The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-11-14
Pace Too Much For a Horse.

1
cities the old man-old in years only
was followed by two physicians in a
buggy, not because he needed medical
attention at any time, but because Sci
ence, with big S, wanted to observe
| and preserve the effect of a walk of
hundred miles in a day upon man
| nearly seventy. The horse that started
from Philadelphia couldn't stand the
pace. 1t was dead beat after a little
more than half the distance, and a
second animal almost fell by the way
| side on the second relay.
In 1898, when Weston was fifty-five.
he walked from New York to ALBANY,
$50 miles, in nearly twelve hours less
| than the three days he had given him
self for the leisurely trot along muddy
and icy roads of late December That
was just a practice trot. F."
Three years later the veteran walk
ist made the tramp from New York to
San Francisco and back again. aver
aging thirty-six miles day.
Some of Weston's most astounding
walkfests took place in England, where
walking is said to be more popular
than in America. In 1884, under the
auspices of the Church of England
Temperance society, he covered 5000
| miles in 100 days. He walked fifty
miles every secular day excepting
Christmas, making up the necessary
miles during Christmas week. During
this feat he made 5000 miles with a
severely blistered heel, which would
have put any less gritty man out of
commission. but Weston simply walk
| ed off the blister" for it healed of it.
self and gave him no further trouble
for the rest Of the journey. His four
| thousand nine hundred and ninety
ninth mile was made in minutes and
II seconds, the quickest mile of the
5000 by more than a minute
A medical man who rode along with
the walker all the way declared that
at the end, as at all times during the
walk, save for the blistered heel, the
pedestrian was in fine physical and
mental condition and would have
| passed an examination for life insur-
| ance at the end Of the five hundredth
| mile. This wonderful performance was
attributed to the walkers total absti-
| nence from alcoholic stimulants and
his perfectly natural mode Of life, for
! all of which the Church of England
! Temperance society is still shaking
| hands with itself.
Several times in England Mr.. Wes-
ton walked 400 miles in five days.
Once he made 1000 miles in 1000 con-
! secutive hours. That's only two miles
an hour, Of course, but you try it
yourself for a thousand hours before
you laugh. The familiar feat of trying
| to eat quail on toast every day for a
month looks pale and sickly beside
| that
A Cherished Trophy.
One of the trophies most highly
priced by Mr.. Weston is the belt Of
fered by Sir John Ashley, which the
American walker won in 1879 by Win
ming six day match. He made $50
miles in III hours Sc minutes of heel
and toe exercise. Blower Brown, the
great British champion. whom he beat
easily, ceased to blow from that date.
Weston's fastest miles We're made in
that match. He walked the five hun
| dredth mile in 7 minutes 81 seconds.
cutting second off on the next mile.
The records Of sc and 100 miles on
the Philadelphia-New York tramps
sound pretty big, but they are by no
means Westons best performances for
one day. He has made 115 miles day
in a match and 127 miles in practice.
And yet this is man we are talking
about not steam engine nor an air.
| ship.
More wonders Of the Weston walka-
bility might be told here. But what's
the use? Out of respect to Mr.. Wes-
tons years let us desist Have we
not proved already that the seven
| leagued boots which used to belong to
fairy tale are in reality the proper
ty of Edward Payson Weston?
But word as to Mr.. Westons walk
ing theories from his own mouth is
not out of place.
"Walk out of your troubles" he
says. cor walk your troubles out of
you. There is no malady Of mind or
body that you can't walk away from.
Not one person in ten has exercise
enough. Inaction gives one the blues
and poor, weak stomach. The two
together make bad nerves, bad tenn
pers and bad characters. Walking
will cure all of these. You don't get
consumption or Influenza or pneumo-
mia or any Of the epidemics that are
flying around if you do ten miles a
| day and every day or as near that dis
lance as you can find time for. It's
wise thing to make time for it.
my ability at sixty-eight to beat
my record at twenty-five didn't just
happen. I was fit or wouldn't have
tried it. I am we'll and strong in
spite Of my being far beyond the age
when DR.. Osler would chloroform US
| all.
"People who drink and smoke are
bad subjects for the doctors. Medi-
Ito l.