YEAR IN A TRAIN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13095, 21 April 1908, Page 6

YEAR IN A TRAIN.

From Salzburg comes a story of an extraordinary bet made by a commercial traveller resident in "that city, ■which he hius just won. The. traveller, who spont .eighteen months at New York on business, made the acquaintanco of a well-known American sportsman. The question aroso in tho course of conversation, how long a man could stand continuous travelling in a railway carriage. The traveller betted that he could romain a whole year in a train, going up and down the same distance. The American bet 40,000 kronen (£1200) ho could not hold out so long. The traveller undertook that from midnight on December 31st, 190(3, he would travel continuously on the line from Vienna to Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, going and returning. The bet was duly recorded by a Vienna lawyer, with whom 40,000 Kronen was, deposited. The travellor thoreupon entered an express train, and throughout 1907 "he dined, slept and dressed on board. Bis only pauses were while waiting, for the next train at one of the above-named! stations. At Salzburg his wife used to wait for him.. Hβ exchanged a few hasty words with her, and then returned to his carriage. Towards the end of his long and monotonous task he was seized with a violent attack of influenza, which threatened ,to make him lose his money, but his excellent constitution enabled! him to hold out, and some days ago he received the amount deposited. His health, with the exception of slight nervous shock, is good.