The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-04-24
A WONDERFUL RUNNER.
FrOm Paris TO Moscow in Thirteen hays
and Eighteen Hours
New York Times

New York Times.
The present interest in pedes'risnisu'
manifested by the gathering o. throns'
of people to witness walking and run
ming matches, was equally great in the
early part o; the century, but was then
excited by the wonderful and almost ill.,
credible performances of one man. This
was Mensen Ernst, born in Bergen, Nor
way. on Get. 10, 1899. He was the son
of q sea captain, and when boy entered
the English navy. Although his powers
as a runner were displayed even In his
boyhood, be had made three voyages to
the East Indies, and had completed q
three-years cruise on the frigate Gale
DOMAIN. before ne made public exhi>
bition of them, which he did by running
a race in London when nineteen years
old. Though up to this tine he had
had no training, and even lacked 8
pedestrians ordinary opportunities for
muscular development, he was famed
throughout the navy as runner, and
wonderful stories as TO his ext raordlnary
powers circulated among all the branches
of the service. At last g heavy sum OF
money was wagered by the officers OF
his ship that Mensen would run from
London to Portsmouth, distance OF sew
enty-three miles, in less than ten hours.
The feat was attempted and accom-
plished, the distance being covered by
the young sailor in exactly nine hours.
Shertly afterward he ran from London
to Liverpool, distance eff 15O miles, in
32 hours. Although thus successful as
a runner, Mensen did not quit the eea
until after having distinR uished himself
by bravery in the battle of Navaii inc,
October 20, 1927. Soon after that date
he became a professional runner, and,
alter winning q number of lesser matches
was induced to undertake the great feat
of running from Paris to Moscow. He
started from the Place Vendome at 4
o'clock in the afternoon of j une IL, 1881,
and entered the Kremlin at 10 clock
a. m of June %, having accomplished
the distance of 700 miles in Is days
and Is hours.
The feat created a decided sensation
throughout Europe, and the employ
ment of Mensen as courier extraOrdl~
nary by kings and princes became g
popular amusement in European courts.
He ran from country to country and
from court to court, bearing messages OF
congratulations. coincidence or dispatches
of great importance, and whenever
matched against the regular mounted
couriers easily succeeded in beating them.
He always carried with him q map, q
compass, and as many biscuits and ounces
of rasK berry syrup as there were to be
DAYS occupied on the journey. In winter
he took with him 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 swim
ming the other. He never walked, but
invariably ran, keeping up a long,
swinging lepe for hours at time with
out rest. His only refreshment was one
biscuit and an ounce OF raspberry syrup
per day, and two short rests OF ten or
fifteen minutes each twenty-tOur hours.
These rests he took while standing and
leaning against 8 tree or other object OF
support. At such times he covered his
face with his handkerchief and slept, and
after such a nap he would pursue his
way apparently as refreshed as though
he had slept Tor hours. He was very
uneasy when compelled to be quiet, ard
could not sit still for half an hour with
out feeling a sense OF sutfOcation. He
was a very amiable man, tavorite with
all who knew him, and was made much
of by his royal patrons.
In 1883 he started from Munich at l
o. m, June 6, with dispatches from the
King of Bavaria to his son Otto. King
OF Greece. These dispatches were de-
livered at Nauplia at 8 a. m. on July l
or seven days sooner than it they had
been sent by the regular post. In 1886,
while in the employ OF the British East
India Company, Nensen was charged
with the conveying OF dispatches nom
Calcutta to Censtantinople through Gen
trail Asia. The distance is 3 6l5 miles,
which the messenger accomplished In
fifty nine days, or in One-Ehivd OF the
time made by the swiftest caravan. GA
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 or continual
warfare. The man seemed invested with
supernatural powers, and his fame spread
lar and wide. One of the most interest
ing problems OF the age being the dis
coVery of the sources of the Nile, it was
suggested that this wonderful man be
EMPLOYED to follow the course Of the
river to its sources, and thus determine
them. Prince PucKler Muskan, who
had himself travelled extensively in
Egypt, and had made several unsuccess
full attempts to penetrate to the head
waters Of the Nile, offered to deiray ail
expenses and reward mensen Handsomely
if he would undertake the trip. The in
detatigable runner consented to make
the attempt, and on May II, 1912, set
out from Muskau, in Silesis, whence he
ran to Jerusalem, where ne had some
business to attend to. Thence he con
tinued his way to Cairo and up the west
ern bank of the Nile through Lower and
Middle and into Upper Egypt. Here,
Just outside the village of Syane, he was
seen on the morning of January %,
1S4S, to stop and rest, leaning against 8
palm tree with his face covered by q
hsndkt rchief. He rested so / ng 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
was years before his friends in Europe
knew what fate had befsllen him.
WE never-there, now, don't be afraid,
it isn't that pinafore gag-as we were