Putnam patriot., 1920-04-23
FAMOUS WALKER
REACHES PUTNAM
Miss Hill Making Record Tramp
From Washington to Au-
gusta.-To Visit Capitals
Has Walked from Washington to San
Francisce-In Putnam>For Two
Days

With a record of having walked
from Washington to San Francisco, of
having worked with the highest COM
nendation for the men of the navy
throughout the war, Miss Minnie Hill
of Washington, d. c., reached Put
nam on Monday evening on the twen-
ty-first day of another record tramp
which she is making from Washington
10 Augusta, Me-, in the course of
which she has determined to visit the
cauital of every state through which
,he passes. Miss Hill left Putnam on
Thursday morning, hoping to make
Providence before nightfall.
A small. rather delicate little wo--
nan, clad in inconspicuous water
proof garments, Miss Hill looked en-
tireIy unlike one who would undertake
feats that would test the strength OF
the stroogest man. Yet she has ac-
,.omviished what her friends consider
ed impossible and her walk from the
national capital to the Pacific coast,
remains one Of the extraordinary
feats Of American women.
Miss Hill visited The Patriot once
n. Thursday afternoon and talked
most INTERESTINGLY of her cross-coun-
try tramps. She said that her love Oh
walking was born of her early life IN
California, where she had been an IN
defatiguable mountain climber. once,
while crossing to the east on the Santa
Fe route, she noticed party camping
beside the railroad tracks. 1t deter
mined her to live the out-of-door me
herself. and few months later she
started on her long walk back TO the
Pacific coast Her adventures were
MANY and curious. While she planned
a,wavs to make some dwelling each
syenius. there were frequently times
when she would be obliged to rest IN
a barn or clubhouse ike the commonest
tramp. usually because the women OF
the houses that she reached at night
fall were wont to regard her as d sus-
picious and dangerous character.
Miss Hills present trip is undertak=
en- for prominent Maine newspaper.
She sends each day an account OF hef
walk. which is published IN Augusta.
She has been notified that her notes
ara beine- received with great inter
est and she expects cordial reception
on her arrival in the Maine capital.
Miss Hill does not believe in the
adoption of any especial OUTFIT Tor
cross-country walking. She MAIN
tains that nervous strain is prevented
if the walker wears the type OF gar
rnents to which he or she is most ac-
custorned. Consequently Miss Hills
outfit is simple and inconspicuous. She
prefers low shoes of the type called
s.boys' play Shoes" maintaining that
low shoes gives the ankles free play.
Miss Hill carries only small haver-
sack strapped to the waist ana TINS
contains the smallest possible outnt.
Her average walk is seventeen TO
eighteen miles day. She does not
attempt, however, to make any rec
ords and when she@ is tired she rests
until she is ready to undertake her
journey again
Miss Hill confessed to The Patriot
that she had only one fear of the road.
That fear is dogs and it matters not
whether the dog that makes Tor ner
is a big one or a little one-she is
equally panic stricken when they APP
nroach. As for the average tramp,
she confesses that he is dull, stupid
creature, and not to be particularly
feared. She walked many miles on
her Western trip with these knights
of the highway" and never had the
slightest fear of their presence.
From Providence Miss Hill Will go
tn Boston, thence to Concord, N. H.
Montpelier, Vermont and thence 70
the end Of her journey at Augusta.