80 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



On October 31st, 1902, the Surrey Walking Club's 

 104 miles contest to Brighton and back resulted in 

 J. Butler winning : time, 21 hrs. 36 mins. 27 sees., 

 Butler performing the single journey on March 14th 

 the following year in 8 hrs. 43 mins. 16 sees. For 

 fair heel-and-toe walking, that was considered at the 

 time the ultimate achievement ; but it was beaten on 

 April 9th, 1904, in the inter-club walk of the Black- 

 heath and -Ranelagh Harriers, when T. E. Hammond 

 established the existing record of 8 hrs. 26 mins. 

 57J- sees. — the astonishing speed of six miles an 

 hour. 



This event was preceded by the famous Stock 

 Exchange Walk of Mav Dav, 1903. Every one knows 

 the Stock Exchange to be almost as great on sport as 

 it is in finance, but no one was prepared for the magni- 

 tude finally assumed by the match idly suggested on 

 March 16th, during a dull hour on the Kaffir Market. 

 Business had long been in a bad way, not in that 

 market alone, but in the House in general. The trail 

 of the great Boer War and its heritage of debt, taxation, 

 and want of confidence lay over all departments, and 

 brokers, jobbers, principals, and clerks alike were so 

 heartily tired of going to " business ' day after day 

 when there was no business — and when there calcu- 

 lating how much longer thev could afford annual 

 subscriptions and office rent — that any relief was 

 eagerly accepted. In three days twenty-five com- 

 petitors had entered for the proposed walk to Brighton, 

 and the House found itself not so poverty-stricken 

 but that prize-money to the extent of £35, for three 

 silver cups, was subscribed. And then the Press — 

 that Press which is growing daily more hysterical and 

 irresponsible — got hold of it and boomed it, and 

 there was no escaping the Stock Exchange Walk. By 

 the morning of March 25th, when the list was closed, 

 there were 107 competitors entered and the prize-list 

 had grown to the imposing total of three gold medals, 

 valued, one at £10 10s. and two at £5 5s., with two 

 silver cups valued at £10 10,9.. two at £5 5s., and silver 



