Athletics and Football (extract)

20 ATHLETICS professionalclass of pedestrianswas encouraged by the general custom of the fashionable gentlemen of the period who kept ' footmen' or ' running footmen' in their service. When gentle­ men took to having townand country housesas well, and travelled about the abominable roads of the period, a running footman could travel much faster than the familycoach, and could even go further in a day than a man on horseback. It is small wonder that, in an age givenup to betting,matches shouldhave been made by gentlemen between their footmen, and the foot­ man of the period was often a professional pedestrian kept for the purpose. In any case a strong runner would easilyfind a footman's place, and his regular businessof carryingmessages on foot, or travelling in front of the family coach to make arrangements for the journey,would keep him in good fettle for such matches as his master might make for him. The good roads of the end of last century began to put an end to the running footman, and the railway system has completed his downfall; as a rule there is little in the footman of the present day to suggest that the original ancestor of the type performed marvellous pedestrian feats. A curious story which is told of the celebrated ' Old Q.' shows how a good runner could find his running powers available for procuring him service in a family. ' Old Q.' used to engage his footmen by a species of competitive examination. Every candidate for a vacancy was riggedout in the footman's uniform and given the regular staff to carry, and then had to ' show his paces' by running up and downin front of the house. One abominably hot day ' Old Q.' reclinedon a balcony,and a candidate was running so well that the noblemanmade him go on running and running in the heat for the pleasureof lookingat him. Finally he shouted to him from the balcony, 'You will do for me.' 'Yes,' said the man, who had by this time resolved not to take service with such a master, ' and these things' (pointing to the gold-laced uniform) 'will do forme,' whereupon he ran off with them, and wasquite a good enough runner to outstrip pursuit. From the time, therefore, of the rise of running footmen