The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-17
WESTON THE PEDESTRIAN
HE is CONSIDERED A MARVEL BY
AUTHORITIES ON ATHLETICS.

Training Ideals Fail-MOderate Eat
ing and Drinking His One Rule
Doing Much Good for Mankind
Physicians are Watching With In
terest the Veteran Walker.
Many physicians are watching with
interest the attempt of the veteran
walker Edward Payson Weston, to
cross the continent on foot.
Physicians and athletic directors
interviewed regarding Westons work
do not take him for the most part as
an example of what many men who
have kept in good physical trim
might be able to do; they consider him
extremely exceptional, as eXtraordin~
airy an example of physical prowess
as Jim Jeffries, or Corbett or Hayes,
or any of the other of the eXemplars
of strength, skill and endurance that
now and then excite popular wonder
and admiration.
powers to four factors-a naturally
strong constitution moderation
through life of food and drink; long
and careful training, so that in COW
ering with his strides a given dis
lance minimum of energy is eXpend-
ed, and a will of tremendous
strength.
Many of them doubt if he will fin
sh, though having made no eXamina-
ton of the subject, they are unwilling
to prophesy. They feel that Weston's
laS years walk from Chicago to
Portland is a cogent argument III
favor of success, yet they think it may
force his body too far, so as to cause
breakdown before the course is
done.
The most far-sighted professional
interest displayed in Weston's walk
by any physician was that of DR..
Frederic Brush, the superintendent
of the POSTGRADUATE hospital and
Medical school of New York
THE garbled statement of Dr. Os-
ler," he said, has done tremendous
harm; | believe it has caused many
suicides. The greatest thing about
Weston is that he is showing men that
at an age where they have begun to
think of chloroform they should be
energetic and vigorous still.
Il look on Weston personally as a
most remarkable man; n man of eX-
traordinary individual equipment. It's
absurd to say he shows only what
men who, starting with good phys
iques, could do at his age with careful
training. They can't Why, he is doing
what mighty few young men, young
athletes, could do. No man of any
age at all has ever come up to his
record, so far as | know.
lie is not an example of emula-
ton in that way, for he stands alone
1t is in a general way that / mean.
What he can do should go to con-
vince other men that they are capable
of a great deal more than they now
think You know how men so often
nowadays begin to let things slip in
at about forty-fve, and then at fifty
give up altogether. That's what I'm
talking about. It's a reaction against
this that hope will follow Weston's
extraordinary example. 1t should
bring more energy all around; more
energy in exercising, more energy IL
business. 1t should make these adher
ents of the misnamed Osler theory
for Osler never voiced that theory
courageous and cheerful If Weston
enterprise can do that, and it Ger
tainly tends to, he will have dom
something greater than to excite tn
establishment and admiration of tn
country-that he had done already 9.
In a narrower view the value o
his attempt is great-it gives impuls
to walking as pastime. We have be
come a on-walking nation. WORKING
down here as / do, among many for
eigners, ! am surprised to find hoy
readily these people walk ten 0
twelve miles a day as a matter O
course.
you know what effect the Mara
thoh races had among schoolboys an
other people, too. That showed ho'
quickly a thing can be brought int
popularity. Marathon running had
bad effect; 1t was too violent, an
many people have suffered from
But If Weston's walks give the sam