested that
this wonderful man be employed to follow
the course Of the river to its sources, and
thus determine them. Prince Puckler Mus
kan, who had himself Travelled extensively |
in Egypt, and had made several unsucceSS- !
full attempts to penetrate the headwaters of |
the Nile, offered to defray all expenses and !
rtNdIu htnStn Htil'lsoultN ii nc Noulu uii-
dertake the trip. The indefatigable runner |
to make the attempt, and on May
IL, 1912, set out from Muskan in SileSia- !
whence he ran to Jerusalem, where he had
some business to attend to. Thence he con-
tinued his way to Cairo and up the western
bank of the Nile, through Lower and Mid
die and into Upper Egypt. Here, just out
side of the village of Syane, he was seen ON
the morning of Jan. 22, lS43, to stop and
rest, leaning against palm tree, with his
face covered by handkerchief. He rested
so long that some persons tried to wake
him, but they tried in vain, for he was
dead He was buried at the foot of the
tree, and it was years before his friends in
Europe knew what fate had befallen him.