Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-02-18
Correspondence of the Spirit of the Timcsl
A YANKEE IN A SHOWER BATH,

u.
the city Of Boston, and month of March. 1874.
Tom c. halls from long way "down
east or, as he used himself to say. he was
brought az as near to sunrise as he could get
without burning, and where the woods were so
thick the moon couldn't rise without help" He
stands six feet two natural, and six feet six
when he stretches. His breadth is not quite in
proportion, although his bones were gotten M
for giant. Had they been fairly covered with
flesh, he would have been invaluable to " Bar
mum" The truth is, Tom was very lean indeed.
mud this leanncss annoyed him exceedingly
His clothes would be open at the elbows and
knees in half the time of those of his fattcr fell
lows, and Tom vowed to get fat, if only for the
sake of economy.
Some kind friend recommended the Ggmna-
sium as likely to be beneficial, and Tom forth
with enrolled himself at .Sheridan's II was
there first met him, and Il right good fellow.
with plenty of fun and wit in him, he proved TO
be, in spite OF his unpromising exterior.
Among the gymnasts, DR.. - was conspic-
uous not only for his skill in all athletic rals.
but also for his beautiful, compact form, and SUI
perabundant muscle When he 'pcc!cd." his
arms and chest looked smooth as a wolnans
and yet as muscular us those of IL pocket
Hercules"
How our friend Tom envicd the Doctor !
Many questions did he put to him about rcgi-
men, exercise &c.. and their effects in produ-
cling flesh upon the human frame. The Doctor
attributed his redundancy to plenty of exercise,
plenty to eat and above all, to the daily use of
the shorer hQM.
"Waal," said Tom, one day, with his inimita-
bic drawl, I'm sure I've Skinned up and down
these ladders and ropes long cnul; as for eat
ing faint to be expected that one man can eat
enuff to falten such an alfred skeleton ~ ,niun
Iwish NAV be darncd if don't ,ry that shower
bath you tell me so much about"
sTom and were as thick as two such film
men could be. volunteered To show hin, - Inrn
he could get one in short order Wa ,cn"rI
ingly started for the United states uotel ,hen
called Texas. In the basement story nr hi.
house were Il large number of b,,hinr rooms
fitted M with hot, cold. and shower hat6s RIO
latter were temporary wooden boxes s,andino On
end, with doors bol,in1r on the insdc. and Tnrv
capacious sowernu apparatus in the ton
went in to take a warm Lnth. villa Tom
made ready for his cold one in the nov, room,
As the partitions were very Thin. I overheard
him soliloquizinr something after tLis c,sl;nnN
"Waal, now, that upright coffin with holes in
the bottom, and a sieve in the ton, NAV mass f r
shower bath here but guess if we had i, Down
east, 'twoudnt be long before we had il So, for
ecls Blast the thing! Wonder how il works
Here Won Susan. sally. WHAT'S rour n,n,o ;,
calling to the servant rir lust come here. and
show me how the crittcr. works. don't see no
shower"
son. nv !" cried the oirl uLo,,t rou ,ro,,
how WLv. Ills EASY enrtr, Von NH T' ~;
ere stripr. and guoss von'U 500 y sboir,,or
feel il too "'''
Tnn who stool or,sido c,rob, hall or ,ho
strinr. and before the cir couJ in,orc,r, ,,a,'o
il Tremendous mil, when dawn cana i, 5",o
of wafer. snatternr ,len and swi,n,ni,,r H.,
corno, ''0
"There. now Won SEQ ~ said ,bo cir, ;,u,.
mainly.
"Tes 7 soe now - rcn'iod v'o,, ,or, ,,eu,.
All This amused mo considnrohI, L;, l'i
,,.a.a,,;,,,,,, ,La, ,La c,,' ~, i'"u
ro' alnurn"J y, w, '"n M'' Nv. iI''S'ieu.
If nina and the uirl :, W.. nc pt"er sue
Kotnro Nam had ,1,,o, ,oaL. w. 'a'I o''P.'
! ,,os ou, 81 ,,;na o,,J ,I! 80, ~ ".' o,''',
toon s,i,I IN lie roo,' CO. an hau
; ~ ,u' w. az '''''u'eS' except
WI ouoia, 'oh '""''e'''s Vi disconnected SEN
,Iv s",. -,
w. T ha.S Nv MI aoo'' '"ls 10 'a''e'i
.i, ,, g.. c'r, T'I very '',' ana ne
o,o 'm oI. ~, ,"',! ua!' h's''y small pace TO
80 ny "'es' t'c,c ish much
ua"se' VI ''t ""',' uo..''nS up hSh cnuii TO
,i,n, t,a '''. ,, al ."n' '',, any 'ilh@ as
,s''. o'% q. '"'"e' ''u uo"h 10 na'' last sum
N.Y. boarI hin, ,o,r s,onn;,
chm, " ,be door, ', Which %; h s'ps INTO us elosc
,%n "I n ,n minnie thers y" oa'e'uy n2ed; ana
Iaaan On ,he Gonr ,b,, ,'.d'a ~ I'"lii,ne Nam
I,rS,oJ hy ,he most ,erriGc mu "0"sJ s'he'
n,..CN,, nv OI,, IorJi on n,9 "', .rt snou',
ara Inl,ning, Murdcr, Frn, Wa,or, 'a ", n,a
nmt I'm drownina, For Cor sake hnin 80
anJ ondino by c,Iling ON mo mast vocif,rnn,f,.
IN an Instant. moi onlv / but cvcrv sarysn,
and ali ,,hnrs within bnnring m,Ie anJ r.n,.ln
unro in ,ho roon AltLnnn5 bo LoJ 'o, ,a..',o
sbou,;mg. no,hing wa. 10 he seem Of rnm L"i i"
the centre of the floor laid the shower hath doo,
Jownwurds. and the whole niIair absolutely
,,tmpiny from Ton, superl,nnan e,l;,rts To- re-.
Ieve himself. We rolled it over. the door flew
open. and out tumbled the most ASTONISHING mass
OF arms, LEGS, and body, ever presented to the
astonished gaze of human eyes.
One moment was given to asionishment the
women screamed, and then mortal risibes could
stand it no longer.
We rolled on the floor in little short Of con.
vusions. Tom raised himself up, too happy il
his lanced escape to be very angry at US, but
at aylIputly N Al it,-