“THE KING OF TRAMPS"

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17981, 28 March 1930, Page 8

“THE KING OF TRAMPS"

SECOND HAMILTON VISIT. ANOTHER WORLD TOUR AFOOT, HAS TRAVERSED 93,515 MILES, “A wanderer is man from birth," quotes Matthew Arnold. Metaphorically we certainly all are, literally the wanderings of most of us are confined - to a few short weeks or months. Not so, however, with Maurice Vancam, known as the “King of Tramps,” from Vancouver, 8.C., Canada, who arrived in Hamilton yesterday. Since 1911 he has been a wanderer on the face of the earth, but a wanderer with a purpose. In the year mentioned Mr Vancam started out from his home town to walk around the world to win a wager of £7OOO. According to his story he was to start penniless, clad only in a suit made of newspaper, and was not to beg, steal or borrow. All his expenses were to be obtained through the sale of souvenir cards at Whatever prices the purchaser cared to offer. He successfully completed the number of miles stipulated in the agreement, but returned home ten weeks behind schedule, and failed to collect his money, A Second Attempt. * Undaunted by his first unsuccess- .» ful attempt, this interpid pedestrian 9 started out again in June, 1925, and is now well ahead of time, and confident of successIn an interview Mr Vancam informed a Waikato Times representative that he had some very interesting and exciting experiences on his first tour. In 1912 he was in Greece, at the time of the Balkan war, and in Mexico, during the 1913 rebellion. When the Great War broke out he was held a prisoner in German East Africa for 19 weeks before he managed to escape with some oiher prisoners, and got over to Portuguese East Africa. Again, in 1917, he traversed a great deal of Northern China during the revolution. He says that one of his worst experiences was in Siberia during the Bolshevik upheaval. There he was locked up on 17 different occasions, being held altogether for nine months in Bolshevik prisons, and this delay caused him to return late, as previously stated. The present trip has been all plain going, stated Mr Vancam, as the only delay was caused in Grafton, New South Wales, where he was held up for five days owing to a flood in the northern rivers. Counting the mileage on both tours, the pedestrian has traversed 93,515 miles, and has worn out 146 pairs of boots. He still has another 6500 miles to do in New Zealand and South Africa to complete the distance. 250,000 Signatures. At each town visited Mr Vancam has to obtain the council seal to verify his visit. He also interviews the leading business firms, banks, etc., and procures the firm’s stamp and manager’s signature. He has in his possession .117 books containing 70,570 municipal seals, and over a * quarter of a million signatures. These in themselves are a unique collection, probably the most unique in existence, and are certainly a revelation in' handwriting and endorsement. Mr Vancam will remain a few days) in Hamilton, getting what information) he can before he resumes his trip: south. On the first trip he visited! Hamilton on March 8, 1924 and has aj verification from the council to thafci effect.