PEDESTRIANISM.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 22

PEDESTRIANISM.

, SCOTT ,v. CAPTAIN CQTTON. Captain Cotton's 24-hours' walk against Joe Scott at Tuam ; street . Hall concluded at 10 I o'clock .on Saturday,, Cqtton did Jll9J 119 miles 1 lap, includipg his handicap allowance .of 10 miles, and ( $cott 117 miles' 6 laps. Af tan course, said to. De 23 laps to the mile, jwas laid' down. Both .'men looked fit' at the start. In the first hour 'Scott gained 1- mile 13 lap's, but 4 after 13 hours had only gained ' 5 miles 8 laps. Both men' retired for half-an-hour between 8 and 9 a.m., Scott then leaving the course for the first time. . During ' the afternoon he was sick twice, but kept gamely to' work, spurting frequently. „ Captain Coitori maintained a steady pace, averaging five miles an hour. Shortly after 1 p.m. Scott retired for 47min, changing his - clothes, and at ' 4 p.mi he was 5 miles 17 laps behind. He reduced this to 2 miles by 9 o'clock, and during the nest Halfhour spurted frequently, passing Captain" Cotton half-a-dozen times, but at 9.30 he virtually- gave up, merely following his opponent round] till three minntes before 10, when, he quitted; the track. Captain Cotton .finished strongly, :but was much exhausted afterwards. Scott seemed knocked up. Captain Cotton takes threefourths of the gate money, which he gives to his corps of mounted trifles. .There, was ailargd attendance during the day, and 2000 , people witnessed the finish. ' ' '

At the conclusion Mr T. Acland made a few remarks, in the'course of which he laid that the walking had been as fair, as had been seen in the world — (applause) — and complimented the men on their performance. 'He called for cheers for Captain Cotton' 1 and Joe Scott, which were lustily given. Mr C; Clarke said they could not let Scott go -away without making him a "present, and he wished to be allowed to subscribe five guineas to' it. — (Applause ) Mr M'Grath, Scott's ' trainer, thanked the audience for its attendance, jjahd said- that Scottf was not in the best; 1 of fettle, or he would have ; #6n.' He was prepared to walk the captain in a w 7 eek for any reasonable sum he might name. — 'Applause and ; hisses'.) Scott then received'a oallj'to which he responded.; Captain'- Cotton's" performance is nothing remarkable, and it is, 1 , indeed, certain -that; he would have been beaten if Scott had' been in' good health. Deducting' the 10 miles' sfart, Captain Cotton walked 109 miles, which'compares unfavourably' witb the best amateur record (120 miles, by A. W. Sinclair), and the jbest professional record (127 miles I,2loyds, by W. Howes.) Scott's performance,; in covering iI7J miles, is a fair one under the circumstances,] but , it is a good bit under his best record (125 miles), and this is additional proof that he was on ;this occasion not in good nick. These remarks are quite necessary' in face, of the , fact ■ that the gushing Christeburch sporting authorities (?) write such twaddle as this about Captain Cotton :— " The really marvellous endiirancejand indomitable courage of the 1 captain. „ ;. . There is no need tio say anything of the winner — his was a perfectly gratuitous task, and he performed it in a manner which must;, win for his .BritisH ip'epressibility the , admiration oft his fellow-colonists and the esteem of the athletic .world." , ' ! • If the foregoing is nob sickening in its ;fulsomeness we don't, know what is;; We should also like to know who were the individuals Jwho hissed the remarks of Scout's trainer. TJiey pretend to be so fair at Christchurch that .one would think they would never hiss a beaten man However, they were no doubt some of the "gentlemeu " who dropped money over , the Scott v. Hancock matches.