Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-07
HAIR.
The oOiUrsd walking champion

at the Exposition building, IS q lead
ing theme in amusement c%irclos. All
preparations for the match have been
completed, the track is in good trim,
one of the best the walking men say
they have ever trod upon, and ample
room for 5000 spectators has been Sc,
cured.
The three whito men who are to
take part in the contest-0iLear
Hartman and Schmehl-havo / lhad
a few lines OF mention in the daily
papers. Hart, the colored champion,
is entitled to The same courtesy, as he
has been the winner Of various honOrs
in the past three years.
Frank II. Hart is a native of tho
West Indies and was born under tho
French flag. He is a good looking
mulatto, "a years old, 5 feet g. inches
high and weighs 1873 pounds. He has
a family living at Boston, Mass, and
left them a week ago yesterday arriving
here last Saturday night. He has
been in training for the present match
since August lest and says no is in OK
cellent trim for the race.
Hart first attracted attention at
Providence, r. l., in 1878, where he
started in a seventy. FIVE hour match,
and won the race and a belt which is
now on exhibition at Leidy's Main
street window. His first important
race was for the Ashley belt, at Gil
moro's Garden, New York, September
1879, when he made 1888 miles in 142
hours, coming in fourth and receiving
$500 for his share of the gate receipts.
Hart feels that he would have won
that race but for having taken part in
the n at Providence, and the inter-
vening time, being too short to allow
him to recruit perfectly. He did not
expect the big match to come off SO
soo IS it did and thought he would
have plenty Of time for preparation.
Alter the New York contest Hart
participated with twenty-one others
in a match at Newark, N. ]. He won
the race and a purse Of $500, also a
$3.50 watch, which he now carries. The
inscription upon it tolls the story, and
is as follows:
Presented by 0'Leary and Engle-
hardtto Frank H. Hart, winner of 72
hours, go-as-you-please, Nov. Oath to
18th, 1879; 373l miles.
After this, the worlds championship
next engaged Harris attention. This
match, in which &C took part, came of
at GilmOre's Garden, New York,
Christmas week, 1879, and was a 6-dsy
tramp. Hart won the match and the
Rose belt, making 540s miles, and re-
ceiviDg $4,000 as his share Of the gate
receipts. For a period Hart was the
champion walker Of the world, but
this honor was afterwards wrested
from him by the Englishman, Rowell.
The Rose belt is still his, however, as
no match has been made for that
trophy, and it is also on exhibition at
Leidy's.
In April, 1880, Hart again appeared
in a match at Gilmore's Garden, IS
starting for the 0'Leary belt and
the American championship, the CON
test being six days, and it was won by
Hart, he making 565B miles in l42
hours. This time his share Of the re-
ceipts footed up Sl6,5OO. 1t was a
profitable tramp.
Since the last named Hart has not
participated In any important match.
He visited England last July to take
part in the contest for the
Ashley belt, but Weston and
Rowell had the race to come off
sooner than be anticipated, and he
deemed it imprudent to enter, the
entrance fec being $500, inasmuch as
he bad not been in England long
enough to recruit and prepare as he
desired. He has since challenged
Rowell or any other man in the world
to walk for any amount named, and if
the match is fixed to come off in this
country he agrees to pay the travelling
expenses to and fro of those who come
from abroad to take part. Ifrequired
to go to England, he expects to have
the same courtesy extended to him.
He also offers TO beat any walk on
record to this date in a seventy. FIVE
hour match.