Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-02-24
AMATEUR GYMNASTICS.


suce' in the department Of physical
science. We clip and quote
didn', attemp; anything Tor a good
while SAT and calmly surveyed the
scene. saw very littls boys, Who SEEM
ed to be qualifying themselves Tor the
profession Of India rubber men. saw
great s,rappioe men (new comers) at
tempt aad fail in things which fellows,
whom they could pul in their pockets.
did with ease. saw feats performed
which seemed very hard, and which turn
cd out 20 be very easy. and feats which
proved very simple to look a., and split
ters' to tryi AMI then took eff my
coat and wen, TO- ! pulled Up the
small weights FIVE OF six times; wen,
along the horizontal ladder and the par
allel bars once or twice. I went home,
and found two flne blisgeFs on my hands
next morning. Still | went there the
next evening. exercised twice as much
as did before felt convinced that
was getting along very fast and lay
awake almost all night, my arns ached
so.
l staid away about a week, and then
frll to work again manfally became ac-
qaain,ed with young gentleman who
knew the ropes, aud, under his guild
ance, performed many marvellous feafs,
and also met with more mishaps than
believe anybody ever met with before, in
the same space Of time.
Being long and lean, and naturally
awk ward, every new thing learned was
u.hered in by disaster or two. Bot
still persevered. gor now slept ike
q top, and ate at a rate vgry alarming 10
nv boarding house keeper. perseyer-
I'd for lWo long months, and was slill IN
I the foil tide Of successful experiment,
when, on going to the gymnasium at my
accustomed hour one evening. found a
brilliant assemblage Of beauty, brought
together by invitation Of ihe managers,
TO witness our performances.
! disported myself on the floor some
time, until at length my esil genius inn
Peiled me to ascend, for the first time,
ladder which ran 40 one side Of the room
nearly TO the ceilingi then across, and
down the other side of the room. Under
the horizontal part Of The ladder was
temporarily placed a sprins-board, Of
whose exisience was unaware. ! WIG.
gled up the ladder with cuutulsiye Jerks
Of the legs, tie audience looking on 10
respectful silence; bot when ! had rescl-
I'd the middle Of tue horizontal part, lo-
comotion breame impossible could
neither 90 backward nor forward, but
hung Suspended between heaven and
earth, like Mahommeas coffin. Isquirm.
81 about With NY legs, but I could find
no rest for the sole Of my feet. could
bold on no longer and as the distance
wasn't very great, determined 10 drop
70 the looF As gracefully - possible, and
persuade the audience THAT il vas done
On purpess. 50 ! lel 20, ard dolca
came pependieuiarly--and np ] went
flying. hsd come down on my feet
apon the spFiug-b@ardl
Ny 6rsI impression was a chaos my
second wa., that ! had dropped into the
mouth oi cannon Jast ~ it was going
= oG Up went, like skuyile-eoek, al
mos, to the ladder. at Vhich | made
desperate bot Intellectual ciaw,' which
tbrrw me out OF tie pefpeedisuiaf. and
dglea I came, bang lea a sitting pos
d iunri ~ ! went agaia, and gathered ny
legs uader ms diafacteliy AZ | rose 80
shat Nhea dropped again, was shot in
a slaallug diree 500, iradioremosi, ne
from u eaiapult, into lls aaisieoat " 4
tao hundred pound man, sho sas look.
, ng 0n ia open-mogthed asfouishneni.--
Down he went, wilh fqaeieh,' and
over him I Tshf, hke Lightning, into tho
F. dressing roosa rushed into NY clothes,
z and oai Of glas building. aua have never
ynisred q gymnasium siaceg