The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-24
MONTANA JOE IS ON WALKING TRIP Must Reach New York By
 April 1 IS LONG JAUNT ON WAGER Tells Amusing Tales of Other Walking Trips He Has Made and Ex-
 periences He Has
 Had

Montana Joe-he of stout legs, flowing mustachios, sombero hat corduroy suit, magic skill and long list of experiences, strode into Birmingham yesterday Joseph is a walker unlike that Joseph of Biblican fame who rode on a camel, has been walking for nearly twenty-two years and expects to walk the rest of his life
 While most people walk on their feet. Joe with the wild western look. is walk ing on a wager of sl5O0 Starting from Denver Col, on November 15 to win this wager he must reach New York by April 1, the distance of 35O0 miles being the ground he will have to cover. The route was mapped out and according to Josie "A Rocky Road to Dublin is smooth as glass compared with it.
 The special walker of the Police Gazette is what Harry c. Chester, Montana Joe's real name, represents himself. The wager of $500 is made up of s250 put Up by himself $250 by the Police Gazette and s200 by another parsonage, against s750 put up by the West End club of Dem yer, who don't believe Joes short legs can cover the prescribed distance within the time stated.
 Montana Joe, so named because that faraway state was his birthplace, took his first job as a sheep herder. His de- scription of this sort of life is not at all alluring. Talk about solitary con- finement-get & job like that" said he. Firing of this job he took a bronco pony of his and started out with Bronco Johns Wild West show in S6 His work with the show was racing against this pony, the pony taking the outside of the track and Montana Joe the inside, giving the pony much longer run.
 He soon tired of this and mixed up with other shows, his first walking con test being in Chicago in S7, in which he was one of the contestants in a six day walking race. Dan A. Leroy fin- ished first with $50 miles, Henry Schmell second and Montana Joe third with 460 miles to his credit. He was only II years of age at this time, while Leroy was 30, and the race was a continuous affair.
 After this he followed the show busi- ness in all it's many branches and often took part in walking contests. He has visited practically every country in the world, always making his way on foot except in crossing the ocean and in other cases where is was absolutely necessary that he ride
 When he started from Denver in No vember, the only money he had about him was a penny set in an aluminium disc, and he has made his way by sell ing souvenir postcards of himself and the great Egyptian giant. who is with Ringing Brothers circus. He states that he has walked every step of the way, and generally manages to make a hotel averages two nights in barns and one by camp fire in the dark and dreary forest, He doesn't care for getting wet and can sleep with the rain pouring down upon him. If the rain should come down 20 heavy as to ca.~e him to noat he will generally awake. His method for drying out is very simple. i. C., build camp fire and sit down on it."
 From outward appearances Wild West ern Champion Globe Trotter Montana Joe is the model of health standing about 5 feet inches in hls heavy walking boots, and weighing 14s pounds. He has been general show rounder, having beeii with circuses, Hindu magicians. Turkish theatres. and has gone up in balloons. He is exceptionally clever with his fin- gers. making coins appear and disap- pear with a skill equal to Hermann the Great. He claims to be competent exponent of the rolling of tack around his eye-ball,"
 Montana Joe talks well, his vernacular being devoid of that slang or "con" which show people as a rule scatter about in their conversation. He travels with a grip containing few slight changes of wearning apparel, and a smaller grip con- taning his cards, the entire outfit weigh ing about twenty pounds. The time for his arrival In New York is Aprn l, but Montana Joe declares he will be rest ing in that city not later than March 20