The Irish standard., 1908-01-11
Dan O'LEARY's WALKS
Began as a Professional July 4,
s: 1884, at Chicago.
Some Of the Incidents of His
Is Remarkable Career.

SlXty-three years old and able to
walk 1000 miles in 1000 consecutive
days. one mile every hour, Such is the
age and such is the capacity of the old
time champion professional pedestrian,
Daniel O'Leary, who has just complet-
II ed at Cincinnati the promenade men,
toned, says the Chicago Record Her
Il aid. The feat is declared by physi-
clans and walking experts to have
been paralleled as to time and distance
only once in the known history of pc
destrianism, while it stands in class
by itself when the age of O'Leary is
taken into consideration. Back in 1900
a Scotchnan of titled descent, Captain
BARLEY, laid out a mile track for him
L self on his estate in Scotland and sue
B ceeded in walking one mile an hour
for 1000 consecutive hours. BARLEY,
y however, was a man in the prime OF
life, and his feat is, therefore, not conf
parable to the bit of exercise just taxi
en- by the 63-year-young O'Leary.
FO'Leary has had enough practice in
the art of walking to be a pretty good
foot artist" even at his age. He has
done SO much professional promenade
ing, however. that it would not be sur
prising had he walked himself out
long ago. He began professional walk
ing OH July 4. 1874, at Chicago. and he
has been walking ever since. The test
through which he has just come so
triumpiantly was suggested to him
some months ago by Cincinnati ply
sicians many of whom are friends of
Q'Leary. During the daytime in fa-
Il Norable weather, O'Leary walked on
a one-lnile track laid. At night when
it was raining he reeled off the mile
IN Il big dancing pavilion near by. A
cot was arranged close to the track,
while all his meals were served on the
4 track side.
About one hour and half was the
& longest period Of rest possible to the
walker under the terms of the test.
During each and every hour of the
1000 it was necessary for O'Leary to
walk one mile, no more and no less.
This meant that about ninety minutes
was the longest period of rest he could
obtain at one time under any circum-
stances. IT, for instance, he started
ats o'clock promptly to walk the mile
scheduled between 8 and 1, and he fin
ished at 1919 or Whereabouts, he then
could wait until about 4:45 before TAX
inE the track again. Before o'clock
he would then have to make the mile
scheduled for the hour between and
5. Such a feat as this would appear
to be almost beyond the bounds of hui
man endurance. when it is considered
that the 1000 miles under these condi-
tions meant period of forty-one days
and sixteen hours. during which the
test lasted, yet O'Leary finished the
walk strong and in good physical
shape.
The whole pedestrian history OF
O'Leary has been filled with notable
bits of endurance. He was remark
ably successful walker throughout his
career, and he has won events in many
parts Of the world. 1t was by chance
1 that he got into pedestrianism. In
1874 he was collector for a book con-
Z Germ in Chicago. There was much
discussion of an attempt being made
in New York by z. P. Weston to walk
500 miles in six days. O'Leary one
h day announced to some Of his friends
II that II Weston could not do the feat
& he could. He was laughed at, where
upon he obtained backing, and on
Il July began a six-day walk at a rink
Ct on West Randolph street. He covered
sssS522 miles in the six days. Thereafter
he adopted walking as his business
Il He was so years old at this time hav-
ing been born in County Cork, Ireland.
4 In 1874. .,
53e. After several matches of lesser i'm
portance. all of which he won, O'Leary
then entered into a match against five
pedestrians the conditions being that
n any one of the five could go in at any
time against O'Leary. the latter thus
4 having constantly a fresh man. The
walk was for forty hours, ten hours
L day for four days. OLeary won cas-
Nv. Next followed famous race at
\, Rarnun's Hippodrome, New York, in
which O'Leary was opposed by Wilson
Heed, to whom he gave q handicap of
quarter Of a mile, the race being for
1. tWenty miles. This has been pro-
Aeunced one of the greatest races on
sssFeeord At the pistol the two men set
furious pace, Reed, squirting often.
Y For flfteen miles of the twenty, the
cpntestants raced side by side. AT tne
9TH mile, however. Reed tainted. and
4K,I1eary finished alone. Another of
Sgo.Leary's great races was that at Chi