KING OF TRAMPS.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 7, 10 July 1930, Page 5

KING OF TRAMPS.

ABOUND THE WORLD OH FOOT.

MAURICE VANCAM BEACHES

WELLINGTON

Maurice Vancam, known as the "King of Tramps." from Vancouver, B.C V Canada, who is making >his second attempt to walk around the world, is spending a few days in Lower Hutt.

Since 1911 Vancam has been a wanderer on the face of the jjarth, but & wanderer with a purpose. In the year mentioned he started to walk around the world to win a wager of £7000. He completed the number of miles', stipulated- 'in the agreement but returned (back, ten weeks behind schedule and failed to collect the money. Not to be beaten, however, he sallied forth again in 1925, and is well ahead of time and very confident of success. Counting Che milage on both trips combined, this Ulysses"p^esfcrian~:fcaV walked 95,507 miles and has worn 0nt,.148 pairs of .boots. Be still' has another 5000 miles to walk in tie South Island, and South and is due back in Vancouver Iby June of next year. ;

In the. course of an interview*; Mr^ ;Vaneanv.«tated i t^a£ he «w*a in Greece during the 1912 Balkan War amd ia Mexico at the time of the rebellion ia 1913. When the World War brok« out ihe was held a prisoner in German East Africa for 19 weeks before he managed to escape over into. Portuguese terri* tory. Again, in he traversed a great deal of Northern China at the time of the revolution, and was in Japan when the pneumonic flu epidemic ■broke ois.t. His worst experience however, was in Siberia during the Bolahvick upheaval*. There he was locked up on 17 different occasions spending altogether nine; months in prison, and this delay caused •him to return late as before stated.

At eaek town visited, Mr. Vaneam has to procure the Seai of the Council, and signatures of prominent people to verify his visit. He has in his possession 118 books containing tihe impressions of 70,044 Municipal Seals, and over a quarter of a million signatures. These books in themselves are probably the most unique collection of their kind ia tie woi(Ld arid are certainly a revelation ija. J i&nftwriting and;endorsements. y On his first tour Mr. Vaneam visited Lower Hutt on June 27th, 1924,1 aad has: a declaration from the . Council to that effect. . "

Mt. Vaneam will give a resume of this eiperiences at the King GeoTgo Theatre on Saturday, Monday and Tiresday, and should be well worth listening to.