The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-05

HENRY BoRNEMaS Is WALKING
AROUND THE UNITED STATES.
a Ptucly German Pedestrian Who
Iusf Cover the Route in Eighteen
Months ard Earn $..5oo-His
Tramp To seattle.

el HenrF boTleL2u, 2 PEDESTRIAN OF 10
mean ability. mas undertaken to make
the journey in eighteen months and 10
earn se.5l9 waiie en route: IN fact. he
has already covered the most dimcust part
OF the 3oeFney-frora Maine 20 Washing
.cn-.n i3s days. arriving IN Seattle las;
Sunday night,
boTnefnan Is German. . years.of age.
he - nearly SIX feet tail and Cf wonder
iuI PHYSICAL development: broad shou.-
cered. deep chested man for whom pedes-
TRAN trips Of long duration. that neces-
state the endurance Of endless privatlons
o. every imaginable description. have no
terriers He has walked tasl>e across the
American continent: has oyavei the dan
gers OF dsath-dsalins Siberia. has irampsd
through Russia. Germany. France and
spain. ana, afoot. has seen the British
Isles. During these long tramps Borne
man mas encountered dangers Of all kinds
ana mas had hair-areadth escapes frem
instant death on innumera bic occasions.
YET they have failed 10 turn him from the
unique svoeation which he has chosen.
HIS spirit Of adventure. though II has
often been confronted with horrors that
wcGla hopelessiy raffie the most Unsuitable
appetite IN that line refuses 70 he downed .
instead. Its craving for such terrors have
increased with each new form OF adven-
ture until now Borneman finds 1t agsins;
his nature TO settle down.
SO when BcrnemaD was challenged 10
cover wager that he could not walk
around the border of the nited States in
$50 days. starting from Maine and ending
his journey at the poin, Of commence
nent. without cent and have g. 80 AZ the
end OF the trip. he found hackers ready 20
place their last dollar on his ability TO
successfully carry out any such project
which he might see AZ 10 undertake.
Final agreements were reached. and the
money constituting the wager-sl0.9o a
side-was pat up. and on the first OF Mag
boTnensn. accom- panied by Edward Rou-
Ghetto. an amateur. started on the long
trip around the United States.
The start was made at Eastport. sea-
board town, situated a the extreme
northwestern par; Of Maine. From there
they went directly 20 Newport. Vermont.
whence their route led TO Bata-o.
At Buffalo Borneman earned so selling
Photographs Of himself and was thus en-
abled 10 send his first check back TO New
York From Buffalo Borneman and Rou-
Ghetto journeyed along Lake Erie 10
Cleveland and thence 10 Toledo. whence
they continued across Southern Wiscon-
sin and into Illinois, pulling up at Chi
cago. From this city the route was
changed. the men turning northward TO
sAanr Nuc 1dudllGn 1DEGtT, winch fHCN
were compelled 20 follow to the Pacific
ocean as closely as practicable. In North
Dakota the worst priyations OF the trip
were encountered The instance is best
told In Bornemans own words:
have encountered number OF hard
ships while masking long journeys on foot. ="
said he. but l never went through any
thing half as terrible as we encountered
In Northern Dakota.
"On the morning OF August we left
Perth. a small village in North Dakota
the next place. Bothineau, being nearly
sixty miles. We INTENDED making Shorb
station, about half way between Perth
and Bothineau. that night and so made
an early start. az the country is hardly
conducive TO comfortable travelling. We
were scarcely well on our way before dark
clouds began to gather and a Slight rain
set in. Roucnette was in favor Of turning
back. but I. thinking II was but tenn
porary shower, refused. A steady iriz-
zling rain continued until noon. when IL
commenced 20 pour down in earnest. Al
though early in the day, It was almost
dark. and by o'c-ock ii was like night.
The road was ore seldom used and a
difficult one 10 travel over and the rain
added all that II could 10 the disagree
ableness of the journey At night We
were far from the end Of our DAYS jour
ney.
AT 3 o'clock, after tradging over a hill
and spending nearly an hour hunting for
the trail, which we had lost. We came
upon swamp. In the distance the faint
glimmer OF light was barely aiscernible
through the blachness. We turned our
steps toward il only 10 find that We were
az each step getting deeper into the
swamp. at times Flooding knee deep
through mud and slash. Evary step
meant 70 sink down. and SO, half crawl
ing, half wading. at times falling. and
covered from head 10 foot we struggled
OF, though each step seemed as though *
would be the last. Il was terrible. be-
,ieve had I not, had Rolchette with ne
should have given VI. He had pluck and
courage and kept my spirits up although
each time ! stumbled headiong into the
sllsh AMI mud could hardly find energy
enough 20 p-x myself up
Beside. that Light rilmmering faIntly in
The distance how far across the swamp
re ccuiG only guess. seemed but to mock
and chide Us in our ordeal for at times Z
would apparently disappear Then our
course was mere ggesswork. More than
onee when Il would again loom up through
the night, after being out % view for a
few inmates. It would appear behind US
Bu; hai L not been FOR that light shud-
der az the fate which would have been
dealt out to SIS OH that horrible night.
Shortly after midnight the light disap-
pcared entirely. joining hands We pushed
on. stumbling, cropping forward, almost
without hope, and certainly with 10 ui.l-
maze end
Suddenly Rouchette lurche7 forward.
ara despite ny frantic efforts 10 get him
or his feet. ne lay as n dead When I
went % lis head In order o hold E. az that
ho might not De sro.here3 . death, I
noticed thar | dli not sink hardly over
ny shoe tops. Ny SOY almost made me- in
sane when I discovered that We were weii
olt of the swamp. Dragging Rouchette
out OF the deep mud I ansily succeeded
IN srousing hiFn We both then spread
our blankets and slept the sleep Of utter
exhaustion U-tN late Iato the next day.
when W. were aroused ~ Mr.. \ ]. shorn
81 the town that bears his name.
"Rouchette had contracted severe feveY.
and being convinced that he had bad
enough os tramp.ng. he abandoned the
trip. Acne I have frampe1 through
Montana. Idaho and Washington. and y
good fortune continues 20 favor me / Will
finish the trip bY November !. ise7 ard ~ii'
have s5.aeo % ms credit. az well as tbs
8 go Vhlch I viii make on the trip"
Boracnsn csrriss book tn watch arc
s, graiurss o diTevea. prominent people 81
every towu o. station ne passes through.
as well ~ she stamp Of each. In tits book
are iittls messages sent By people IN East
ern towns - relatives and frieustS. The
following - characteristics Of the geaeca,
trersi Of these messages.
TO Ms 2 T Rat-1 IT. Santa cara
street. San Jose. Ca4.-Dear SISTER. Tae
bearer is walking around the United
States Give him what ai9 yen can az
each ii:tle helps - form me large amour,
10 ~ Reads ma = So
nave = lear ore ,7ampln- slualessly over
ne earn an would have Others DO the
sane uHso rim WIFE lore. yc0r sls.er.
MARY r IRVINE