The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-02-06
y From the New YORK Sunday Mercury. Z,
The Progress Of my Zpqaye Practice
= = ~ .-El H l. =
By poEsTIcK:s,

az -NDg SnG f44tET.-t Eltssff.t1D FEE JHts.
~ A fellow, with, a red bag having sleeves
to it tfor. q coa' !; with Two red bags with
out sleeves to them for ,trowseESt;; with al,
embroidered, and br,ideG bag fore vest;
with,a cap like q red woolen, saucepan;
with, yellow boots like, the fourth robberf IN
a stage,play; with a moustache like two
half pound paint brushes. aud with a sort
of sword.guE or gun.sword for q weapon.
that looks like the result Of q love affair
between, an amorous broad.sword and .
lonely musket, indiscreet aud tender-that-
is a Zouave, a,T,...-g =, -.
~ A fellow who can d":'put up"' hpndrecs,,
and ten pound. dumb bell who can climb
mp an eighty foot rope, hand over, hand,
With barrel Of flour hanging to his heels;
who can do the ...giant swings. OF q hori;
zonlal bar with . Fifty ,six tied to each ans
kle. who can walk four flights of stairs
holding heavy man in each hand at arms
length. and who can climb agreased pole.
feet fest, carrying . barrel of pork in his
teethT-Tthat, is a Zouave. -, ~. - :.
i A fellow who can jump seventeen feet
foar inches high without q springhoard;
who can lie his legs in Q double bow knot
around his neck without previously soften:
ing his shin: bones in steam bath; who can
walk Blondin's outdoor tightrope with
his. stomach outside of zine brandy sock.
tails, Q suit Of chain-armo:. outside his
stomach. and stiff northern gale outside
of that; who can set q forty foot ladder
on end. balance himself on top Of it, and
shoot wild pigeons on the wing. one at Q
time, just behind the eye, with q single
,barreled Minie rife, three hundred yards
distance, and never miss a shot; who can
take Eve. shooting revolver in each hand
aud knock the spots out of the Ten Of dia
monds at eighty PAGES, turning somersanlts
all the time and firing every shot in the
air--thst is, a Zouaye., - '.'.1 .
ana 2 jnave. 80
Ny mnsket education progresses--I am
getting on fneiy--I can tell the, mlzz:e
from the stock at first sight. and shall
soon be. able to say which end Of the
ramrod 70 ,pnt, down, and which side up
the cartridges goes. ~ -,
But am paving more attention to my
gymnastics just at present, than to my
musket, for everybody knows that in bat.
tie arms are not of nearly SO much i'm.
portance as legs-it is ! very good thing
TO know :he use of your legs9in case Of
war.
I've got got 4 sspraaccticing-room,, IN, where I
eymnas,ic eyery day I've taken uD the
carpet-a Performance Of which my land,
lady entirely .approves-I'ye piled i,hs
chairs on Top of The table in corner,
ani have sold my bed at auctiopT
Zpuaves sleep on the floor. ~ -, :.
Besides. it is good thing to know
how to sleep without a bed-in case ,o
war '9s"o' % 't"
Spinkey and his brother came 10 Sc,
my room after had got it arranged fol
practice They did thinRs-they Z5navet
a little. by way of setting me an exanple
fouGd out BY the actions of the Spi1k
ey brothers the exact dimensions Of III,
room; Il Is three Hip-faps Tong, aud Q,
handspring and two back k-somersanit
wide. 's'i q s'eo' sSai'sa59ig siiJ S.i'i'a5t
10 -.tstcrrsz A .-aa..k a.,
i BY means OF a-h'p aap you disconcsr
your enemy's aim and draw his fre1.het
yon. XII him. A afp.hiao Is 9 good thirl
TO .do.-in case, OF war. - = 80. 80
BY means OF e handspring you re re
verse your position at'.' ana your bewiidere'
enemy cuts on your ioos' instead OF you
head ,s1, Then you XII him. then Yo
screw on 'al . woooen reg ana ao SO aga,n
When you've zone II Twice You've klie.
TWO enemies ana only lost two legs; aud
t af.er that you can only lose. wooden' legs
, which are comparatively cheap, especiail
II the war is IN well.timoeted % country
a haua'spring IS splenaid tning :
doZiIn case OF war: va $500 9s "'3'. =
by means OF aiorward somersauit, 20
leap over your enemy, when hecharges o
you; then by q back ck.somersauit. you ia
on his head from great height and stu
: him; then you kill him
A somerssuit is an Indispensable ma
. nouver--in case OF war. - go'
@ Tried q somersaplt first. as I though
L.EF