Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-01
FAMOUS ENGLISH WALKERS.
Remarkable Achievement of a Woman
Eighty-Four Years Old.


From the Strand Magazine.
The present interest in long-distance
walking, first aroused by the stock ex-
changes little jaunt to Brighton. is but an
other instance of history repeating ITSELF
Barely a century ago the feats of Capt
BARCLAY and others attracted sufficient at
tention to send the town almost mad with
excitement.
Even royalty itself has been numbered
among the opponents of pedestrianism and
that much-abused monarch. Charles IL, is
certainly entitled to respect as fine speci-
men of an all-round sportsman. Apart
from enjoying perhaps the unique distinc-
ton among English sovereigns of riding his
own horses to victory at Newmarket,
Charles was also noted for his walking pow
ers and it has been stated that none could
excel him in his favorite walk from White
hall to Hampton Court.
The earliest long-distance walker whose
performances were authenticated appears
to have been Foster Powell. limb OF the
law with a penchant for walking from
London to York and back. His first Jour
ney was made in 17I3. when he covered the
distance of 394 miles in six days, with
nearly six hours to spare.
At the close of 1903 Capt. Barclay fairly
electrified the whole country by undertake
ing for a wage Of 1000 guineas to walk 1ooo
miles in 900 consecutive hours. mile In
every hour, such a performance being then
quite unprecedented The match was much
discussed. a start being made over New.
market Heath on June i. 1919. lasting until
July IL, or nearly forty-two days in all No
performance was ever better authenticated.
and so thoroughly did the judges perform
their task that the state OF the weather
was recorded and an elaborate diary writ
ten up each day setting forth the pedes-
TRANS condition. AS nearly every one
knows. Capt. Barclay proved successful in
his lengthy undertaking. This interesting
diary, however. disclOSes the fact that he
not only came within an ace of losing the
match but IT was only by exercising tlie
most determined courage that he succeeded
in overcoming the painful exhaustion Ie-
Sulting from the loss or regular sleep Tor
such lengthy period His weight at start
ing was substantial, being Ii stone 4
pounds. while at the finish. after taking a
bath and nourtshment and sleeping almost
continuously for seventeen hours, he was
able to turn the scale at II stone. The pc
destrian's bill of fare during this walk was
no less gigantic than the task accom-
plished.
Breakfast at consisted of such trihes as
a roast fowl. washed down with a pint of
strong ale. and followed by two tups Of tea.
with bread and butter. After what appears
a very lengthy interval. lunch followed at
II. either from beefsteaks or mutton chops.
of which latter commodity his chronicler
guardedly remarks that the captain ate a
considerable quantity. Dinner at con-
SISTED eltneT OI IotSt DetI UT 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 consist
ed of a cold fowl the pedestrian having, we
are told. consumed Ave or six pounds Of ami
NAL food during the twenty-four hours. gar
nished 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 a quarter of a century ago:
although in the interval two members of the
fair sex were credited with edualing Capt
Barclays great walk. truly remarkable In
stances OF feminine endurance II properly
authenticated. In 1851 also sprightly
country dame. wanting barely sixteen years
to become centenarian. suddenly resolved
to see something of the world, and, ac-
cordingly. Mary Callinack. Cornish fish
woman. actually succeeded In walking from
Penzance to London. a distance of nearly
800 miles. in order to view the wonders OF
the great exhibition in Hyde Park. Mary
created great sensation there, being no
ticed by Queen Victoria.