Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-19
A LONG walk.
Austrian Prestrian Ar
rives in Capital City.
Miku|ec Is Walking Around
The World on Wager.
Now 600 Miles Ahead Of ScheduI
and Has IS Months to Walk.

'"~"ph Mikulec. an Austrian, who
claims to be the champion long dis
| ...ce walker OF the world, arrived in
| this city at 1.20 Sunday evening from
| Richmond, having covered 1850 miles
since starting from his home three
years ago The first people to greet
him upon his arrival in the city were
Manager Emerson of the Augusta
House, County Commissioner L. 7.
Williams and 0. r. Wellman. Mikulec
called at the Journal office a few min
utes after his arrival in the city and
gave an entertaining account of his
travels. He also stopped for a short
| time in Postotlice square, where he was
| soon surrounded by crowd and sold
| many OF the cards, which he carries
| with him. containing his picture and a
brief sketch of what he has accom-
plished. He will remain in the city
over night, call at the State House in
| the morning to secure the State seal
| ana the signature of Governor FernalG
should he be there, and other State Off
Gals.
The Austrian did but little walking
Sunday, not leaving Richmond until
| s o'clock and passing quite a part of
| the day in Gardiner. He did not expect
when he reached Portland Thursday to
| arrive in Augusta until Monday, but
| is ahead of his schedule as he has been
| during the greater part of his journey.
| From here he will go to Montpelier
and after crossing the Canadian Dor
| der wilt journey again to the Pacific
coast. He will then take steamer to
Manchuria, where he will follow the
| line OF the Siberian railroad to st. Pc
| tcrSeurg and from there through
Southern Russia, Turkey, Greece, Ger
| nanv aud other countries &c his native
home. o, slNV x{Hy
| Mikulec is walking $4,000 miles
around the world on a $4,000 wager for
an Australian publishing house He is
now 600 miles ahead of his schedule and
still mas 10 months to walk
| The young Austro- hungarian pedes-
.rian is 81 years of age and was born
in the town of Agram province of
ECroatio Hungary. He started from his
home town Feb. 5, 1906 and has been
walking ever since. From his home he
crossed over into Italy, thence to
France, down into Spain and Portugal
| and thence to Africa, where he worked
| his way on a steamer as cooks assist
ant After taking a few hundred mile
jaunts about South Africa he took ship
| for South America.
[ He had the most thrilling experiences
| of his long journey while in Brazil be-
| ing lost eight days in the forest and
on.y succeeding in working his way
out tf the jungle with the aid of his
pocket compass which he carries with
him when he was bitten bv rattle
snake, which laid him up several days
longer. He worked his way up the east
coast of South America to Mexico and
then into this country, which he has
now crossed and plans to cross again
+ Mikulec stated in conversation with a
Journal reporter that he started out on
his journey without cent in his pOck
ct and has earned his way when travel
ing on land by selling postcards of
himself. He has worked his passage
across the ocean but the postcards are
his only means of obtaining money
while walking. He carries knapsack
which weighs about Is pounds and
since leaving Sacramento. Jan. 10, 1909.
sill; nag the gift of Gov. Gillette OF
California. He has travelled in all kinds
of weather. crossing the Tennessee pass
III the Rocky mountains Dec. 2. 1908. at
an elevation of 11,000 feet when the
mercury registered IS below zero. The
greater part OF his baggage he ships
ahead from place to place and fire.
uuently finds himself caught ir rain
storm with his rubber coat in another
town 40 or so miles beond.
He has worn out 30 pairs of shoes and
stockings without number but seems to
show 10 signs of fatigue and the mus
cles of his arms and legs are as hard
he started on his journey and now
weighs 1856, but he is in. excellent con-
dition and much Drowned as the result
of exposure.
He sends letters to his home paper
twice q week, that being part of his
contract. He carries with him several
books in which are the signatures of
many noted men and the seals of the
different states which he has visited.
He has in one of the books the sigma
lures of President Taft and Vice Pres
ident Sherman. He speaks English flu
emily and says that during his trip he
had learned three or four different
languages quite thoroughly and can
make himself understood in several
more.