The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-03-22
INMATE OF JOHNSON COUNTY
TRAVELS $1,000 MILES.

Walking in circle never more than
ten feet in diameter. Hugh White, an
aged inmate of the Johnson county
poor farm, who died in that institution
recently, had travelled according to
the officials, 162,O60 miles in thirty
seven years without stepping outside
the boundaries Of the farm a Council
Bluffs, Qowa) correspondent OF the
New York World writes.
When White first entered the poor
farm he was possessed of an obsession
to walk in a circle, and day in and day
out he walked, always in circle. In
good weather he made his path in the
yard; in bad weather his circle lay
within the walls OF his little room
But the officials estimate he walked
a distance more than six times around
the world during his stay. But he
didn't know he was walking aimlessly
He always had an objective point.
Visited Parts in imagination.
morrow" he would say. And the next
morning he started on the journey.
Hour after hour he walked, day after
day. Ever night he stopped. always
at some imaginary city. Rivers, lakes.
oceans cut no figure; If they We're in
his way he walked over them, never
taking the trouble to do any swim
ming.
| Some days he would announce to
the other inmates that he had reach
ed Paris and for day c. two he
would rest Then he started on the
back track for Iowa. On the out.
bound trip he always kept accurate
count of the number of days the journ-
I ey took, and he always tried to beat
his time" on the return rip. If the
trip was long one he usually sue
ceeded in doing this by about one
day.
, Went Both North and South.
In hot weather White usually went
north--sometimes as far as the north
pole And no matter how torrld the
weather, when he crossed into the arc.
tic regions he always put on all the
clothing he had. On the return trip he
gradually discarded the extra gar
|ments. And when winter came, he
took trip south. Sometimes he stop
ped in Florida or southern California.
At other times he went all the way to
the tropics. In the latter he had small
use for clothing and upon those oo-
!. casions he wore the minimum per-
mitted by law
! Shoes? White wore out all the shoes
} he could get at first; then for years
and years he travelled barefoot. The
Iofficials had taught him that IFS the
!. proper way to walk-the most health
full way. So when he @'qrted - ono
of his long journeys he carefully re-
: moved his shoes. When lie fai5hed
his walking task for the day he put
them on again.
Worlds Greatest Pedestrian.
Six hours every day he permitted
himelf to walk; and he made speed
of just about two miles an hour.
Twelve miles a day is enough for
Iany man to walk" he used to tell his
friends. That's just enough to keep
in good health If walk faster
can't enjoy the scenery"
In his younger days, when he first
came to the poor farm, he was not
. SO particular and oftern made eigh-
teen or twenty miles day. AS he
grew older, however, his speed de-
creased.
I'm the greatest traveller in the
world" he often said. 1--WE been to
every country I ever heard OF. I've
been to the north pole and the south
pole. I'd go to the moon, but can't
walk across space"
Out in the yard at the poor farm
there are several circles trod down
many inches in the earth. In Whites
little room his feet actually made a
plainly discenible circle on the pine
floor.