We have just seen some remarkable efforts in Tokyo, but the race described below and the feats accomplished in the story at the bottom are fantastic.
“A foot race of a novel description took place at Carlton, near Grantham, on Tuesday the 6th inst. Mr. Cleaver, a commercial gentleman, happening to be at the Coach and Horses Inn, offered to run any man in the place, or within ten miles, from Carlton to Barkston and back, a distance of seven miles, for any sum of money. A man named James Pick, totally blind, was backed against him for one sov*. The competitors started fair, but after two miles and a half had been accomplished, the gentleman who had eyesight gave up. His opponent executed the task easily, within three quarters of an hour. – Mr. Pulford, a friend of the loser in the race, not feeling satisfied with the result, offered to run the winner to his own home, a distance of three-quarters of a mile, for half a sovereign, which bet was instantly accepted. The blind man was again the victor, accomplishing his task in four minutes, and beating his opponent by several hundred yards. Pick in his first race was allowed to carry a stick; but after he had started in his second, his opponent objected to it, whereupon he threw it away, declaring he wished to take no advantage. It is said that he has offered to run any man within 20 miles, for 10l to 20l.”
*i.e. a Sovereign, face value £1.
The Stamford Mercury, 16th October, 1840.
“On Tuesday last, in Vauxhall gardens, Boston, a man named Cootes undertook to run a mile, walk a mile, wheel a barrow a mile, walk backwards a mile, hop one hundred yards, leap over fifty hurdles ten yards apart, and pick up fifty stones a yard apart and deposit them singly in a basket, within one hour; which task he accomplished three quarters of a minutes within the given time.”
The Stamford Mercury, 23rd October, 1840.