The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-01
WALKED 800 MILES.
TWO young Women Tramped from
Portsmouth 10 Rrattlehnrn IN u nnua

/ ''SAsh HUN
Portsmouth TO Brattleboro In IS Days.
Misses Mary and Jennie Hanscom of
TINS city returned late Sunday even,
ing, after a 3O0-milc walking trip over
the Green mountains in Vermont, says
the Portsmouth IN. H. Herald of Oct.
w. They walked every foot Of the
distance from this city to Brattleboro,
w., where Sunday they finished the
Trip and took the train back for this
eity, and the last days trip they both
acknowledge was the most tiresome of
the entire time.
Both are famous pedestrians, for this
IS the third trip Of this description they
! have made. In 1905 they walked to
the White mountains and returned,
go miles, and last year they walked
to the Berkshire mountains in Massa.
chusetts, a little over 800 miles, and
this years trip was a little over 800
miles.
The Misses Hanscom, equipped for
the journey, started from their home on
bennett street Monday morning, Oct.
IA, at 1880 and that day walked to
Bow Lake village, a distance Of 2s
miles. They stopped that night at a
farm house and the next day continued
on to Canterbury, a distance Of 27la
miles, and they put up for night with
the Shakers. The third day they
reached East Andover, N. H., where, as
was the case all through the trip, they
put up for the night at some farm
house preferring it TO a hotel. Thurs.
day night they finished their walk at
Springfield and the following day
reached West Lebanon, n. IL. Satur.
day they crossed from New Hampshire
into Vermont and that night stopped
at Royalton, Vt. The next day they
started and had. gone only nine miles
when it showed so hard that they had
to give up and remain at Bethel for
the night.
The following day with two inches of
snow on the ground they made the trip
across the Green mountains making
the greatest distance during the trip,
1915 miles, from 730 in the morning
until $50 when they reached Rutland.
The walking was very bad, the melting
snow made mud so thick that it was a
tiresome journey. While crossing the
mountains they met three lumber men
who insisted on their riding, and when
they explained that they wished to
walk, they escorted them across the
worst Of the roads. This same day,
the law went off on deer, and they
state that they had the only uneasiness
of the trip. Every man, woman and
child was out with a rifle, and it was
with a sigh of relief that they got out
into the open country.
From Rutland they walked to Dandy,
Vt, a distance of 25 miles, and the
following day they stopped at Sunder-
land. but a distance of 20 miles, owing
to the rain, where they stopped at the
original Ethan Allen house for the
night. The next day they reached
Bennington, and the next day crossed
the range to Wilmington, and on Sat
urday walked to Brattleboro where |
they finished their trip. Sunday morn
ing they took the train for this city, |
and they reached home more tired than
at anv time in the two weeks.
Both young ladies are delighted with
the trip, and they stated that at no
time were they the least bit afraid ex-
cepting when they were passing through |
the wood roads the day that the law
went off on deer. Everywhere they I
were treated with the greatest cour-
tesy, and while various opinions were
passed on their walking such a dis,
lance they were all good natured, and
every possible assistance was given
them. 4 great deal of explanation was
necessary to the good people VINO OF,
fered them a cliff" along the road
for they could not understand why
they would not ride.
They carried the minimum OF bag
gage. for experience had taught them
that the smallest they could get along
with was enough. Each had small
bag not larger than a shopping bag.
This contained but a few toilet arti-
lies, and change of foot wear. Nee
,ssary linen, etc, they purchased as
.bey went along, and discarded as 1t
became soiled A pedometer was
yerv essential part of their equipment,
md Miss Mary wore one that was
,nown to be right. Each wore dark
Walking suit, rainproof, and walking
,at. Their shoes were the usual low
hoes with heavy soles.
Miss Mary Hanscom is the private
ecretary of Mayor Wallace Hackett,
md Miss Jennie lives at home: Ihey
re the daughters of Mr.. and Mrs. &.
wight Hanscom, and for years have
,een great lovers of walking.