The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-24
AUSTRIAN WALKING
AROUND THE WORLD
REACHES RICHMOND
Joseph MikuIeC Has Walked d
Distance of 1880 Miles
And Leaves This Morning to
Continue Journey.
MANY STRANGE TALES
TOLD OF HIS TRIP.
1t Has Been One of Adventure
And a Bigger Part of the Big
Round Globe Has Been Cow
cred by the Man.

Joseph Mikulec. a young Austrian.
has arrived in Richmond after walking
a distance of 1880 miles via southern
Europe and South America. He will
leave Richmond early this morning TO
continue his travels which he states,
will take him through Africa. Austria
liza and Asia. If Dame Fortune smiles
upon him he expects to arrive again in
his home in Croatia. Austria. by April
1911. after an absence of five years.
Mikulec, clad in heavy walking
trousers. incased in stout canvas leg
gings, a blue jersey with yellow
stripes about the sleeves and carrying
on his back a bag which contained his
few worldly possessions. attracted con-
siderable attention as he strode down
Main street yesterday afternoon. He
was assisted in his progress by
heavy walking stick.
He went at once to the city building
where he obtained permission to sell
postcards bearing a likeness of him.
self. He supports himself from the
proceeds derived from the sale of
these cards.
Newspaper Man.
Il am a newspaper man and | am
taking my globe circling trip because
was assigned TO this task by my
newspaper. | left Croatia. Austria in
April, 1906. and If make the trip in
five years | shall receive $4,000 re-
ward. intend to write a book on my
travels. When | started out on my
long walk | weighed 40 pounds. To-
day / weigh 1873 pounds and have not
an ounce of fat on me. wore out
fifteen pairs of shoes. but I am not a
bit tired and am enjoying excellent
health" stated the young man. who Is
just thirty years of age, after he had
secured the signature of Postmaster
Spekenhier to a book which he car
ries.
Sleeps In Junules.
Mikulec stated that after leaving
Austria he travelled through Italy,
France Spain and Portugal From
Lisbon he shipped on merchant
steamer as a sailor, for PraziI. He
landed at Victoria, Brazil and then
walked to Rio Jenerio. He was twen-
ty-two days on this trip and he states
that he travelled through the widest
country in the world. He was forced
to fight his way through jungles and
despite the terrible heat he had TO
sleep by fires to guard himself from
ttl l.
From Santos, Brazil MikuIec ship
ped for LaPlata. Argentina. After
leaving Buenos Ayres he attempted TO
cross the Andes mountains into Chill
but the snow on the mountains pre-
vented him from doing SO and he was
forced to retrace his steps TO Buenos
Ayres. Later he sailed for New
York and walked to Philadelphia,
where he remained for eight weeks TO
this country his knowledge Of Eng
| lish was limited. so he went to school
| while in Philadelphia. He made rap
| id progress with his studies as is
| shown by the excellent manner in
which he speaks English. On his
| travels Mikulec states, he has learned
| four tongues.
Long Distance TO Go.
| From Richmond he will 60 TO Toie
| do and Cleveland and then return to
| New York. From that port he viii
| sail for Australia. After touring that
/ continent he will go 10 Japan and then
to Asia. He will follow the southern
Asian coast line up to the Red Sea
where he viii cross over into Africa.
| From Africa he will 90 to the Holy
Land. Turkey. the Balkan States. west
ern Russia, Germany and thence
| home.
| RE1ISTRIcT NECESSARY