New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-03
WESTON'S JOURNEY ENDS


chief and an old friend of Weston, Joined
him there also and walked with him 30
the City Hall
One Long Ovation from, Crowds.
The afternoon journey was one long.
continuous ovation for the veteran pedes-
tria0. with ever increasing crowds and
ever louder appreciation. Columbus
Circle, into which he swung a 1: % p. m,
was damned with a mob through which
an adequate force of police had great
Weston.
From 4od street south in Broadway
traffic was absolutely paraiyzed while
the veteran passed and a surging mob
of at least FIVE thousand persons swung
into some semblance of a parade and
marched behind him
In Greeley Square. where the crowd
was halted for q few moments while the
police endeavored to straighten out the
marchers into some kind of line, Wes-
ton stood with his hat in his hand, i'm
patiently tapping his foot at the delay
Pelusos Metropolitan Band which es-
corted him from the Ansonia down.
struck up When Johnny Cores March
ing Home" and Weston, far from using
the minute or two to rest, began to step
around in a small circle in mixture OF
Scottish sword dance and a ''darky" jig.
The crowd cheered and laughed and
the old man swept the circle with
fancy bow.
Madison Square and the park held an
other waiting crowd which the police es-
tinated at over twenty thousand, and
something more than five thousand of
those onlookers fell in behind the march
ing crowd which accompanied the
walker to that point. Weston was pro-
tected by half a dozen mounted patrol
men. who formed d hollow square be
hind the band and running back to the
automobile behind, from which his
daughter watched him walk.
The old man told Captain McCullash,
Of the traffic squad. who was in charge
Of the mounted escort, that he did not
want TO stop to shake hands with any
one on the trip from the Ansonia to the
City Hall, but at Odd street Pat Pow
ers managed to break through the pro-
tecting line with leather case two feet
long, held Importantly under one arm.
Weston halted with smile for his old
friend Powers, and signed to the traffic
patrolmen that they should let him
through the lines. When Pat opened the
box it was learned that it contained the
Weston belt a silver belt which had
been named after the veteran in 1902,
when he wa5 referee of d walking match
which Powers promoted
Powers explained that the belt had
been left with him by Pat" Cavanaugh,
a former winner of 1t. and he presented
1t to Weston simply q souvenir of the
successful end of his trip across the
country.
Friend from Illinois in at Finish.
The halt in the march made it a dtfT1-
cult task for the police TO get things
lined up again, but they finally cleared
the street and Weston started gain.
It wasn't until then that the traffic
squad men discovered an unassuming
man who had been quietly walking
along with the procession just in front of
the band He had been there from I'D
street down. and when one of the patrol
men ordered him to the sidewalk just
south of sd street he displayed his
dander mildly.
Weston saw him then and cleared the
matter up, and one Ebert l.. Burns. Of
Polo III. gained his wish to walk near
Weston on the last lap of his famous
trip II appeared that Burns when
a boy had been introduced TO Weston,
end had always cherished high regard
for the old man, so much so that when
he heard of the present trip he decided
to be in at the finish. SO he came on
from Polo and had his wish right up to
the final minute, when he stood within
two wards of his hero when the Mayor
greeted him and handed over the purse.
Til sure have something to tell the
boys back Ia Polo said Burns.
Weston himself when he overcame his
first emotion after greeting the Mayor,
said he was surprised and delighted at
the spontaneity of his reception.
It's the greatest ovation 1 ever got
In nv life" he said. 1T was worth
walking across the country for.
The testimonial purse which the Mayor
was commissioned to give to Weston was
raised by a voluntary committee of his
friends and admirers, which included
Pierre LorilIard Henry Clews. Postmas-
ter Edward NJ. Morgan. Thomas H. Hub
bard. Joseph II. Choate and Walter H
Moler.
BIG VERDICT SUSTAINED