Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-20
(" OGEECHEE JOHN /" WINS.
NINE MILES IN THE LEAD AT
THE FINISH.


NINE MILES IN THE LEAD AT |
THE FINISH.
The Fifty Hour Tramp Ended-"Ogee-
chez john Covers I66 Miles, and Car /
ries on the Big Money Swinging /
Around the Track With the ThermOm-
eter in the Nineties-Hsw the Race was
Watehed-The Scenes at the Finish.
The interest in the ffty-hOur go
as-you-please walking match verged
upon excitement early yesterday
morning, and all through the day
anxious inquirers, whose business pre-
vented their attendance, hailed their
friends and asked; SLOWS the walking
matchs Who's aheads' while those who
could spare the time were at the hall at
different times during the morning and
afternoon, so that the pedestrians re-
eeived substantial encouragement, as
they tramped around the track.
And 'sOgeechee John" was as good as his
word when he said Friday night, you'll
md me here in the morning-do you
mind" At six o'clock he was still there,
maintaining the lead which he took the
night before. $50 il, Ogeecheep' shouted
some of the spectators, but ''Ogeeehee''
wouldn't conaescend TO vary his gait in
the least. He had a good remembrance
OF the race between the hare and the
tortoise, and though ne was not the tortoise
he was not going 70 drop 10 sleep like the
hare and permit his lead to be cut down
by any Of his competitors. He tramped
along, regardless Of inclinations to sleep,
at a swinging pace, and, although the
oldest, he proved to be not the slOwest
man on the track, as the nOtches on the
mile posts showed.
At 1880 o'clock Friday night he
had covered leS miles and , laps.
Thirteen and a half hours afterwards
he left the l44th mile behind him with Pat
Mccarthy entering on the 10th mile.
CaTrig and Murphy were taking a rest,
the former having 49, miles to his credit
and the latter III. About , o'clock in the
afternoon it was reported that Murphy
would not return TO the track until after
half past o'clock in the evening, if then.
His feet were very sore and bGStered, and
he felt that he could not hope to overtake
'Ogeechee john" who was seventeen
miles ahead. During these thirteen hours
following after midnight on Friday the
Belfast man had added only p
miles to his score, while during the
same interval Carrig had covered 81 miles.
The figures show that these contestants
were not maintaining the speed which
they exhibited during the first half Of the
walk. Carrig lett the track several times
during the day and was getting stiff,
as well as suffering from the
lameness in his foot, of which
which he complained late Friday night.
/ Carrig was one of the shortest figures in
the race. He was quick and agile as
young kitten during the first twenty-seven
hours, and the manifestation of infirmities
yesterday proved to be a great disappoint-
ment to mis- friends and hackers.
MURPHY. THE BELFASTMAN.
When Murphy showed himself on the
| track early in the morning he looked
as fresh as when he began the walk, and
I though he was not making fast time like
/ the cOuntryman from the Ogeechee, 1t
was thought that he was mere
I " saving himself for handsOmer
work later in the day. Untortu-
I nately for him and his friends, the Will
I was strong but the flesh was weak, and
| ''his blarsted feet gave out" while his
/ lungs and muscles were as good as gold.
Pat Mccarthy entered the race TO win,
/ and showed greater persistence and speed
/ than any Of the younger men. He was
only distanced by his namesake, John.
/ At , O'Clock Pats score was 139 miles,
! showing that during the previous thirteen
/ and a half hours he had Travelled 40 miles,
/ less one-quarter.
GETTING READY FOR A Squirt.
At5 O'Clock Murphy and Carrig were
! resting, with the intention of making a
squirt during the evening. Pat Mccarthy
was on the track for a short time and
then stopped for a rest, while "Ogeechee
john kept passing the mile-pOsts at the
rate of about three miles an hour.
At this time the score stood as follows:
"Ogeechee john" 153 miles and u laps.
Pat Mccarthy, 146 miles and 8 laps.
Carrig, 1SS miles.
Murphy, 127 miles.
The two last named men were asleep
at that hour.
Shortly before I o'clock a large crowd
1 of spectators began to file into the hall.
and Carrig resumed his place on the
track, showing some indications of stiff
ness in his limbs. which in a short time
began to wear OF. and the plucky little
/ pedestrian began to add a respectable
/ number of miles TO his score. But Pat and
/ the Ogeechee farmer were both too far
\ ahead for him to think Of overtaking
I them. His only hope of gaining
/ either the first or second place was the
retirement of the leaders Unexpectedly
from the contest. He walked on bravely
/ in his rapid square heel and toe trOt, with
/ his head inclined forward and his arms
/ occasionally swinging like two pendu-
] lums, and at times with one or the other
/ forearm crossed behind his back. 1t was
I a good gait for man to fly past the mile
/ stones on, and there is no doubt but that
/ he would have won second place but for
! the lameness in his feet. Meanwhile Pat
/ Mccarthy was forging ahead after 0gee-
! chez, and sharing the applause which
/ the spectators frequently bestowed.
NINE MILES IN THE LEAD.
/ s1Ogeechee'' was nearly nine miles ahead
I of him. and Carrig nearly ten miles be-
/ hind. Murphy, who had not been on the
I track since 80 O'Clock, returned before
\ 8 o'clock and was enthusiastically well
I coined. He was the best proportional
man physically OF any in the race. His
I labor as mechanic seems 10 have given
/ him an abundance of muscle. He stepped
/ with a long swinging, graceful stride
despite his sore feet and the pain which he
/ felt. He had no hope, however, Of
! being able to win, even the third place,
I but he wished tn show that he could walk,
I and run too for that matter, even if the
Z odds were against him. He kept the track
and took part in the finish, adding two
miles TO his score.
/ The Twilight Band was present and
/ cheered the men with popular airs, while
/ they we're applauded by the spectators as
/ they added lap to lap.
NEARING THE FINISH.
/ Near the finish proposition was made
I that the contest be terminated shortly
before 10 O'Clock. The suggestion was
mutually agreed to by the pedestrians and
/ their friends, and at 9:45 O'Clock the walk
was ended. The score at the finish was
as follows:
Ndms. Miles.
John Mccarthy ..-.-.---- leo
Pat. Mccarthy. l5I
Carrig IA
Murphy ..-------.-. ...l19
Ogechee John was the winner-nine
miles ahead of Pat, nineteen miles ahead
Of Carrig, and thirty-seYen miles ahead
OF Murphy.
Pat. Mccarthy won second place-ten
miles ahead Of Carrig, and twenty
eight miles ahead of Murphy; and
Carrig won third place, IS miles ahead Of
Murphy.
Under the rules Of the match, the win
ner was to receive 40 per cent. Of the gate
money as the first prize. The second
man was to receive 20 per
cent. and the third man 10 per
/ cent. The winners were warmly con-
graduated. and when the applause had
subsidized G.. FL. Sheftall mounted the plat
form and made a speech in behalf Of Muir
phY The audience quickly made up a