The Washington times., 1938-04-27

- rdly
Lillian ki1ey were tn e
words out of his mouth when it
was announced from Richmond
that Eudora Ramsay Richard
son, noted biographer Little
Aleck-Life of Alexander H.
Stephens, magazine eSSayist
and short story writer, in spite
Of her 40-odd years, was going to
show him something. On May
28, accompanied by handful of
other feminine contestants, Mrs.
Richardson will walk the 81
miles between Charlottesville
and Richmond. Other entrants
include Mrs. N. G. Netherland,
so. of Ballsville and Mrs. Lucy
Dent, 81. of Petersburg. Mayor
j. Fulmer Bright of Richmond,
graciously offered to accompany
them-in his car.
In addition to showing DR..
Nelson that all Americans are
not Sitters, the MesdameS Rich.
ardSon, Netherland and Dent
will endeavor to prove thai
women can endure more Cruel
ing physical strain than men
can. Your reporter hopes to
cover the Observation-Disclosures
mond trek and keep you abreast
Of the progress of the race, with
flash results sent collect from
every milepost-provided Mayor
Bright will give her a lift.
Spring Urge
There is something about the
balmy air of spring that starts
certain women walking. Most
Of us sit around getting stenog-
Fapher'S spread. But people like
that great hoofer Of the twenties,
Eleanora Sears, of Back Bay,
Boston, get in some of their best
work when the dogWood is in
blossom.
The sports editor of that
phraSe-coining magazine, Time,
once rather quiXotically referred
to Miss Sears as "late-blooming
hyacinth. He intended to con-
Vey the information that Miss
Sears interest in sport gripped
her a little later on in life than
It does most athletic females.
That was indeed true, but Miss
Sears more than made up for
lost time.
On a cold December day
shortly before Christmas in 1925,
dressed in the long box sport
coat she has since made famous,
o checked scarf and high-laced
shoes, Miss Sears hiked from
Providence to Boston, "A miles,
in II hours and 8 minutes, to
win a wager from Howard
Sturges, of Providence, who had
bet her she couldn't do it in
under IS hours.
Miss Sears said she was not
In the least tired after COM
pleting the hike because "You
see, 1 went into training for
months before 1 started" Sew
eral years before this jaunt Miss
Sears had gone just a piece up
the road out in California when
she walked IS miles in II hours.
Her long distance record with
out stopping was 10 miles, also
In California.
Lowers DUN Record
Not content with her Provi-
dence-Boston time, the follow
ing year Eleanora cut it down
to 9 hours and SO minutes. Next
she took up committing afoot
from the Newport Casino to her
home at 1872 Beacon ST., in Bos-
ton-75 miles. Her best along
that route was II hours. IS
minutes. in the spring of 1928.
That same year she competed
with nine other women in a
Laurel-Baltimore walkathon, 26
miles, and defeated the other
female contenders by pacing the
distance off in hours, 38 min
utes and 81 seconds.
Before Mrs. Richardson at
temps to pit herself against
male competition, she had bet
ter pause and consider the fact
that the greatest feminine
walker of all time came in a
poor twenty-fourth among the
men contestants in that same
event.
Miss Sears has not confined
her walking proclivities to this
country. In that beautiful. rosy
spring in Paris which preceded
the black, depression autumn of
1929 at home, Miss Sears hoofed
it from Fontainebleau to her
hotel in the capital of la belle
France in 8 hours 35 minutes
q distance of 42l2 miles.
OF late years Eleanora has not
been in the news as a walking
marathon entrant. Her sporting
activities have been mostly in
the squash rackets field. She
has held the national champion
ship for women and been to
London with the United States
team.
The walking field is now open
to Mrs. Richardson and friends.
Daily Mrs. Eudora Ramsay Rich
ardson tramps the lanes and
dales of lovely Westover Hills in
Richmond, in strict training for
the Charlottesville Richmond
hike. She must bear in mind
that a man. one Janis Dalinsh.
covered Is miles in the noun
tains and dells of Latvia in 1882
In 8 hours 8 minutes and 26
seconds to establish a worlds
record.