Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-27

The six-day female walking match began at
noon to-day at Kernan's Washington theater.
and will close Saturday night at IL O'Clock.
Inc contestants will be on the track from noon
until midnight each day. This match differs from
the one recently held in Baltimore. The fleet
est walker or runner, and not the one with the
most endurance, is likely to win. as there will
be ample opportunity for rest 1t is necessary
TO make 225 miles or an average of 37I5 miles a
day, for contestant to have a share of the
gate receipts,
During the past week the interior of the
theater has been altered to admit of this new
style of entertainment. A sawdust track. "a
laps to the mile. extends around the auditorium.
the seats in the orchestra having been removed.
On either side OF the track on the stage are the
dressing rooms with canvas partitions Between
the inner edges of the track on the stage are
the band and accommodations for the press.
THE CoNTEsTANTs.
A few minutes before II o'clock to-day a
notary public appeared on the scene and took
the oath of fifteen or twenty scorers and time
keepers that they would keep an honest and
accurate record, for the management claims
this to be genuine contest without trickery
of any kind, and that the strong rivalry be-
tween the contestants insures an excellent
race. About this time the flaps of the
dressing rooms began to be raised
and the occupants one after another made
their appearance and loitered about the start
ing point, waiting for the signal which would
start them on their long and tiresome tramp
They seemed all well acquainted with one an
other, and nick-names and pet names were BAN
died about Unfortunately, but this show of
familiarity did not suffice to con-
ceal the evident nervousness under
which the dozen short-skirted, strong-limbed
maldens labored. The rapidity with which
they champed their chewing-gum, the witch
ing of their fingers and various uneasy move-
ments indicated more truthfully their real
feelings.
1t was a strange and rather interesting sight
presented by this knot of women. Most of
them were young and all of them were not
ugly. Some of them were less hardened-look-
ing than others and a few of them
wore becoming costumes All wore
dresses which did not come below the
knee and the abbreviated skirts exhibited
twelve pairs of very sturdy calves. Nearly all
the costumes were loose in order to give full
play to all the muscles of the body. Miss Mac
Beth's costume was particularly loose 1t had to
be. She Is the fatty" of the crowd, and her red
and black checked Mother Hubbard was slightly
indented at the waist by blue sash of enor-
nous proportions, particularly as to length.
Each wore on her breast the number by which
she will be known for the rest of the week.
THE START.
A half minute before II they were arranged
at the start according to numbers, two abreast,
as follows: No. l. Jeffries; No. 2, jefferson; No.
8, Macbeth; No. 4, Indian Princess, known off
the track as Sue Smith; No. 5, killbury; No. 6,
Henderson; No. z, Blakely; No. s. Tobias: No.
8, Arnett; No. 10, Rose, No. IL, Evans, and No.
II, Fleming.
On the stroke of the hour the starter struck
hall laIt OF la,rr
and the twelve sturdy women started. Miss
Evans, No. IL, attired in a black costume with
her black hair hanging down her back, and her
handkerchief in her mouth. cut out the pace
with swinging run, and easily finished the
first lap ahead of the others. There were as
many styles of gait displayed as there
were contestants. Miss Tobias, who won the
race in Baltimore, was attired in well-fitting
maroon costume, with leather belt From
the start she took a rapid swinging gait, which
enabled her to finish her laps almost as soon as
those who ran. Miss Killbury, who was second in
Baltimore showed splendid stride. She never
runs except for relaxation, but walks. square
heel-and-toe, very rapidly. She and Miss
Tobias are the most athlethic looking of the
lot, and the knowing ones predict that the race
will be between them.
DECEPTIVE WALKER.
The audience was inclined to make sport OF
Macbeth, who suffered from a touch of rheuma-
tism. and swung her bulk along with uneven
steps. But it was only the ignorant who snSled
Macbeth is a slayer, and walks off her rheum-
atism with case. She came in third in Balti-
more, and toward the close of the match was
on the track forty-three consecutive hours
without wink of sleep, in order that she
might complete her 300th mile. Before the
end of the week the knowing ones prophesy
that she will have distanced many of her more
likely looking competitors.
THE FIRST MILE.
Miss Evans kept up her lively trot and fin
ished the mile first in eight minutes, and
the others scored the mile in the following
order: Nos. 9, 4, 8, 5, Z, 2, 1. 10, 3, and r.
Miss Evans also finished the second mile first
in II minutes and came in first at the end of
the third. Her object evidently was to get
such big lead at the start that the steady
walkers would be unable to catch her. The
walkers, however, plodded along contentedly.
AT 2:30 O'CLOCK
the score was: Jeffries 10 miles IA laps: Jeffer-
son, 10 miles laps; Macbeth, miles 16 laps
Princess, II miles 10 laps; Killbury IL miles
II laps; Henderson, 8 miles laps; Blakely IL
miles 10 laps; Tobias, II miles 90 laps; Arnett.
IL miles laps; Rose, IL miles Is laps; Evans,
10 miles laps; Fleming, 10 miles II laps.
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