New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-24
WESTON BREAKS RECORD
AT CITY HILL At 11:32.
peteran Still Lively after Walls
from Philadelphia.

With blistered feet and weary brain Edward
Payson Weston, the veteran walker, stepped on
a Pennsylvania ferryboat at Jersey City at ex-
actly II: 10 o'clock last night, and a few moments
later in New York. He rested on the
City Hall steps at 1872 completing the walk
from City Hail. Philadelphia, to the City Hall
here in % hours and q minutes The distance
he covered. according TO his companions, was
90 miles
Forty-three years ago Weston walked from
old Independence Hail. in the Quaker City
TO New York in % hours and 81 minutes
Weston was escorted TO the Fifth Avenue Hotel
by mounted policeman.
Yes, I'm worn out" he said Il had an at
tack of vertigo Look at those blisters." and he
showed two feet covered with big, almost boil
ing over, blisters which he ordered a physician
70 lance
Don't go much on piety, he remarked, "put
God certainly did help me this time
At City Hall Park he made his way to the
City Hall steps and ran up two or three steps.
His progress across the little park was one
great demonstration, even the benchers becom-
ing enthusiastic for a moment. AS he ran up
the steps some one yelled out Good work, old
mani" and the crowd responded with three
hearty cheers. Waving his hat in acknowledge
ment. but not slackening his stride. weston
y
the last lap of his ninety-six mile trip. already
assured of having beaten his own record made
so many years ago. He reached the City Hall
at precisely 1872 p. m.
Weston in his walk across New Jersey. al
though at one time half an hour or more be-
hind the record made in 1868, when he walked
from Philadelphia to New York in % hours 49
minutes. kept a little ahead of his schedule most
of the time
The old man. who is sixty-eight years DID,
made only one stop in his walk across the
state When he reached New Brunswick. at
2:2S nineteen minutes behind his schedule time.
he had to rest after the grueling walk in the
turnpike over Rocky HILL where the sand was
half way to his knees. He went to the city
Hotel where he rested until 3:22 o'clock. He
had walked the fifty-seven and a half miles In
II hours and 20 minutes
Mr.. Weston made a picturesque figure as he
swung along through the Jersey towns. slight.
grizzled. erect. An old gray army blouse knick-
erbockers, leather puttees and heavy boots. the
same in which he won the Ashley belt years
ago, with small. faded cloth cap. made up his
costume. He carried a good sized stick which
he continually raped against his leg as he
walked. Added to this after nightfall was a
breakmans lantern, which he kept humping
against the other leg. Passing through Newark
he said the light helped keep his legs awake.
All along the route he was attended by throngs
Of the curious. afoot, on bicycles and in automo-
biles and carriages. Those afoot had hard work
keeping up with the old man, even after he had
put half hundred miles behind him.
DR.. E. E Lee and DR.. Robert Taylor, OF New
York. accompanied him in a buggy all the way.
He took his food as he watched. each bit being
carefully measured out by the physicians. The
food consisted for the most part of liquids. they
being more readily taken without halting
The first five miles, to Frankfort, Penn. were
covered at a six mile clip. Trenton, thirty-one
miles from the starting point, was reached at
73O a. M, an average of 4.S miles an hour hav-
ing been kept up. At Princeton. ten miles away
reached at 1910. the college boys turned out to
cheer him as he passed. They left him on the
outskirts of the town. after giving a college yell
that pleased Mr. Weston greatly.
At 11:10 Kingston was reached After this
forty-fve-mile walk. the worst stretch of road
met. For the twelve and a half miles along
the old turnpike road he ploughed his way
through thick. cngng dust and sand, that at
times reached nearly to his knees. Just outside
of Kingston he was met by DR.. E E. Smith. A
farmer. seeing the hot sun beating down on
Weston's head, ran up with a big cabbage leaf,
which Weston gratefully accepted and placed
under his cap. Seven miles Of this lap were over
the sandiest OF roads and in the heat Of the day,
that, although ten minutes ahead Of the record
Kingston. he fell back nearly half an hour be-
fore New Brunswick was reached.
At Elizabeth. where he planned to rest fifteen
minutes, he got lost and did not get the rest.
He reached Elizabeth about O'clock fresh and
untired, but lost half hour there by turning
into East Broad street and going toward Eliz-
abethport. After taking a glass of milk and
being set right, he continued to Newark passing
Broad and Market streets at 9:1O o'clock some
few minutes ahead of his schedule. in spite of
the delay at Elizabeth He turned down Market
street and struck out for Jersey City over the
old Plank Road at a fve-mile clip. probably
three hundred people failing out behind him for
the first mile BY that time none of them
had sufficient breath left to keep up with the
old man, though he had been walking for
twenty-one hours and five minutes when he
reached the centre of Newark