Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-17
Weston outsteps Old Time

Travel-stained, but still in the ring, to
Judge from the clear tones of his voice and
his clipper manner, old Edward Payson
Weston, who was a heel and toe expert
when most OF the present generation were
youngsters, marched proudly up to the
steps OF the New York city hall Wednesday
night at 11:S2 o'clock and. touching them
swung off up Broadway to complete his
march TO the First Avenue hotel. where a
congratulatory dinner was awaiting him at
the end OF his pedestrian trip from Phila-
delphia.
Away back in 1868 Weston walked the
distance in q hours and 40 minutes. The
walk that he completed Wednesday was
for a distance four miles longer, making It
almost 100 miles. He left the city hall In
Philadelphia at 1905 Wednesday morning,
so that his time altogether, counting OF
ten minutes for his trip on the ferryboat,
was q hours ard IT minutes. This clipped
80 minutes off a time performance regis
tered for a distance four miles shorter and
showed more than anything else the won
derful preservation of this man almost 70
years old.
The scene when he reached the city hall
was one Of unusual interest. II has been
years since there has been active interest
shown in heel and toe or any other kind Of
walking. crowd of several hundred per-
sons followed the veteran walker from tho
moment he left the ferryboat at Cort-
landt street, and gave him a hearty cheer
as he arrived at the steps This would
appropriately have been the end of his
jaunt, but without showing signs OF alb
normal fatigue the ancient Weston swung
or with the odd hitch Of the shoulders that
marked his old pedestrian gait TO keep an
appointment for midnight meal at the
hotel.
It was e hard Journey for the old man
and certainly a great feat. Leaving Phlla-
delphia shortly after midnight he set out
by lantern light When dawn broke he was
nearly at Bristol twenty miles on his way.
He fed chiefly on eggs and milk and did
not seem distressed until the sun began TO
beat down on him.
At Trenton, after walking thirty-one
miles, he was twenty minutes behind his
record He should have been there at half
past o'clock, but instead was there at
7EO o'clock.
The old gamester stuck at his task. and
a few miles further on he had fairly walked
the horse driven by one OF the doctors who
followed him clear Off its feet The horse
fell behind. and by the time that Princeton
was reached he had gained so much on the
record that he was fourteen minutes ahead
.of time.
The distance between Kingston and New
Brunswick was the worst the aged ath-
lete encountered. The dust blew in clouds
about him and his throat was choked. Ho
entered New Brunswick ten minutes be-
hind the schedule at 2;So O'Clock. II was
at s:14 o'clock that he trotted into the CEN
ter Of Newark at Broad and Market streets,
He was expected TO do the distance between
there and Jersey City 30 as 20 be in time
TO catch the IL o'clock ferry for the other
side. II was Ma O'Clock when he came
down the runway into the ferry boat
Il was the ferryboat Washington that he
caught at Hl4 and II left a minute later.
At approximately HES he stepped on the
ferry boat on the New York side to be
greeted by rousing cheers
Weston had no time 70 talk and he
pressed on. accompanied on one SIDE by a
man with q lantern and on the other BY a
mounted policeman. Through Greenwich
street they swung north and then along
Fulton street to Broadway. II was twenty
eight minutes before u o'clock TO the dot
when his foot touched the steps, the
mounted cop riding on before him to the
entrance A long cheer OF 'Hurrah FOR
you, old man" went up and Weston, bow