The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-24
WESTON DUPLICATING HIS WONDERFUL WALK OF

The coming week Edward Weston
will arrive in Chicago after completing
walk which, considering the age of
the man.. is one of the athletic feats
of recent years. This walk recalls the
thrilling performance made when wes-
ton was a young man and the recep-
ton he received is interestingly told
in the following from the Chicago
Record Herald:
Forty years ago, November %. one
fourth of Chicago's population. number
ing at that time about 225 900. struggled
to pay homage to Edward Payson Wes-
ton upon his arrival in Chicago after
a walk of twenty-Six secular days, in
which time he covered 1924 miles be-
tween Portland, Me, and this city The
reception accorded the pedestrian whose
fame had gained national prominence
was attended Informally by over $4,000
applauding citizens. their families and
relatives. The Chicago Times. COM
menting upon the ovation rendered
Weston, stated that no similar demon
stration had been given in the history
of Chicago.
Hundreds of persons interested in the
undertaking of the athlete drove or
walked far into the country to meet
Weston hours in advance of his sched-
uled time to arrive in Chicago.
squadron of police. fifty strong well
coined the famous pedestrian upon his
entrance to the city along Cottage
Grove avenue. The concluding miles
of the arduous cross country journey
were lightened by cheers, the clamor
of hands and the unceasing din of the
mob that screamed its admiration as
the figure clad in red, white and blue
moved blithely along. hemmed in at
every side by a seething, Glowing mass
of humanity.
Walk Result of Wager.
For days and days prior TO the ar
rival of Weston in Chicago his move
ments along the road had been chron-
icled daily in the papers. and during
the time of his activity on the roads
little else was discussed i'm the city
Sportsmen entered into the spirit of
the event. which had it's origin in a
wager involving the sum of $4,000
George Goodwin of New York, in be-
half of John Grindell and Edward In
gals, had wagered $4,000 with T. F.
Wilcox, also of New York. that Wes-
ton could traverse the distance between
Portland and Chicago. a distance of
1,200 statute miles, in thirty days, with
out walking night and L o'clock Sun
day night, thus deductinS four days.
leaving twenty-six secular days for the
trial.
Reports of WestOn's victorious
achievement had preceded him to Chi
cago when it was known that he was
approaching the city considerably
ahead of the stipulated time and mon
ster preparations were made for his
reception here.
Fifty Thousand Greet Weston.
Weston's entrance TO the city, at the
head of Cottage Grove avenue, was
made at 1890 o'clock on the morning
of November 81 Over 90 900 persons
were drawn up along the main thor
oughfares of Hyde Park before
o'clock in, the morning, and by 10 the
housetops were thronsed with specta-
tors. A band was there to lend music
TO the occasion, while a Gordon of police
had been drawn UP in all its finery to
attend the hero and escort him to the
finish in front of the DostOffice build
ing. The last lap from Hyde Park
to the tape was rolled off at the rate
OF four miles an hour, and the blue
coats who had sought distinction of
keeping stride with Weston were put
to a strenuous test i'm their endeavors
TO keep from being distanced.
Passing the reform school on the
way into the city. Weston was given
rousing ovation. the officials in charge
of the institution having extended the
inmates half-holiday that they might
witness the spectacle of Weston's ar
rival Flags were waved, the school
band belched out the strains of Hail
Column bia' and the strange cavalcade
wendell its way along the dusty road
TO the next stop at the Cottage Grove