Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-10-06
ENCIRCLING U. S.
ON GENEROSITY
Leonard Day of San Francisco
Must Ask Nothing
In Brattleboro ON Long Tramp-Must
Not Accept Transportation and Must
Not Pay Out Penny.

Not Pay Out Penny.
Covered with dirt and dust, tired and
pennless and yet possessed with that
interchangeable spirit that knows no de-
feat, Leonard Day of San Francisco,
the man who is walking around the
border of the United States trudged
down through Main street Monday
afternoon about o'clock followed by a
curious crowd of abut 100 persons and
brought up at the fire station on Elliot
street. He was hatless and coatless and
showed the effects of his 2O-mile hike
from Keene n. H.. from which place he
set out for Brattleboro Monday morn,
ing. With him were his trusty and
faithful Airedale named Kenwyn Radio.
which has been his constant companion
since he left New Brunswick, n. J
several weeks ago, and his trusty club
which he calls Old Bill and which has
served him in good stead many time
during the long and dangerous hikes
through some of the western wilderness
Day left San Francisco Nov. 20 OF
last year on this 10.5S5-mle hike, to
prove that something could be done
which had been explained to him
was impossible. Day is an author;
fiction writer. In the fall OIL
1921 he submitted a story to his pub
fishers, entitled The Unsolicited Gener-
osity of the American People. In tins
story the writer told of the possibilities
of making such n journey as he is now
engaged upon. The publishers rejected
the story, saying that it was utterly I'M
possible for a man to start out without
a penny and make u hike around the
borders of the country, relying entirely
on the generosity of the people whom he
might meet in the various sections oil the
country. To prove his contention Day
set out from San Francisco without a
coat or hat and without a cent, win
nothing but his pack on his back. II
looks as though this hiker was well on
the way toward achieving his goal. Al
ready he has traversed over half OF the
necessary mileage and it has all been
accomplished without the expenditure oil
Il penny.
The conditions under which Day is
performing this feat are unique. Ac-
cording TO the terms made with his pub
fishers, he must not accept any money
nor must he ask for clothes or even for
food. Everything that he receives must
be given him solely out of generosity. II
he needs a shirt-and he has worn out
several on his long itinerary-he must
not mention the fact that he needs one
somebody whom he meets must notice
that he needs a garment and must pre-
sent him with one. If his shoes are
wearing out and his toes are poklns
through he cannot, according to the con-
needs new footgear; but if someone OBJ
serves the condition of his feet and pre-
sents him with a new pair of shoes, Day
is at liberty to accept them. Thus far
this famed hiker has covered half of the
country's western boundary, the whole
of the southern and eastern borders, and
: AZ. n. new sYsee4l-en his way along the
northern area and up to now the con-
ditions of the journey have been met by
him in every particular. Day is per.
E., .l,i,, of xxnf n a
n match if he desires to have a smoke
after the completion of n days journey.
He is not permitted to smoke cigars, but
he can smoke cigarettes and his pipe II
he chooses. He is permitted further to
allow someone to carry his pack, pro-
yided someone offers to do it.
Day carries with him an interesting
little book in which are notations made
by many people whom he has met on his
route these notations proving that he
has visited the various towns as claimed
Every article of clothing or food That Is
given him has to be noted IN the DOCK
and signed by the donor, in order that
proof will later be at hand to show that
everything was received unsolicited. In
another book he carries clippings from
various papers in the towns and cities
where he has stopped; these papers be
ing sent voluntarily to future point
where Day later secures them. In this
way he has further proof of his travels
and the generous spirit accorded him.
Day speaks well of the generosity III
has found among the New England PEG
pie. II found the South rather skepti
cal" he said, land / found better treat
ment the moment | reached New YORK
Since leaving Washington, ID. c., l hav
missed only nine meals, and since leav
ing San Antonio, Texas, l have slep
in the open only three times. Wit
these exceptions, l have everywhere bee
offered bed in which to sleep and hav
been invited to breakfast, dinner an
supper"
When asked what was the wors
stretch of territory through which he ha
thus far passed. Day said: That wa
in the Yuma desert in Arizona. ha
to make 20 miles over the hot and desc
late sands to the first water well. Th
next day l did II miles to the next waite
well, and the day following | did tn
same distance to another well and the
it was II miles to Yuma. You know
when you reach one of these wells a
night the authorities there won't let 20
go on. You have to stay over nigh
there and start out in the morning"
Asked what was the worst eXperienc
he had Day said "My worst day wa
in the waste lands of Texas when
went 60 hours without food of any KIM
/ went 70 miles without seeing hous
and one night when l was about to G
four coyotes. Old Bill was my onl
protection and / battled with them a
most an hour before l drew blood fro
one of them. AS soon as you do that
ends the battle so far as coyotes al
concerned. / have several times bee
without food for ~ or "a hours, bl
never for 60 hours except this one exp
rence, and it sure was hard tussle."
Day has been remarkably free fro
illness since the start of his trip. G
only one day did he feel under Il
weather and he said that was due to il
pure water. Day can make known Il
fact that he is i'll, but it is also a part
the rules that he must not ask for med
cine.
Day said his entry in New York WI
nothing short of triumphant. Someol
noticed the pack on his back just as
stepped from n ferryboat On the pa
is a sign which reads: Leonard Day
his 10,5S5-mile hike and his faithf
Airedale." Within 10 minutes the hik
was in restaurant enjoying a go
feed Mt the invitation of the man W
noticed the bag on his back. That mig