Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-02-17
Amateur Gymnastics.

young" Law student, mlsanthrop-
ic dy'p'p,ic. who was induced to "try q"
gymnastics. end, to the Hnickcrtockcr
Magazine .omo or hi' experience, In that
department Of physical science. We clip
AMI quote .-
I jiin', att'mp, anything or good
while. at and calmly ,gr,cyel the scene.
| .,w ,,ry l,its b,y-, who sscm,l to BE-
qualifying thcmsclSc, fnr tao profession Of
India rubber men. | saw great .trappIng
men (neN comsr, a,t'mp, aud latl ~
thing. which fellows. whom they could Pot
IN their pockets. SD w,h ease. l,av l,ai,
performed NaIch sscmsl very hard, aud
which ,urn,l out .l be very easy. aud lcal,
which rroyel very simple 20 Iu,k az, and
'sll,u''r, 10 try, aud then took 90 my
coat anu 'wsut IN pulled up tho .u., I
weigIt, Eve or siI times, went along the
horizontal ladder aud the parallel bar. onee
or trics. | went homo and found two bIl,-
ter. on my hand, next morning. Still /
went Ihgrs the next evening, cI,rci.,d I~ice
as much a, dil bcior, ieIi convinced thai,
| d., getting along very last; aud lay awaso
a,mI,t all nishI. NY arm. achci 50.
.aiL away abjai a " SEX, and then to
~ork again manluily, became acquainted
with a young gentleman who knew tho
ropc.. and under hi. guidance, pcrloEmci
many marvellous feats, aud al.n met With
mole mlshaI. than ! believe ANY body ever
met before, la the same space VI time.
. Beng long aud lean, aud naturally awk
ward. every new thing learned Wa. usher.
Ell IA by - disaster or tao. But .liil porso.
vcted, ior | now slept Ike a top, and at a
rate very alas,aing to my clearinghouse
keeper. per,e,erci ioT Two months, and
was sIi.l Ia the full tide Of SUCCESSFUL eIps.
rmeni, when ON goins to the gymnasium
aI my accustomed hour lne evening, found
DrilIian, assembnso of beauty, brought
together to Nilue,s our performance.
di,pOTted myself on the door for some
time, uuul at lsogth my evil genius impel-
led me 10 ascend for Ihe ErsG time. ladder
which Tan up one side oI the room nearly
tO the ceiling; then across, and down the
other SIDE VI Ihe room. Under the hoTit1u-
tai part Vt the ladder Was temporarily pla.
cd spring board, ol whose existence VAS
unaware. Nissled up the ladder With
conyuI,Se jerks OF the legs, the audience
looking ON With respecIlul silence /; bat
when had reached the middle Of the hori.
I,ntal part, loc0motiOn became impossible I!
could neither Z, backward nor iorSard,
but hung suspended between hca'on nd
earth, Like MaLOmmed's culin sqg,Tned
about with my legs, but could lind no
re, ior tho sOlc oi nay ieet. could hold
on no longer, aud a. the distance was not
very great. determined to drop to the floor
Us gracefully as possible. aud persuade the
audience that il was done ON purpose So
let ~. aud down | came porpendiealarly
aud up went "lying." | had come
down on my leet upon Ibs spring board.
Ms iIrsI Impression was chaos my Sec
Ond vas iha: had dropped inIo the mouth
ola cannon just ~ Il ~, going of. Up |
went like a shuttlecock, almsst % the lad.
der, at which made = Desperate but inel-
iselual claw" winch throw me out Of
the perp,nileuIar, aud down came. bang I!
In sitIins posture; up went again, aud
e,therci nv leg. under me dis,racIedly as |
rOss ~ that when dropped again. ! was
shot Va siani,ns direction, headioremost /
~ irum a catapault in,o the waistcOat OF a
two hundred pInni man. who wa. lojklng
on ia opan.mOutbed astonlshment. Down
he went with a squeleh.' and ovOr hun |
went. like lightning, into the dressing
room. lrushcd into my clothes, and out
OF the buildug, aud have never entered q
gymnasium since :"