Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-07-30
A 100 Miles Walk /!
Il CHICAGO MILLIONAIRE FOOT
ING 1T FROM CLARKSBU RG
TO TAUNTON.

1
I ING IT FROM CLARKSBURG
TO STANTON.
GOOD TIME ALONG THE ROUTE-WAD-
ING THE RIvERS-AN AFFIDAVIT TO
THE FACTs-A VISIT TO EX.sECKETARY
A. Fl. H. sTUART-wHAT THE PEDEs-
TRANS HAD TO SAY.
! &C., &C., &C.
Entering Staunton by way of the Par
! kersburg Turnpike last Monday afternoon
| at o'clock. might have been seen three
pedestrians. The party was composed Of
hale, middle aged looking man, accom-
panied by two younger companions, all
I dressed in the regulation suit and knee
breeches common TO both pedestrians and
/ bycicIe riders. They had footed it from
Clarksburg, W. Va, distance Of one
hundred and sixty miles, and had been
walking that day since sunrise; notwith-
standing which they stepped along with the
| light swinging route step Of war veterans
and made their way down the Main street
| to the Virginia Hotel.
WHO THEY WE'RE.
| The leader of the party was Mr.. H.. N.
Higginbotham, the millionaire partner in
+! the great Chicago dry goods house
of Marshall, Field Il Co., house whose
rearly business amounts to $33 900 900 and
which has twenty-five hundred clerks and
employees. He is but forty eight years old
and yet when he went to Chicago to live
| he says you could walk over the town in
half an hour. The firm believes in pro-
, viding for the physical improvement of
| it's clerks, and has gymnasium for their
use, to which Mr.. Hlgginbotham and the
| companions who accompanied him are
constant visitors. For weeks before they
started on the pedestrian tour which end
| ed at Staunton, they were practicing for
it and hardening themselves for its endur-
ance, the result being that at no time
did they break down or even become foot
sore. The section through which the tour
was made was selected at the suggestion
of Mr.. Wilberforce Veitch, "a brother-in-
law of Charles Z. Wheat of this city, and
son of the late Rev. Mr.. Veitcb, who was
once Presiding Elder OF this district) who
occupies prominent place in the employ
ment of the great firm as head of one of
their departments, and who is familiar
with this section of Virginia. He has
been with them for fourteen years. The
route was not wholly unfamiliar to Mr..
81. who was an officer in a Union regiment
under Gen. Mcclellan when he defeated
the Confederate General Garrett in Wes-
tern Virginia. The companions of Mr..
HI. we're his Private Secretary, Mr.. E M.
Skinner, and one of the clerks OF the
house, Mr.. G. N. Sherwood.
THE TRIP ACROSS.
The party came by rail from Chicago to
Clarksburg. where they took to the pixies
after engaging wagon to follow them, car
rying their baggage which included an in
strument for taking instantaneous photo
graphs. After they struck the Parkersburg
Pike they had good walking and they were
enthusias tic in their praise of the good
civil engineering displayed in the con-
construction of that road through the
mountain. They had unusually good luck
regarding weather, the only two heavy
showers that occurred on the route
occurring while they were resting, once at
noon and once at night. Their actual
walking time for the 100 miles YVES fifty
two hours and twenty minutes, which in
cluded all stops for rest. lunch, and 80
forth. Their best days walk was made
on Sunday last, when they made Is miles
in b. So min. which they madesOver
Jackson mountain, Bull Pasture noun
tain, Shaws Ridge, and the Shenandoahs.
Their best squirt was also made on that
day, when in ascending Shaws Ridge they
made one mile in thirteen minutes, and in
descending made two miles in twenty
minutes. The best time they made on a
level was on Saturday morning, when they
made five miles in one hour. On the trip
they crossed on foot twelve streams in
Guiding rivers and creeks, and ten noun
tains. They all expressed themselves as
delighted with the country through which
they had passed and with their ''outing"
experience.
A CALL ON EX-sECRETARY STUART.
In the afternoon, accompanied by Jno.
Howard Wayt, Esq, to whom they
brought letters, they called on Ex-Secre-
tary Stuart. whom they expressed a strong
desire to see. That gentleman received
them with great courtesy and they were
delighted with their visit and the interest
ing conversation of their venerable host.
Mr.. Hlgginbotham was greatly interested
in the old historic portraits in the resi-
dence, and so much pleased with the an
tique style of the mansion and the beauti-
full grounds, that ne took photographs of
them. He also obtained Mr.. Stuart's per-
mission to photograph him. AS they passed
Trinity Church they expressed great ad-
miratlon of its group of church buildings
and the venerable graveyard.
AROUND THE CITY.
During the day. Tuesday, Mr.. Robt. o.
Holiday, to whom they had brought let
tiers, took the party out driving over the
city and they seemed impressed not only
with the beauty Of it's situation, but with
the business activity displayed in the
, streets.
A VIRGINIA COUNTY COURT:DAY.
Monday was county court-day, and the
| sight was novel one to the Chicagoans.
| 1t was the first Southern court-day they
had ever seen. They viewed the crowd
with much curiosity and remained a long
time in Judge Stouts court, watching the
mode of transacting business.
THE PEDESTRIAN FEAT SWORN TO.
Before leaving the courthouse building
| they went into the clerk office, where the
| driver of the wagon which accompanied