“THE KING OF TRAMPS”

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 4

“THE KING OF TRAMPS”

AROUND THE WORLDON FOOT. CANADIAN IN NEW PLYMOUTH. In this the age of extreme speed the internal combustion engihe has annihilated distance and the craze for speed, and still more speed, seems to be never ending, except, perhaps, in the Police Court, where it usually meets with a heavy salutory fine. There is no record, however, of Maurice Vancam, known as the “King of Tramps,” from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who arrived in New Plymouth yesterday, ever having figured in such a role. In fact, the inhabitants of five continents can vouch for the fact that he seems to prefer a much slower means of locomotion —none other than the age-old method of traversing the highways and byways of the world per medium of Shanks’ pony. Needless to state Mr. Vancam has not adopted this means of progress for nothing, for he hopes in 12 months’' time to collect the sum-of £7OOO, that King the amount of a wager made by a Canadian newspaper against Vancam walking around the world and sending back his copy. In the course of an interview Mr. Vancam stated that he originally started .n 1911 and walked the number of miles stipulated in the agreement, but returned ten weeks behind schedule and failed to collect his money. Undaunted by his first unsuccessful attempt he sallied forth again in June, 1925, and is now well ahead of time and very confident of success. In 1912, he was in Greece during the Balkan War, The following year saw him in Mexico at the time of the rebellion. When the World War broke out he was held a prisoner in German East Africa for -19 weeks before he managed to escape to Portuguese territory. Again, in 1917 he traversed great deal, of northern China at, the time of the revolution, and ■ was in Japan when the pneumonic ’flu epidemic broke out. His worst experience, however, was in Siberia during the Bolshevik upheaval. There he was locked up on 17 different occasions, putting altogether nine months in Bolshevik prisons, and this delay caused him to return late as before stated.

The present tour lias been one long run of good luck and Vancam hopes it •will continue until the goal is reached. The total number of miles walked on both trips 'combined* is 94,526, and this has accounted for--147 pairs of boots. Another-5500 miles remain to be walked in New Zealand and South Africa before the return to Vancouver. At each town visited this intrepid pedestrian has to obtain the seal of the council and signatures of prominent business people to verify his visit. He has in his possession 117 books containing 70,632 municipal seals and over a quarter of a million signatures. It is .probably the most remarkable collection of its kind in the world and is vertainly a revelation in handwriting and endorsements. On his first trip Mr. Vancam visited New Plymouth on May 15, 1924, and has a declaration from the council to that effect.