The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-03

Run Over by a Train, Scared by a
BeaI, and Very Nearly Married.
baltimore Americana

- u
Beap, and Very Nearly Married.
baltimore Americana
Mrs Matte Potts, who left Baltimore
last May, has returned, looking as red as
an autumn leaf. She has accomplished
her feat of walking to New Orleans and
back, and has only to walk to Philadel-
phia to win the $1,000 she says is await.
ing her there. Yesterday afternoon at
$50 o'clock Matte Potts appeared at the
city limits, walking at her usual gait and
wearing the same style Of costume that
the did when here before-in fact, she is
she same "Pottsy," as she delights in call
ing herself.
Her dress yesterday was of delaine,
washed and rewashed by rain and per-
spiration. On her head was Hebe hat.
She carried the cane now made famous,
but no Saratoga trunk done up in brown
paper did she carry, for it had increased
in size and travelled by rail, Mr.. Potts
said she has never paid cent for ex-
pressage, save from Asheville to Balti-
more, and she had sent it always ahead
of her. In recalling her travels she said
she had ''just had a splended time and
was million times healthier than when
she passed through on her travels" She
spoke in glowing terms of the Piedmont
Air Line-at least the track-and said
the people were dearly beloved, and she
had picked out a home at High Point,
N. c., and intended to live there. All
along her route she would receive tele-
grams and postal cards inviting her to
stay at hotels, which she accepted.
In New Orleans she had two grand
dinners given her-one by the editor of
the Times, and the other by a Railroad
official. She wanted to walk there but
they thought her too tired. She was not
successful in her exhihitional walks in
other cities, for she cleared but fifteen
cents. In speaking about her accidents
she first stated she was run over by a
train and squeezed to death by bear,
but afterward corrected herself and said
"nearly" The first accident occurred as
she was crossing ariver in Alabama. A
gravel train backed up while she was on
the bridge, and she jumped on an iron
bridge support and swung herself over
the water, and there hung. The second
one was when a big black bear passed
within one hundred yards of her.
| Three miles two laps further on she
met a wild cat, but it passed by. Then a
thunder storm came up and nearly blew
her away. That night she entered Mo-
bile. A band of music had been engaged
to meet her, but the rain drove their
wind away She remained in New Or
leans four days and five nights, and spoke
at the City Hotel. She said she had had
innumerable proposals of marriage-the
first one in South Boston on the Danville
R ilroad. She did not know the mans
name. In fact, she did not know the
names of any of the men who wanted to
be the sharer of her $40, 900 that she SAYS
is awaiting her in Philadelphia. Her av-
erage number of miles per day (only
walking in the daytime)was twenty-one
miles; greatest number, thirty-six miles
and ten laps.
This was accomplished on that "dearly
beloved Piedmont air line." In Georgia
and Louisiana Mrs. Potts said she did not
spend one cent; everything was given
her. In her trip she has worn out five
suits, while she was presented innumera-
BILE shoes, stockings and handkerchiefs.
She is happy, and says she will walk ask
days match with O'Leary in New York
or here. She talks of visiting the Acad-
emy to-day, and told an American re-
porter that she could out-walk any man
on. the track there now, even Hart,
though he had been in the Ashley belt
contest. She showed the reporter her
notebook, full of scraps of paper, closely
written, which she intends TO rewrite into
book.