St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-19
FAMOUS PEDESTRIANS.
Among the Exp0nents Of
Pedestrianism.

1
jaunt to Brighton, is but another in
stance of history repeating itself. Bare
~ century ago the feats of Capt. Bar
clay and others attracted sufficient at.
tention to send the town almost mad
with excitement, says the Strand Maya
zine.
| Even royalty itself has been numbered
among the opponents of pedestrianism
and that much-abused monarch, Charles
H., is certainly entitled to respect as q
fine specimen of an all-round sportsman.
Apart from enjoying perhaps the unique
distinction among English sovereigns OF
riding his own horses to victory at New
market, Charles was also noted for his
walking powers, and it has been stated
| that none could excel him in his favorite
walk from Whitehall to Hampton court.
The earliest long-distance walker
whose performances were authenticated,
appears to have been Foster Powell, a
limb of the law with a penchant for
walking from London to York and back.
His first journey was made in 1878, when
he covered the distance Of 1894 miles IN
six days, with nearly six hours to spare.
At the close of 1908, Capt. Barclay
fairly electrified the whole country by
undertaking for wage of 1000 guineas
to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours, mile
in every hour, such performance be-
ing then quite unprecedented. The
match was much discussed, start being
made over Newmarket heath on June
1, 1909, lasting until July II, or nearly
AZ days in all. No performance was bet
ter authenticated, and SO thoroughly did
the judges perform their task that the
state of the weather was recorded and
an elaborate diary written up each day
setting forth the pedestrians condition.
AS nearly every one knows. Capt. Bar
clay proved successful in his lengthy I'M
dertaking. This interesting diary, how
ever, discloses the fact that he rot only
came within an ace of losing the match,
but it was only by exercising the most
determined courage that he succeeded In
overcoming the painful exhaustion re-
sulting from the loss of regular sleep
for such a lengthy period. His weight at
starting was substantial, being Ii stone
4 pounds, while at the finish, after taking
& bath and nourishment and sleeping al
most continuously for II hours, he was
able to turn the scale at IL stone. The
pedestrians bill of fare during this walk
was no less gigantic than the task ac-
complished.
Breakfast at five consisted Of such
trifles as roast fowl, washed down with
a pint of strong ale, and followed by two
cupfuls of tea, with bread and butter.
After what appears q very lengthy inter-
val, lunch followed at IL. either from
beefsteaks or mutton chops, Of which
latter commodity his chrouicler guard
eddy remarks that the captain ate con-
siderable quantity. Dinner at six con-
sisted either of roast beef or more chops,
with which he drank porter and two or
three glasses of wine, and, to wind up the
day as he commenced, supper at IL con-
sisted of cold fowl, the pedestrian hav-
Ing, we are told, consumed five or six
pounds of animal food during the "a
hours, garnished with such vegetables as
were in season.
After 1917 the craze for long distance
walking seems almost to have died out,
only to appear again quarter of CEN
fury ago; although in the interval two
members of the fair sex were credited
with equaling Capt. Barclays great
walk, truly remarkable instances OF
endurance II properly authenti-
Gated In 1851 also sprightly country
dame, wanting barely 16 years to become
a centenarian, suddenly resolved to see
of the world, and, according
ly Mary Callinack, a Cornish fishwoman,
actually succeeded in walking from
zance to London, a distance of nearly |
300 miles, in order to view the wonders
Of the great exhibition In Hyde Park.
Mary created q great sensation there, be-
ing noticed by Queen Victoria.