The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-11-21
BEADS ODDLY STRUNG

There is just a little weakness
about us all in the matter of meeting
celebrities, and had this little weak
ness gratifed one night last week
when the celebrated Daniel O'Leary,
famed on two continents as the
worlds greatest pedestrian, walked
up to my desk and bruskly remarked,
ri am Dan O'Leary, fairly well known
as walker" Assuming some one
who knew me was attempting to put
over little joke, | remarked 81 am
from Missouri" Quick as a flash,
with chara cteristic Irish wit, he came
back. 81 will show you" and drew
from his pocket evidence of his ideni-
ty.
Before'I was born, and | am no
longer a young man, Dan O'Leary
was famous as a walker, and at 20 he
is still able to walk 100 miles a day.
| had him for half an hour, and he
told me many interesting experiences
of his walking career He said walk
ing contests were favorite sport in
Ireland when he was boy at Kill
larney, and that after attracting local
attention he was challenged by the
then worlds champion. Weston, of
England. In this contest he made
the 500 miles in 144 hours, while
Weston made only 451. After this
match he came to this country and
was engaged for two years as a cot
ton planter in Mississippi, during
which time he said he made real.
honest money. He then went to
Chicago and renewed his walking
contests, which he has since continu-
ed.
OLeary has walked over 100000
miles, and has won every contest in
which he ever engaged. Most of his
walking has been against time on
wagers, but recently he had engag-
ed with rubber company to visit
each of the forty-eight state capitals
and five hundred of the principal CT
ties of the country within a period of
three years, beginning October, Is,
1919, on an advertising tour. He
Carries no literature other than a
little book. history of himself, and
some rubber heels, a pair of which he
gave me, the company Is putting out
The scheme is to visit the newspaper
Offices. which of course is good for a
half column writeup, which | pro-
ceeded to give him in the Messenger
I and but for the lateness of the hour
of his visit should have given him
an even more extensive mention.
| On this advertising tour he is not
required to walk and says he often
uses a train when he is not in hur-
nv. However, he makes it practice
to walk from ten to twenty miles a
day, Just to keep in walking condi-
| ton. On each of his birthdays,
/ O'Leary walks hundred miles with
in the twenty four hours. and will
make that distance the 20 of next
June at Columbus, Ohio, when Gov.
Cox has promised to walk the first
ten mics with him.
On the same day that the worlds
walking champion walked into Ow-
ensboro, Capt. Read and the famous
inca flew in. Thousands of people
lined the river front to greet the
brave commander and crew of the
seaplane that will be known for all
time as the first to brave the misty
wastes of the Atlantic ocean to con-
meet the eastern and western hemis-
pheres by aircraft. The Ned can
visit only those cities that lie along
water routes, on account of its in
ability to make a descent except up
on the water, and only relatively few
of the American people will have the
privilege of seeing the pioneer plane
of the sea.
Upon leaving for Evansville the
giant plane rose from the water and
circled the city, and watching it
aloft. its seven engines in a blended
hum resembling the roar of an ap-
preaching hurricane, drew fancy
sketch of this deafening rumble
breaking for the first time the still
ness of the ocean wastes. as ii blazed
the way for the great fleets of air
craft that will soon come after II.
To use a timeworn phrase Of the
cheerful Col Crockett. OF Alamo fame.
seeing Dan o'Leary and the NC-i was
GLORY enough for one day"
supt. y. S. Howard states that the