Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1850-04-17
From the New York Spirit Of the Times.
4 YAlAkcc ilD "a Shower Bath.


If you have, you will know how to appreciate
the feelings of my friend, Tom & -, upon
the momentous occasion Of his rst shower bath,
in the city Of Boston, AMI month Of March,
I5f-.
Tom c. halls from Il long way down
East" or, as he used himself to say, he ''was
brOHgn mp near TO sunrise as he could get
without burning, and where the woods were 20
thick the moon couiGn't rise without help =
He stands six feet natural, and SIX feet SIX
when he stretches. His breadth IS not quite IN
! proportion, although his bones were gotten up
for ID giant. Hal they been fairly covered with
flesh, he would have been invaluable to "Bar-
mum" The truth IS, Tom was very lean IN
deed and this ieanness annoyed him exceeding
~ His clothes would be open at the elbows
and knees IN half the time of those OF his ihttcr
fellows and Tom vowed to get fat, if only for
the sake Of economy
! Some KIM friend recommended the Gymna-
/ stun as likely TO bs beneficial, and Tom forth
with enrolled hlmse II al She rdan's. 1t was there
| first met hifu anI night good fellow, with
plenty Of fnn aud wit ia him, lie proved to b",
despite Of his unproinising exterior
Among the gymnasis, DR.. W was con-
spicuoas, not only for III. skill in all athletic
tt.ats but also for III, beautiful. compsct form.
and supc REDUNDANT muscle. When he .'peeied,
his arms an chest looked smooth as a woniH's,
aud vet as muscular as tho Of .'pockct Her
cu-s.
How our friend Tom cnvied the Dr.. Many
questions lid h" put to him about regimen, ey-
crciscs, &c, Sc, aud their effect IN producing
flesh 'l,c human FRANC. The Dr.. attributed
his redundancy to plenty Of exercise, plenty to
cat, aud above all, TO the daily of the show
er bath.
..Waal, - said Tom one day. will, his inimita
lie drawi, I'm sure I've Skinned up aud down
these ladders aad ropes long enuf. as Tor ea'hG.
faint tn be ypectrd that one mfn can eat ehuif
to fattrn such ALFRED skeleton "a mine |
wisl, may be darnei If dou'ttry that shower
4 bath YOU tell 50 much about"
. A., Tom tnd | were thick as two such thii
!, men could be- | volunteered {, show him where
. he could get in short order. We according
started for the United States Hotel, the call
ed Texas. In the basement story of this house
were IA large number of bathing rooms. fitted NJ
; with hot, cold and shower baths The latter
were temporary wooden boxes standing on end,
with doors boiling on the inside, and a very ca
pacious showering apparatus IN the top
went III to take "a warm bath, whlle ON
made ready for his cold one IN the next room =
As the partitions thn, overheard
him soliloqulsug something after this fashion,
"Wial, now, that upright coffin with holes IN
= the bottom, and Il sieve III the top, may pass Tor
:. a shower bath here, but guess if We II td II Dow II
u East, 'twouldn't be long afore W htl II 4ot for
erls. Blast the thing. wonder how it worKs'-
Here, you Susan, Sally, what's your name
calling to the servant girl. ''Iust cum he-e and
show nc how the crttcr works. don'tsce nc
shower
"Oh. my.' cried the girl 'Dou't you know
how. Why, lis easy cnuH. You pull this he re
string. and | guess you II see Il shower, and fee
i, il too"
Toni who stool outside, caught bold Of the
y string, anI before the gir coud Interfere, gave
! il tremendous pull, when down came dcluge
Of water, spattefIbg them, and swimming the
i carprt-
.'I-~. see now" replied Tom very conliy +.
All this amused me considerably y. but had I
prcs-ntnrut that the fun was not ilni>liet.
Tom adjourned TO the room on The other SIDE
of nine, aud the gri to wiping up the carpet =
Before Tom h td gotten ready to enter his bath
was on: of mine and nearly dressed. All haf
been still IN his room for several minutes exec p
j. an occasional muttefng Of disconnected sen
!, trncc~, such as
Nv ondcr what there is about this 10 f'tten
man Never heard Moab very Fat, and h.
u took on, for forty days Mighty small place I,
stulf my cnrcaSe INTO. Guess there ISn't n1ucl
il danger of the waters coming np high cnuti It
;. drown Wonder it twill feel any thing a
that blasted shower uiI Gown III Bath last sum
mer. Nc., &c.
u heard him after stepping into his closet, shu
;. the door, which h carefully hot-d; aud the
. minute there came crashing ''siam bang' OF
the floor that m,ie the house shake, followed b,
;. the most terrific screams aaI shouts Of ''Oh
! oh! OH LORD. Oh. oh, Thunder aud lightning
: Murder, Fire. Water, Let me out, I'm drown
| ing. Help! for COTS sake help and ending BY
calling me- vociierouSly.
In III instant not only |, but every servant ant
!, IN the room Although he had ceased shout
: ing, nothing was to be seen of Tom, but i'll the
centre of III. floor laid the shower BATH door
dowmwards, ami The whole altar aosoutei y
: jun,DtHg fron Toms superhuinan efforts TO
J. levc himself, II- relied it over. the door flew
! open, anl out tumbled the most astounding mas;
= of arms. LEGS, and body ever presented 10 tn,
astoni>hin" gaze of human eyes.
One moment was given to a>toni>hment: the
n next the women scanprrrd, ana then mor,a! ris
I Ihip> could stand n longer.
We rolled on the floor N little short Of con
vuIsion>. Tom raised himself up too happy il
his taucicd escape 10 be very angry at US. bu
Il Still evidently trying TO assume sone dignity
; D'4Hbg from such frarr. ~ such Dlight. w,
o rolred louder than ever. aud Tom finding II Wa
of no use. joined IN The chorus. unit! We were
: compelled to stop from sheer exhaustion.
lie then--having hustled on part of his gar
inen,s--answered our repeated inquiries Of 'hon
. II iappeneaf
..Why. YOU see, when | got into that inferna
!, man-trap there, holted the door. and then !
q took sosne time TO screw up my courage. -
II knew it was all frcd cold, and 50 thought
. would bring down the shower little at i time
aal, YOU see, pulled the strinC--cousarn
kinder softly, about an inch IN once. bad II,
= shoulders drawn up, any head down, my eve
ot aud teeth Shut. ana gave il another puli whs
10 kercs"rse! came Il hull ocean OF ce-water ri oh
slap on my head biuGng me, taking away ulr
breath. and fairly fHacAiiGg me. | made on
l. Jump for the door, but the plaguey thing wa
IS boltrd. and over went the huII machine hersiG
!, on the floor. Then get frightened, and thou gt
| was drowning sure enuF May be diGn
y sing out and try To strike out. bat 'twarut II
s. use. | filled the Giachue SO full couldn't ST
l. enutf only 10 knock all the skin off nv knee
" and elbows. Just then YOU in and let III
out and YOU know all the rest. Plague nat 10
take the shower bath: l wouldn't take anothe
If twas 10 make Eat as Daddy Lambert.
,ff Nor has poor Tom to this dey, but remains
j perfect Calvin E,son on mammoth scale.
y. More Of the Webster Case.