Produced by Chuck Greif and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
NEW YORK OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY MCMXVI
Copyright, 1916, by OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY
Walking tours are popularly supposed to be feasible chiefly for those to whom this method of travel is incidental to their occupation--timber cruisers, landlookers, prospectors, game wardens and trappers of the North--men who daily match themselves against the forces of Nature. To the average city man rarely does it occur that by substituting walking, our most natural means of locomotion--even if carried no farther than the daily to and from business trip--for the rapid transportation perfected in our modern industrial life he can attain better business efficiency and an increased physical and mental well being.
The average sportsman of today is in most cases a plain, unpretentious business man of sedentary habits and with a consequent physical condition a little below the normal, but fortunately he retains a primitive unsatiated love of the outdoors. This same business man needs, as few others do, exercise to regain and retain health and efficiency. Without this exercise his occupation which keeps him indoors results in physical inactivity reducing his usefulness and happiness and markedly affecting his tenure of life. The average span of life is between 45 and 60 years. The age limit should extend from 80 to 100 years and this can be made the rule if we but go about it rightly. A large percentage of American business men have functional heart disease because of lack of exercise. They could well afford to walk daily until tired out in order to rid themselves of drawn faces, sallow cheeks, and weak hesitating steps. To them pedestrianism affords not only profit but real pleasure in getting away from the routine of city and office irk and hieing to the glorious out of doors.
Years ago man was a savage, and in spite of the restraining influences of civilization which have acted for centuries the spirit of this primitive life is still strong within. There is after all but one class of men who _live_ in the world and they inhabit the wild places--the rest of us only exist. We do not thrive in cities but simply adjust ourselves to their unnatural and perplexing conditions. In the out of doors sheer physical existence may afford the richest pleasure.