Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1895 — A Remarkable Indian Runner. [ARTICLE]

A Remarkable Indian Runner.

Los Angeles Times. A. AV. Anthony, a mining engineer and naturalist,now living in San Diego, tells of an instance of fast traveling so extraordinary as to put all six-day go-as-you-please records in the deep shade. “We were in San Fernando, Mexico, several hundred miles below San Diego,” says Mr. Anthony. “A band of renegade Indians held up the camp, stealing all portable property. It was desirable to get a message to the nearest Governor, two hundred miles away, for assistance and aid to chase the outlaws. One runner. Jose a mission Indian, six feet two inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds.all muscle and bone, was given the dispatch and urged to make haste over the rugged and sometimes mountainous road to the Governor. He made haste. According to the official records now in the Mexican archives, our message asking for help was delivered in just twenty-four hours after Jose left us. Such a record of two hundred miles afoot in twenty-four hours is, I be--1 e .'e. unprecedented. This courier or runner traveled ninety-five to 125 miles daily on foot as a regular business, carrying mail. He could easily carry two sacks of ore weighing 150 each to the ore dumps. When running be was clad simply in overalls and shirt. His feet were protected either by sandals or thick-soled moccasins. He carried a leather water bottle and depended upon ranches along the trail for food.”