Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVENIR these various suggestions, and the performances mentioned later are not only free from suspicion as to the actual distances covered, but are generally accepted, on the testimony of eye-witnesses, as true expositions of fair walking. Everybody knows that " Walking is progression by a series of steps so taken that unbroken contact with the ground is maintained." But, as the old innkeeper in Scotland is reported to have said, "Aye, the laa's the same, but the interpre-e-e-tation thereof is verra de-e-fferent." He referred to the licensing laws, but the same remark is applicable to the judges of walking, and the interpretation of the Law has always to be considered. The first notable walk to be recorded was by a Yorkshireman, Foster Powell, who in 1773 walked 394 miles from London to York and back in 138 hours. In 1792 he cut his time down to 133 hours 35 min., and gained such fame by his performance that his portrait, in the woodcut of the period, was posted everywhere, and he was engaged at Astley's Circus, and proved a star turn. Then, in I 808, the famous Captain Barclay backed himself for 1,000 guineas to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours. Any one interested in the records of the prize ring will recollect that Captain Barclay was the acknowledged expert on all questions of training at that period, and it is interesting to note that he practised his own theories so successfully that, starting on June 1st, I 808, at midnight, near Newmarket, he won his bet with time to spare. So fit was he at the con– clusion of his performance that, after sleeping for seventeen consecutive hours, and taking a rest of about four days, he was able to resume his military duties. In I 8r 3 there was a certain George Wilson who was imprisoned for debt, and it is recorded that he backed himself to walk 50 miles in 12 hours round about the prison yard. He won his wager, and it benefited him to this extent, that one Carey, who was editing a road-book of the period, released him from prison and engaged him to walk over various routes South of the Thames, to estimate the distance from town to town and from village to village by the time that Wilson took to walk. It is not impossible that the record of distances varied according to the number of public-houses on each particular road, but it is certain that Wilson occupied a prominent position amongst walkers of his year. A few years later, in 1817, there were two walkers of considerable note-Eaton and Baker-who matched themselves to walk 2,000 miles at Wormwood Scrubs. Eaton, although led by I 3 miles at the end of the 24th day, won at the end of the 42nd day. After this there seems to have been a period of eclipse for walkers. One so-called " Champion " backed himself to walk I 2 miles in 2 hours and failed by over half a mile! Present-day walkers please note. Doubt– less, a good deal was done, but it is not worthy of comment, and it was not until about I 8 50 that a new star appeared-namely, Charles Westhall, who might justly claim to be the pioneer of pedestrianism. He set up many records which were accepted at the time-both sprint and long II8