A FAMOUS PEDESTRIAN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9562, 7 August 1909, Page 3

A FAMOUS PEDESTRIAN.

A committee has been formed in Dunedin to raise a testimonial to the world's champion walker, the late Joe Scot. Joe Scott was born in Dunedin io June 3rd, 1863, and on January lit. 1873, when under 10 years of ace, he made his first appearance as a walker en the Caledonian Society Grounds, Dunedin, winning the Two-milj Champion Walk from seven other starters. On the fol owing day he also won the One-mile Champion Walk, these two performances caus fng quite a sensation at the time. In August, 1574, he beat William Edwards, the then champion of Australia, seven miles, for £IOO a side, the time being 60 min lOsee. In September of the same year Scott egain dsfeatsd Edwards in a 100 mile walk for £IOO a-side, doing the distance in 23 hrs 15mh. Scott was then only a little over 11 years o'd, and weighed only sst 21b. In 1879, at Dunedin, Scott won Alfred Austin's 24 Hours' Competition, open to all come/s. from 18 of the best men in the colonies, winning by eight miles, and covering lid miles in the 21 hours. The first prize was the champion b?lt of Australasia, valued £l5O, and £IOO added money. He then travelled the whole length of the colony, giving exhibitions of I walking. In 1882, in a match for . £IOO, he easily defeated his old opponent Edwards in a 24 hours'walk, and again beat him ior £2OO in a 48 hours' walk and for the champion belt of Australasia. On January 23rd, 1885, he defeated Arthur I Handcock, the 50 miles champion of England, in a 24 hours' match for £IOO, covering 116 miles. On FebruI ary 21st of the same year he again {defeated Handcock in a 12 hours' / match for £2OO, covering 69J miles. I Scott was next watched against Hancock to walk a series of three matches —viz., 50 miles, 12 hours, a&d 24 hours, the stake being £IOO a side each match. Hancock won the 50 miles by 40 yards in Bhrs 6.tiin/ After a great race Scott won the 12 hours' event covering 72 miles 64 yards, the greatest performance on record The 24 hours' event was also won by Scott, after which a number of his admirers subscribed a sum of £2OO, to bd presented to him if he could break the vvorld'd record t for 24 hours—viz., 127 miles, held by Howes. Scott start ;d and covered 100 miles in 18 hours, doing the hundredth mile in 7min 3 Jsec, and wound up with 125 miles to his credit in th 9 time allotted. In a further challenge from Hancock, who was not satisfied with his pravious defeats, Scctt defeated him in a 12 hours' match at Christchurch for £SOO a side. In the following year Charles Harriman, the American champion, arrived in Sydney, and was easily de- ' feated by Scott for £2OO a-side, Harriman receiving a start of five I 'minutes. Previous to this Scott had J won the six days' champion belts of j Australia, which were splendid work- j manship, and worth nearly £IOOO, at the Sydney Exhibition. Scott had j also visited Tasmania and beaten ' everything there. After this Scott j and his trainer, Austin, left in the : lonic, September, 1887 for London, and on arriving at once challenged to ' walk any man in the world 50 miles, 12 and 24 hours, or a six days' match, for any part of £SOO. This chal--1 nge was not responded to for months, although several for sums unitr £25 came to hand, but were wisely ignored. Trie form of the challenge was then altered so as to , make it an open offer of the money to ' anyone who could beat Scott in any of these three distance. This resulted in a 12 houra' match with with Arthur Hancock at the Royal Westminster Aquarium, and resulted in an easy win for Scott, who covered 64 n.iles in the time. At the same ll:ce ScotL next met JacK Hibberriin a 24 hours' match, for £IOO, the latter being the then champion of the world over that particular distance. The New Zealander alii) won this match, covering 122 miles to his opponents' 92 miles. The third match of the series—a six days' contest, each of 12 hours—was against W. Howes, and in this also the Maorilander was successful, covering 307 miles to his opponent's 253. Then came the Agricultural Hall competition, a six days' cortest, each of 12 boors, the prizes, being—first £100; eecond, £25; third, £ls; {fourth, £5. There were 280 enj tries, but on Scott's appeal, the number was cut down to 30 of the best walkerj in the United Kingdom, of whom 29 starteJ. Scott and Hibberd were the only two j practically in the race. At the j end of the first day Hibberd had gone 70 miles to Scott's 60; second day, Hibberd 130, Sunt 121; third day, Hibberd 190, Scott 184; fourth day, Scott 246, Hibberd 244, the forn.er having taktn the lead at the two hundred and thirty-fifth mile after 45Jhr walking; fifth day, Scott had established a lead of eight miles, and at the end of the 72 hours had covered 363 miles 1510 yards to Hibberd's 337 miles. The world's record prior to this was 1510 yards shurt of Scott, having been put up by Faber, of New York. Scott next appeared en the vaudeville stage in several towns in England and Scotland, for which he wa3 paid handsomely. He returned to London in September, 1888, and having no prospects of match, made arrangements to return to New Zealand. After his passage was booked Hibberd's backers then cahallenged Scott, but the challenge coulJ not be entertained. On his return to the colonies Scott received a great welcome at the Otago Caledonian Society's games, at which his appersnee, headed by a band paying "The Conquering Hero," etc., formed a special feature of the day's programme. Scott died at Dunedin on i February 9th, 1908, in very poor ciri cunstanes. The movement now being I raised to erect a suitable memoral to j the memory of thedeceasedchampion j walker should certainly meet with , good support.