The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-04


You have to stay over night there
and start out in the morning.
Asked what was the worst expert
ence he had Day said: my worst
day was in the waste lands OF Texas
when | went go hours without food OF
any kind. | went 73 miles without
seeing house, and one night when
was about to go to sleep In the open
was attacked by four coyotes. Old
Bill was my only protection and | bat
tied with them almost an hour before
| drew blood from one OF them. AS
soon as you do that 1t ends the bat
tie so far as coyotes are concerned.
| have several times been without
food for IL or "a hours. but never
for 60 hours except this one exper-
ience and 1t sure was a hard tussie.' y
Day has been remarkably free from
only one day did he feel under the
weather and he said that was due to
impure water. Day can make known
the fact that he is i'll. but II is also
a part OF the rules that he must not
ask for medicine. m
Day said his entry in New York
was nothing short OF triumphant.
Someone noticed the pack on his back
just as he stepped from ferryboat.
On the pack is sign which reads:
Leonard Day on his 10,5S5-mile hike
and his faithful Ardale." Within
10 minutes the hiker was in restau-
rant enjoying a good feed at the invi'
tation of the man who noticed the
bag on his back That night and
several subsequent nights he spent
at the Pennsylvania hotel. II have
nothing but praise" he said for the
people in the Northeast and particu
larly In New England" q.
Money has been offered Day or
every hand, which of course he can
not accept. On an average, he has
been offered dollar mile. He has
been offered many lifts in automo
biles and wagons, but they likewise
must be refused. One day he turned
down 1874 offers to ride.
Days longest stretch without stop
ping was 36 1-2 miles in Louisiana;
his shortest hike in one day was two
miles from Lynn to Swampscott.
Old Bill has been an object o
much interest since Day arrived II
Brattleboro. 1t Is stock of cactu.
plant which Day picked up in tbs
Arizona desert and 1t Is PRACTICAL,
covered with emblems which he ha'
received from the many fire depart
ments which he has visited en- route
He finds that many of his bes
| friends are the firemen in the varioI:
towns and cites, and when he stop
ped at Central Falls. r. l., he ship
ped back to San Francisco over Ii
pounds of emblems.
He will hike across New York stat,
to Buffalo, then to Cleveland, Chi
cago, st. Paul to Billings, Mont. From
that point he will make a drive I,
Seattle and then down the western
coast to San Francisco, to the end o
his journey and $6,50O.
The Airedale which accompanie
him is the fourth dog which he ha
had since starting on the trip. TIL
other three became foctsore and h
had to give them away. This do
! was presented to him at New Brun'
: wick, n. j., and thus far seems I
; have withstood the journey almost a
good as his master
! Day Is clad In khaki and looks yer
. much like some of the top sergean,
one used to see at the training camp
| He is solidly built and has heav
/. crop of black and heavy moustach
. He is az years of age, is FIVE fe,
Q nine inches tall and weighs 1f
' pounds. He has a genial dispositic
Y and is very pleasant and interes
!, ing man with whom to convers
a There is no air of braggadocio abol
n him; rather, is he quiet and una
1 suming and always ready to answ,
every question with sparkling e,
It that denotes determination to win Il
e goal he is after.
I AS soon as Day reaches San Fra
/, cisco, and proof is submitted to
1t publishers, Days story will be a
II cepted for publication for which
o will receive the tidy sum of $6,500
o Among the recent Arlington VII
Z tors in town were; Mrs. b. l.. Har
u Mrs. G.. d. Howard and Mrs. Il.