Pedestrianism Extraordinary.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 42, 31 August 1870, Page 6

Pedestrianism Extraordinary.

0 {New York Tribune.) It was announced some weeks ago in tho ’ j Emj)ix’e Skating Rink that Edward Payson Weston, the celebrated pedestrian, would attempt the extraordinary feat of walking 100 miles in 22 consecutive hours. Some sneered, others doubted ; but Weston, nothing danted, made his preparations, and, under the eyes of competent judges, in tho presence of. thousands of applauding spec- £ tutors, the feat was fairly and triumphantly accomplished. Mr Weston’s only training consisted of a daily morning walk of ten or fifteen miles, during the three weeks preceding the trial. He made his appearance at the Rink midnight, and at 12.15 a.m. began’ The length of the track, which was composed of earth and shavings, was 735 ft. Gin., and he was required to make nearly 718 rounds to accomplish the prescribed distance. J every fifth mile eight rounds were allowed, and seven rounds for all the others. He ' started off in excellent spirits, and the first mile in 11 minutes 15 seconds. The first twenty-five miles were accomplished in 4 hours 7 minutes 54 seconds, and the second in 2 hours 20 minutes over the same time. Seventy-five “miles were fiSinpleted in 16 hours 18 minutes; and 1 *thfe l round oiii&liundred triutnpliantly grates ftime agsSpfwaij to makev4^ißji more rounds. This, too, was llesurel’ .done, leaving fully fifteen minutes ’tdlH Jjgare. Weston stopped nine times walk for rest or refreshment,, She halt beipg three «| ’ S^^^^ervals,' :?f beef tea, coffee, and crackers stgpp^ f in B strong green tea. After the eightieth mile he took a spoonful of champagne three times, and' during the last ten miles he swallowed a little hrandy-and-water about every third round. He used a sponge dipped in bay rum to moisten his head and wrists, and put whiskey in his shoes to ease'his feet. His quickest round, the last of the fiftieth mile, was walked in oneminute and twenty seconds. During the day, there was a scattering attendance of curious spectators, but after nightfall a i crowd poured in, until there were not less | than five thousand people present, includ- i ing not a few ladies, who watched with the keenest interest the rapid strides of the wonderful pedestrian. The scene was picturesque. Tie Rink glittered with a myriad of brilliant gas jets. The cool fountain in the middle tossed a score of tiny I streams into tie air. The most jocund and inspiring tun© wore played by a band of mimic. The animated crowd swayed to and fro with restless interest, and still the little figure o: the smiling athlete pursued its unhesitatng way. Bareheaded, clad only in his siirt and tight velvet trousers, with shoes and leggings, Weston shot along like i human comet. Every time he passed tie judge’s stand, a hearty clapping of hauls saluted him. Towards the close, the mthusiasm became so great that J the most and * ; “ ViVn iar jjjlf.'Six milely and M an 'Hoiih ' JaM’ 1 “Three miles, and 55 mile and 31 minutes.” On the last, mine, the excitement was tremendous, Weston came up, smiling and bowing, tjlie'b air was rent with hurrahs and bravos, ailid stamping of feet; and hats and ha&dktAvchiefs were waved on every side. West<®>r mounted the raised platform, whete HBj wife and child were sitting, and irmdef* neat little speech of thanks, amid renew cheering. Mr Weston finally left in rfatigue, but laughed friends as though merely a little ha 1 f-m l l hundred-mile journey. dollars, to which he is entitdedJHß handed to him without delay, audßH soon §ail for Europe, carrying the of i formed | Jolloway’s Ointment and Pills are wonderfully It| e'baoious in Curing Disease of the Skin.— il Tbmas Mnsgrove, of Oraaf Reinet, was fob ejhteon months a severe sufferer with sores or IL 1| face, hands, ami various parts of his body, of a M' snrbutio nature. There were many things re- K ammeuded, but to no purpose. As the mali; I rty of thcfdisease did not in any way abate, Ifi. hen commenced using Holloway’s Ointment HUy rills, andNby persevering with them for se II iveeks, thd eruptions have all completely hj,.... ■■ and he no^ cn j 0 y S tj le best of health. f

JCASIONAL. NOTES FROM TKli METROPOLIS. ——o —• VI. -THE IMMIGRATION WjUESTIOIS “ file arrival last week of the ships B. f uverie and Leucadia, with a number c nigrants from the Old Country, has ha ; effect of directing public attention' am hj.;kt cusa i° u to the immigration and labou ’ estion. It is of course a universally mitted fact that a young country canno : ranee in any.material degree without i acly influx of colonists to its shores ; ye T, 1 ien it is remembered that numbers 1 o Hotel) en the limited population which Nev aland possesses are duly partially, if a E R Y , employed, it is not .to be wondered a nt immigration is looked upon as every iug that is badby a large proportion o e working chvAmi the Colony. Thn I ere are very mUTy mechanics and labour general ? m . en P a ftially employed in Dun inis, I am, sorry to say, to.o true ; anc rroimd. endeavour to peysuude persons who an to sup' ac J^ an such a.situation that immigratior the sovereign antidote for this lament jle absence of work, must be one of tin • ardest tasks it is /possible to conceive! lieVDunedin, journals—more particularly ie evening paper,! in, a series of article. l ncy ablislied ; some fey weeks back—.have, ,| 0 offerer, Had the temerity to attempt this at; with, of epurse, 1 the, very limited sue Sess which might have been anticipated, understand tjiat many of the recent ..arivals have been unable to obtain work, ( to heir great •astonish,neut and disgust;. for 2; hey were led to'believe-by'the immigra- --- ion agents at hpme that there was not the lightest difficulty in procuring, employuent immediately foot, on the ;olden shore of land of $ wee and plenty, flowing with milk and louey, where; such a tiling as want was i mknowu, and where good wages, short , lours, constant employment, and a splenlid climate, combined to make their future !iiippiness"m fait accompli. The-glow-in" licture presented, and the specious prbSp oiisos made, no doubt induce many to leave mra their homes who would otherwise pause before leaving the laud of their birth to *ga Mme to a strange coiintry ; and when they arrive here, and fiiil that they have severed their home tik-without apparently bettering themselves of course their disI content and vexaticu is Vented bn the (Lvemmout and its agents, through whose instrumentality they have been induced to emigrate. ■' The ciubse pursued by the bnme agents cannot lb too strongly deprewited ; for there is no doubt that they wilfully tell the mo it glaring f ilseh >ods as to the wages obtainable, certainty of procuring work immediitely up m I mdi-ig. and all the other special af i-a it ions which exist only in their own imaginative hr,tins. Many of the immig-aata hy the above I named ships state thabthe glowing colours in which Otago as a icld for emigrant; :s painted by these agens, are beyond conniption ; and they areura-y naturally much lisheartened l at not beiig able to obtain employment now that tey have arrived u the “ Promisee! Land. His Honor the Deputy Superintendent net and conversed vith a large tiumblr of hem; on Tuesday ast, and endeavoured’ so inculcate into bom the virtues of p'atieice, and perseyer;nce, and also tried to pesuade them that heir prospects wore Ijrifht enough, “if || they could only see it’-a very difficult ■I thing to do under the diet instances. His llj on °i- the Deputy Superintendent con--1 eluded by intimating ‘f that he himself; W wanted two men who tould work with a Sr pick and shovel, the nextkhy to cut a road P t0 his own house. ;Tha;|would be a three || or four days’ job, and hrjvould employ two g of the family men on it.’J. Lucky “-family P men !” here is a pleasant stait for you in | your adopted land ! Then bore da the rj Port Chalmers railway starting in a week I or two ; whemyou no doubt wll b) able to I procure constant employment, probably at | the munificent salary of Cl per dem. Why | cannot you look at thiogs asth-ough a 9 kaliedoscope, and imagine you-self in the I fairy land which was piituied to you bell fore leaving the heather-dad hils of your “ bonnie Scotlandl” Wip saysthat there fis not every prospect of abrightmd happy future in store for you ait? Bb; jesting aside, Mr Editor, do you, not tunk that °ur Government is deserving of swere censme for the apathy displaced in lot using thffrr utmost endeavours tdjprovid) for the immediate of thea immigrants, and sar the nunilers we r.ay look . f(%luring the coming susirner ? S~ot the I slightest thought appears ;b have eeu be- | stowed on this important |irt of t.eir im:.j migration .schemes. Tiny seem, to rest I fl u 'te satisfied if they can manage o land people in the province, an! leave hem to kshift for themselves. doubt i is a I slightly difficult subject to fle d with still, I if immigration (is to continue, woks or f enterprises of some description mist.he | undertaken to find emplbyiierib foMffiose | who arrive. in a late issue L>f t\e Evening Jf ,ar f l ’oacl a leading article Ivhirh contains Ml 1 a p 00( l pi'acticid suggestion, sid mo worthy ■ ot consideration. I quote the! following M portions of the’article‘ I reft ■ tojancl hope B gold-fields journal! will give ’ex-pi-ession to their views on iio iibject: - |B“ f "’*.'** W e 'earnestly. inv;it< thekssistanco of all intelligent men to ti: orknisation wm of a plan by which immij -atiiji may be a blessing and not i cursb, to Abo HHrovince. ThoHault of c r pikseijt to

j “system is, that It seems to be thought j “ sufficient that men, women, and children| “ should bo pitchforked into the country,! r “ without iUiy preparation whatever being' j* “ made to provide temporary employment ■ j “ for them. * * * * The gold-fields ought 'J “to be made something to fall back upon j “to give employment do 'every man who ll “ needs, work—a reasrve where wages may 1 “be earned when other employment is not itto be had.. Up to this ,time, when men ® “ have complained of want of work, the a “ Government has been powerless to help * “ them ; or if, it has given them anything 4 “to do, it has been a job at stonebreaking, v “at ten times the cost that a stonebreak- * “ ing' macbih| would do it. But why not “ employ them in reserved gold Working's? * “Gold-mining, has this ,advantage : it * “ competes with no man's labor. An ounce fc “of gold is al way's -marketable'; and there- “ fore, although a Government quartz-mine “ might be bounded by a private company’s “ claim, instead of that being ,a disadvan--3 “ tage it would prove beneficial to the 1 “ latter, for there would be the advantage “ ,of, better roads, probably a better system, 3 “aiid more security. And what valid ’i “ objection could be raised, were the rate of [ “ wages such as not to.compete with the 5 “ labor market ‘I It seems to us that, what- “ ever objection;may be raised to the plan, 1 “ something of this sort is necessary “‘ln connection with, our immigration 1 “ system, a registry of all men wanting “ work, with .their trades and, callings. * “ Until there is a demand for their labor, ' “ they should at once,, if. they chose, be ’ “ employed in the unskilled departments 1 «of alluvial qr quartz-muiing, at a rate of “ wages somewhat lower than the current ; “ one. They should be allowed to leave “ whenever an opening of' obtaining employment at their Ownjtrade or profes- “ siou itself, and to return as sooß^fflMßl^came,scarce.’ :* * * * » “ reefs containing ■ two to “ ton—we have terraces “ meaajgpgf(j(to3 in length—we have old “ .miners can make “ a thousands of square “ miles of auriferous ground—and we have “ hundreds of men out of work. We have little dbiib't'that a plan so simple, if en- • “ rertained, will'meet with opposition. A ’ “ cry will be raised about the Government ’ “ right to'ivudorfcake such enter- “ Governments have ! j . “ many things .tittlo that in the Old World j i “ are companies. They. 11 “ have Jtilys reservoirs; for ! “water, jet ties, docks, and other reprodiv-1; “ Uve varies ; and it may be . asserted, ! ' j “ contradiction.'that if! < “ Eusli ffiPy areas of gold-fields nn-J i “ would be found to j “ relieve tWcoimqunity of the six millions j “ of paid to feed ai “ pauper population. But no matter about j “ precedents. , The world would; never be,: ( “ the better for our living wore we to be 1 1 “ bound by the teaching' of bur grand- ; “ mothers. We have new circumstances j ! “to deal with, and we must, adapt means 1 “to ends. Let ns not spend onr time in ‘ “ hoping for better times, but rouse our- | “ selves' to make the best of our-cireum- j “ stances, remembering that ‘ The gods i ! “ help those who help themselves. * A Sailor Driven Mad by a .Mesmerist, i \ A Newcastle paper relates an extra-1 s ordinary incident, showing tlie danger of i r experimenting with mesmerism. A.fewj'i evenings ago, a young sailor, who, with i [ some shipmates, was lodging at' the Berry ! i Hotel, Sduderlaiul* was standing at the j t bar, when a man, named McKenzie com ■ I a meuced some, mesmeric ''passes,, and the j , young man extremely susceptible, r lie was soon in a state of (i coraa. ' In this 1 state he was.completely at the will of the i operator,-and wasu liable to move except- e ing by M'Keuzie’spermission. Whether ( M-Kenzie was nnajble to restore the man r to consciousness or not we cannot say. ] His statement is that lie tbok him to the I open air, and ho revived ; but it appears i that M'Kenzle 1 left the house while his 1 “ subject” unconscious s state for some time, and'ultimately became c very ill. His to sit-up with ]- him until three o’clock in the morning, jwhen he fell asleep. When roused at $ breakfast time ho appeared to be still labor- r ing under the effects of the mysterious •) passes, became e&is3lt!fjPJv excited, and j talked with all thejisiee|terence of a person ( insane. He ;as the day .wore ] on, and so dangerous-that his comrades de- ii termined to take him to Mr Morgan, of ;■ Monkwearmouth, for his advice. ' On their 0 attempting to enter thti ferry landing, the i young sailor rushed into the water, and i wanted to walk across the water. Ulti- ( niately they reaolteW'lfr Morgan’s house, „ to, find tint in Scotland., On n returning, victim became t more and at 'last' lie i * made bis esca performing a c number.of actions,* he r ] climbed like a roof of a two- ■ j storey house, and "walked 'along, the ridge, ( while his shipmates stood below, expecting ( every moment that he would be dashed to f pieces. When at length coaxed down, he t was iti.auoh a, dangerous Condition that he , had to lie removed to a workhouse, insane ; to all appearances. The police afterwards ] got hold of M'Kenzio, who at first denied ( that'he know anything about mesmerism, ( hut afterwards said he could bring the man out.