The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-07
Seeing America Afoot Not
So Bad Says Local
Runner.
BY NORMAN E. ISAACS

IN lean continent from Los An
geleS to New York is far from be-
ing "cinch" if you will take the
word of man who has done that
very thing. Roy McMurtry, the IA
nous one-armed Indianapolis long
distance runner, will tell you the
"See America Afoot" idea is just
about THE thing.
McMurtry, who finished twelfth
in the world-famous "bunion derby
staged by G. G. Pyle a few months
ago, detailed his experience across
the continent to the writer, and it
seems that when one starts out to
see America, you bump into rain,
snow storms, mud, good roads, bad
roads, Honest-to-God Indians and
what not.
Here's the story as Roy told it:
Starting Field of 1879
There were exactly 1919 of us
when we left Ascot Park in Los An
beleS March 4. Our first lap was to
Puente, CAL, and the weather was
fine. The third day out, however,
we hit our first real test.
"We had to run forty-eight miles
almost all uphill. We went 1900
feet high and most of us developed
leg trouble, due to the change Of
stride. The rest Of the way through
the Sunshine State, though, was
mighty fine.
March IL Indians ferried us
across a river and a twenty-five
mile lap from Needles to Oatmap
put us in Arizona, and believe me.
what we encountered in that State
was mostly COW pasture.
March 10, at Kingman, I devel-.
oped slight touch of pneumonia
and ran f1fty-two miles with 103
fever. I had one hell of time.
My trainer, Harry Shannon of Los
Angeles helped knock the fever out
of me and the next day was
pretty weak. The roads were rather
good, and I rested up.
"On the twentieth day out we
passed into New Mexico. We ran
into plenty of sandstorns there. A
high wind comes up early in the day
and lasts until late evening and
the sandy roads help make the go
ing difficult. At one time the sand
was SO thick we couldn't see ten
feet in front.
1--WE had plenty Of fun, though.
At Old Laguna, an Indian village,
he Indians put on a big festival
for us. They danced and sang regu-
lar old-time stuff and we got a big
kick out Of it.
Ankle Deep in Mud
"From New Mexico we went into
Texas, that was April 3, and we were
in the Lone Star State three days.
At Vega it rained all night and we
started out in the morning in a cold
drizzle. The dirt roads were soaked
and we ran ankle deep in mud. A
little way out the rain turned into
snow and a cold north wind came
up. 1t got colder than the worst
indianapolis winter day can re-
member.
"The Saturday before Easter we ran
into another snow storm. 1t wasn't
so bad, though, and going into Or
lahoma, from Texola to Sayre, I
really started to run. was second
that lap and down about fortieth
in the standings.
t"On April 10 we passed into Mis-
souri, and there we struck some
mighty changeable weather. took
sick again, due to bad water, and
ran laps of forty-f1ve and forty-seven
miles, feeling pretty badly. I man
aged to come out of it and again
started to pick up some of the time
had lost. We hit plenty of rain
and once were forced to detour.
1--WE passed right through st. Louis
without stopping, and I pulled
into East st. Louis, ILL.,, among
the first ten for that lap. The
weather was fine and I was feeling
great. I moved from 10Th position
to 25th in one lap, from Pontiac
to Joliet.
an Chicago we had a peculiar
experience We were turned loose
from the big Armory there and the
doors were closed. They gave the
word and John Stone, the Marion
(Ind.) boy was out first. I was
caught right in the mess and car
ried right through into the street.
Stone had taken a good start and
I set out after him.
az caught up with him about ten
miles out and kept pace with him.
We journeyed into Gary and it
really was beginning to feel like
home. From Gary we moved to
Mishawaka and I went into thir-
tenth position. In fifteen days I
had moved from 10Th to 18th.
Walked 7 Miles an Hour
at ran into Goshen right behind
Mike Kelley, the Goshen boy. In
Indiana I was following, as rule,
Gus Umek, the Italian walker. He
was from trieste and really could go.
He walked about seven miles an
hour and days when I rested up I
used him as a pacesetter. Well,
somewhere along the line we had
eighteen miles to go and I decided
to let out bit. But do you know
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