New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-03
Great Ovation to Pedestrian
Overcomes Him as He
GreetS Mayor.
THOUSANDS DOG HIS STEPS
Marching Throng Behind Old
Man Sweeps Down to City
Hall to Final Scene
of Walk.

| to Mayor Gaynor the letter given MN
on February l by Mayor George
! Alexander of Los Angeles. Then the
seventy -one-year-old walker strolled
over to the Postoffice building, where he
delivered to Postmaster Morgan mes
sage of greeting from Postmaster Flint
of Los Angeles. and with those two mat
tiers of trust off his hands Weston
stepped into a waiting automobile and
was driven uptown.
1t was the first long walking tour in
his long and varied experience in that
line which Weston ever ended in New
York, and from Kingsbridge to City Hall
Park enormous crowds damned Broad
way and yelled their appreciation of his
pluck and endurance. Weston walked
| down Broadway like happy boy in the
best possible h~mor with himself and
/ the world. He was dressed in black
coat, brown trousers cut off at the knee,
with leather leggings incasing his legs.
Topping it all was derby hat with
extraordinarily Wi = brim, and under
meath that the old mans face was spread
in continuous smile.
He enjoyed every step of his trip, he
said. and most of all he was pleased with
j the ovation he received at the finish of
his journey.
Mayors Greeting Overcomes Him.
When he met Mayor Gaynor. that ex-
ecutive. who is himself something of a
pedestrian. welcomed him with a vigor-
Gus handshake.
You left there at o'clock on Feb
ruary l." said the Mayor, and you
reached us at $40 o'clock to-day: that's
marvellous. You benefactor of the
! human race, teaching people the good of
the open air and the common sense of
taking plenty of exercise. If people gen
orally would initiate your good example
they'd live to be hundred years old
Weston's friends here, the Mayor said.
had given him purse to be handed to
| him, and with it the Mayor added the
word that there would be more coming.
How have you been on the way?" he
asked Weston then.
Fine, thank you" replied Weston,
and 1 feel so proud right now that
| T.. But the veterans emotion over
came him, and he stood quiet while big
tears coursed down his cheeks.
The Mayor escorted Weston into his
office, and there he accepted the pedes-
TRANS suggestion that they should walk
out 10 st. James together some day
soon. Weston was ready right then but
the Mayor postponed the trip for week
! or so.
When the old man left the City Hall
to deliver his message to Postmaster
| Morgan in the Postoffice building the
| immense crowd which filed City Hall
Park journeyed with him, or as near to
him as they could force their way. In
the federal building employees stopped
their work to get a glimpse of the ia
nous pedestrian, and the cOurtrooms
were emptied of their spectators.
Even the jurors in the Heinze trial
craned their necks toward the windows
facing City Hall Park, until finally Judge
| Hough announced a f1fteen-minute ad-
journment in order that all might have
a chance TO see the walker received by
the Mayor.
Beats His Schedule in All Ways.
Down Broadway, from the city limits
to the City Hall, Weston walked with
jaunty step and apparently no sign of
fatigue after his long journey. and, keep
ing UP consistently with his programme
of breaking his own record, he arrived
at the end of his long Journey just fifty
minutes ahead of the schedule he out
lined for himself for to-days walk from
Yonkers.
He never walks on Sundays, so his aim
York in less than ninety days was bet
tered by twelve days. It took him just
seyenty-eight walking days. Yesterday
al Yonkers he planned the last lap of his
trim so that he would land at the CITY
Hall at / o'cock, but that included
half hour stop at the Ansonia for lunch
con and midday rest. Instead of that he
walked into the Ansonia at 1000 o'clock
and rested there until just /: 07 o'clock.
Then on the final lap to the City Hall he
cut off d little more than fifty minutes
arriving at $40 instead of + O'Clock
Weston left Yonkers at o'clock YES
terday morning, and from the Getty
House. at which he stayed over Sunday,
! to Kingsbridge things re compare
lively ouiet Those who saw him cheered
and watched him for a few blocks. but
there was no following crowd of admir-
ers and imitators. such as greeted him
later in the day Through the morning
tramp the crowd kept increasing grad
uaIly. and Weston was Cheered and ap-
pIauded at every corner down Broad
way. BY the time he reached the An
sonia the crowd which was following him
a,tf
and most of them hung about the hotel
axnecting him 10 resume his walk imme-
diately,
ITnstairs in a quiet room, however. the
pedestrian was making preparations for
1 , .-o,d rest He removed his shoes and
i.peings and stretched out on bed
Z 1hnurh he did not go to sleep, Instead
2 no sat ND after few minutes and took
n light lunch of eggs beaten up in milk
uo talked with the numerous friends
uho came in to see him, and recounted
talps of the road and Of previous trips
Mrs. Anna Hagen, Westt s daughter.
,.tuad MIN at the hotel aud rode down
; broadway on the afternoon trip in an
automobile just behind her famous
+ father. John MCCullagh. former police
Continued On fifth DaRa.