FEMALE PEDS—EXCITING CONTEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 270, 22 September 1879, Page 2

FEMALE PEDS—EXCITING CONTEST.

We have another craze in our midst, which almost equals that of" Pinafore"— I say equals, but I may fairly say supersedes it, It is pedestrianism in its fairest form. Fanny Edwards, the champion walker of New York, challenged Madame La Ohapelle, champion of Chicago, to walk 1000 quarter-miles in 1000 consecutive quarter-hours, day and night, covering a space of 31 days 6 hours and 10 minutes. The ladies are walking in Piatt's Hall, round which a track has been laid of loam and sawdust. Fanny Edwards is an American—a short and finely-developed figure, while remarkably good understandings fall to her ptVbian. She dresses in black or violet satin, with handsome sashes of different color, changing the dresses several tinies during the day; the garment is short, falling just below her knees, and her hose invariably match with her sash. She has an easy swinging gait, and never seems to tire for a moment. Madame La Ohapelle is tall, and very slight (to call her spiritualistic is the most appropriate term), • with large lustrous eyes, and feet that seem more fit to tread on velvet than on sawdust. She walks rapidly round the 1 course, as though flying with a slight forward bend. She is the most rapid walker in America, with an almost superhuman amount of endurance. The most interesting part of the performance is when the fair predestriennes fall asleep on the track, Walki..g round with whip in hand, simply coached by their respective trainers, which means that the trainer placed his arm akimbo, and the sleeping walker leans against the angle made by the arm, For hours they walk thus, starting out at the commencement of each quarter, which being accomplished in about three or Wiir minutes giving live laps to each quarts] of a nule,—' The} are taken to their rooms laid down on their couches, with their feet raised high on pillows, and so rest for the remaining minutes of the quarter. In these ■ quiet moments of the day they change their garments, eat and are rubbed alcohol. Both ladies are as bright looting to-day as if they had not started two weeks N ago, The sleeping part of the business I is most attractive. They are taken up ' from the couch unconscious, and remain so until laic 1 down again, the walking being merely mechanical, The betting is high ; the enthusiasm great. On the same track the Californian cliam- j pion Armstrong, is plodding along. He 1 walks half a mile in every quarter hour for2ohours out of 24 for thirty days,. Hi 3 stakes are small. The ladies walkfor 1000 dollars a side—the loser to take the gate money. . Miss Yon Berge is also on the track for ;■ " exhibition walks." She is a cart-horse style of female, with a liugh body and swinging step. How she foots it, heel-' and-toe. Heavens! she comes down upon the flat of her foot like a being neither pretty, but large and coarse she excites little interest. The two champion ladies are accompanied by ladieg who walk for pleasure thus monotony for the jaded tramps, whomusjr be jaded, though they are too plucky to reveal the same. • An untiring pianist adds a questionable lustre to the whole proceedings; his fingers fast assuming a moving appearance and his tune often-times betrayed a dufi weariness communicated by the flagginSj spirit of the place—San Francisco coJ| respondent of the New Zealand Herald.®