Show WESTON DUPLICATING HIS UIS WONDERFUL WALK OF FORTY YEARS AGO AtlO The coming week Edward Weston Western will arrive in Chicago after alter completing a walk which considering the age of the man mane Is Ie one of the athletic feats of recent years This walk recalls the thrilling performance made when Wes Weston Weston Weston ton was a young man and the recep reception reception tion he received is Interestingly told in the following from the Chicago Forty F years ago November 27 21 one fourth of or population number numberIng numbering numbering Ing at that time lime about struggled to pay homage to Edward Payson Wes Vies Weston Veston ton upon his arrival in Chicago after a walk of twentysix secular days dars in which time he covered 1234 l 34 miles be between between between tween Portland Me Ie and this city elt The reception accorded the pedestrian whose fame had gained national prominence was ivas attended informally by over applauding citizens their thel families and relatives The Chicago Times com corn commenting commenting upon the ovation tendered Weston Veston stated that no similar demon demonstration demonstration demonstration had been given in the history of Chicago Hundreds of persons interested in the undertaking of the athlete drove or walked far into the country to meet Weston hours in advance of his sched ached scheduled scheduled clod time to arrive in Chicago A squadron of police fifty strong weN welt corned the famous pedestrian upon his entrance to the city along Cottage Grove avenue The concluding miles of the arduous journey were lightened by b cheers the clamor of hands and the unceasing din of the mob that screamed its admiration as the figure clad in red white and blue moved mo f blithely along hemmed in at every side by a seething elbowing mass massof massof massof of humanity Walk Result of Wager For days and days das prior to the ar arrival arrival rival rhal of or Weston In Chicago his move movements ments meats along the road had been chron chronicled chronIcled chronIcled dally daU in the papers and during the time of his activity on the roads little else was discussed In the city Sportsmen entered into the spirit of oC the event which had its origin in a 11 wager involving the sum of George Goodwin of New ew York in be behalf behal behalf half hal Grindell and Edward In Ingalls Ingalls galls had wagered with T F Wilcox also of New York that Wes Vies Weston Ve ton could traverse the distance between Portland and Chicago a distance of 1200 in thirty days with without without without out walking night and 12 Sun Sunday Sunda Sunday day da night thus titus deducting four dd leaving twentysix secular days da s for the trial Reports of Westons Weston victorious achievement had preceded him to Chi Chicago Chicago Chicago cago when it was known that he was approaching the city considerably ahead of the stipulated time and mon monster monster monster ster preparations were made for his reception here Fifty Thousand Greet Weston Westons Weston s entrance to the city elt at the head of or Cottage Grove Groe avenue was made at 1030 on the morning of November oember 27 21 Over Oer persons were drawn up along the main thor thoroughfares thoroughfares thoroughfares of Hyde Park before 8 in the morning and by 10 the housetops were thronged with spectators tors toN A band was there to lend music to the occasion while a cordon of police had been drawn up in all its finery to attend the hero and escort him to the finish in front of or the build buildIng building building Ing The last lap from Hyde Park to the tape was rolled off ote at the rate of ot four tour miles an hour and the blue bluecoats bluecoats bluecoats coats who had sought distinction of or keeping stride with Weston Yeaton were put putto putto putto to a strenuous test In their endeavors to keep from being distanced Passing the reform school on the way into the city Weston reston was given a arousing arousing arousing rousing ovation the officials in charge of ot the institution having haIng extended the inmates a that they might witness the spectacle of Westons ar arrival arrival arrival rival Flags were waved the school band belched out the strains of Hall Hail Columbia and the strange cavalcade wended its way along the dusty road to the next stop at the Cottage Grove I ii iiI Ft I Lr J L I HAP O 01 ze I I JY r I 1 I m hotel Hero Here Weston Weeton halted to t refresh Cresh r his parched throat but hardly lest lQ t a moment and was soon swinging with the same step that had marked his journey Journe from the seaboard to the western boundary of the inland seas sea Shops closed down for a part of the morning to allow to participate participate participate pate in the festal doings and the re reception reception reception committee swelled in numbers until it seemed that the entire city had taken a day off In honor of the hero Greeted as a Hero At street the army of pedestrians and vehicles s swung west and proceeded to Michigan avenue moving t ence p to where oriter was taken and at second street the tile thron t aa ned such proportions that it was tJ ii t sf to try tr to progress further Over persons parsons Had gath gathered ered there and the Great Western Vestern Light Guard band hand kept up a contin continuous continuous continuous blare of martial airs Women showered Weston with flowers and handkerchiefs were waved from wi win widows windows dows much after the manner that characterized the return of the soldiers at the close of or the rebellion Flags were displayed from almost t every house while small boys bos aged abed men lads and lassies hassles plodded along in inthe Inthe inthe the caravan that surrounded Weston The postoffice the objective point in Chicago to which Weston Yeston has aspired to reach reah during his days of weary wenry walking was reached shortly after the noon hour Pausing there only long enough to bow before the sea of faces tace Weston set off otI at a rapid pace in the direction of the Sherman House where wh re his wife and child a little girl irl of 2 years ears awaited bim birn l Only Olly by b dint of extra persuasion on the part of the police pollee in their efforts to cope eop with the crowd was Weston enabled to seek refuge in the hostelry Once On e within the thc building he 1 upstairs where he was welcomed by b his and babe In another moment nt Weston Yeston had appeared on the balcony bal on clasping the child in his arms Buy Pony for fol His Baby The Tue crowd which had followed in tha wake of the procession as It moved el through the various boulevards had now grown from Madison street to the river bridge on Clark street and J from State to Wells Veils on Randolph noth loth nothing nothing lothIng ing could be seen sean but a vast ast army arm of struggling fighting elbowing humanity ty t Cries for a speech were roared from the streets to the elated Weston but his nerve appeared to have dese deset i ed cd mim or perhaps he was momentarily h bereft of or speech Finally he acknowledged acknowledged acknowledged edged the appeals for a word and grasping his child held her at arms length over the edge of oC the balcony bal ny and whispered in husky tones Now I can buy the baby a pony Although scarce any of or the members the crowd understood what Weston ton had said sald his little remark was greeted gr ted with and cheers heers for several sec see seconds seconds By completing the long walk the fond parent had accomplished his hope mope to some Iome time get the little girl a pony pon and it was that thought that gained d the uppermost current in his mind when he felt pressed to respond to the cries for speech Dinner followed the oratorical effort efort and although Weston remained In the tha th public gaze on the exterior of the ho hotel hotel tel for an hour there appeared no di dl diminution diminution in numbers and there seemed no falling off in the hunger of Dr the cu curious u noun rious ones to get another glimpse of the hero Royally Entertained An elaborate program of or speeches and entertainments had been planned and dinner over Weston eston braved the mob outside the hotel in a dash for the opera house He was followed closely by che throng in his hurried trip from rom Clark and Randolph streets to the opera house which then was located on Washington street just east of r rClark Clark Superintendent of Police R hm accompanied Weston Yeston upstairs where whore he lie again posed ir a big window over overlooking overlooking overlooking looking the sWeet street A band stationed station below broke loose with the strains of ot Horne Hone Sweet Home At the concert which followed In the tile opera house that afternoon Weston gave a graphic account of or his journey Journe and in the evening was called upon to lo repeat his narrative before a vat vast as t as e of ot Chicagoans |