An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY meant pot-housing, but as mentioned before the engage– ment was promptly broken off in a little over a month. During- the winter of 1868-9 I was in lodgings at Putney (my co-lodger being my subsequent partner, W. H. Eyre), trying to sleep out in an open boat by Eel Pie Island with "Cocky Cross,'' on Christmas Eve, trying to build a velocipede,Y and riding it on Barnes Common, and was on 3rd February elected honorary secretary to the London Athletic Club in succession to Walter Chinnery. My weight was then r 1 st. 6 oz., and I varied little from this for some years. On rst June I went out for the first time in a wager boat, getting through Old Putney Bridge at my first attempt, to the great disappointment of several kind friends who accompanied me without upsetting, but though I was assiduous in practice I never won a race. Had sliding seats been then in vogue, I think I should have done so, for I was very long in the reach, had a calf measurement of 16½ inches, and my wind was very good indeed just about that time. I walked a mile and ran a mile from one start in 13.11, which I believe still remains the best on record, for though there are a dozen men uow who could beat it, uo one has ever happened to try to do so. Still even the old standard of a quarter of an hour takes some doing, as any of my readers can try for himself. In the spring of 1869, I was not well and suffered a good deal from diarrbcea so did not start for the Champion– ship. In June I was nearly drowned with Howlett bathing at Putney, and about July I made the acquaintance of my late wife. In August I challenged for the L.A.C. Challenge Cup, which I had resigned in favour of P. M. Evans, but finding that R. H. Nunn was surreptitiously training for it, I had a few days' practice, and having walked a trial of 30. 13 for 4 miles had no difficulty in winning in slow time, being 200 yds. ahead at half distance. This autumn I went a long walking tour with J. Shearman through Norfolk, staying some time at Cromer, 1 I always had a great hankering after wheeled progression, and am under the impression that ~n an article on Athletics, Aquatics, &c., in the old "Sporting Gazette," I was one of the first to suggest that by gearing up a small strong man might be put on fairer terms with the long man, who in the days of the old high machine had it all his own way.