South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-09-08
ON STILLS.
BY GEORGE AsPuNwALL.

BY GEORGE AsPNwALL.
The best stills are made to fasten firm
!, ly to the leg, leaving the hands and arms
. free. The foot-piece should be four or five
feet from the ground,-or even higher,
according to the aspirations of the walker
and the upright piece should extend far
enough above that to reach the knee, lust
below which it is to be lashed- Skill is
required, however, to walk safely on such
pair, and fall with them is dangerous.
A very good pair to practice upon can
be made in half an hour by any school
boy who has the necessary tools and ma
terials at hand. Choose for your stand
! ards, or upright pieces, two plain, straight
strips of wood strong enough to bear your
weight and long enough 10 reach to the
tops of your shoulders after you are
mounted. For stilts to learn on, the foot
piece should not be more than fourteen
inches from the ground, or even less for
small bOy,-for you will find it necessary
to step on and off a good many times be-
fore you have learned to walk securely.
The foOt-piece is nailed or screwed to the
standard, from which it projects at right
angles on the inner side, just far enough to
form p comfortable rest for the foot It
should also be supported by brace on
the under side
The implement / have described was
known to nearly every lad in America
few years ago but of late stills seem to
have gone quite out of fashion in some
parts of the country. l am surprised at
this, since they afford really fascinating
exercise to alternate with baseball, kites,
and marbles, and can be mastered by every
owner of good pair of legs, hammer and
nails, and a jack knite.
/ sf.1 ka1 h. =,
to mount them. Rest the ends. on the
ground, grasping the handles in a manner
to bring them behind the shoulders; set
your left foot in its place and spring up,
bringing the right foot to its place while
you are in the air; at the same time hold
| the standards close to your shoulders, un-
der your arms and partly encircled by
them, with the hands near the hips, press
ing forwards. 1t will take you some time
to learn to perform this little feat and re-
main mounted until you are prepared to
take q step. Once well poised on your
stills, you will find it easy to keep your
balance as you walk, but not so easy to
stand still.
OF course you will choose hard, smooth
ground foryOur first exercise. Afterwards
you may lengthen your stilts, cross brooks,
and step over fences.
have courage and a pretty large "organ of
weight" 1t brings into play much the
same faculties that skating does. If you
can wear stilts made fast to year legs,
you will be a skillful walker if you can
trust yourself upon them without carrying
a pole. Your arms set at liberty, you will
find a long light pole wonderfully con-
venient in fording streams, passing rough
places, or resting, when you wish to stand
still.
The nature of the soil and the character
of the streams have brought stills very
much in use in some countries. On the
+" Landes" of Gascony, Ill France, they are
about as common as shoes. Over those
broad, marshy and sandy plains the shep-
herd goes stalking on high stills, which
not only enable him to pass the deep
pools and wet places in his way, but also
to overlook his flocks feeding among the
low, thorny shrubs and brushwood with
which the region is partly covered. He
mounts his stilts, from the roof of his
house or his stable roof, early in the morn
ing, and does not quit them until night.
They are made fast not at the knee, but at
the thigh, in such way as to allow the
legs to move freely. He carries long
pole, which serves several purposes. 1t
is his shepherds crook; and with it he
steadies his steps when necessary, SUD-
ports himself when he wishes to rest
eases his descent to the ground when he
wishes to lie down or sit, and gets up
again at pleasure. Thus lifted above the
earth, he goes striding like an immensely
tall, thin legged giant, over hedges and
bitches and bushes, with perfect ease and
security, and sometimes running with re-
markable speed, like some grotesque, half
human crane.
Races on stills are favorite pastime in
Gascony, and other countries of the South
of France.
The people of Namur, in Belgium, be-
came early famous for their use Of stills,
in conscience of the overflow of the
rivers Sambre and Meuse, which period
ically flooded the city streets. In the
seasons of high water men and women
stepped out of their windows, going about
their business and making calls, on stills.
These, introduced at first as matter of
necessity, at length became a. source OF
and made Namur famous for
one of the most remarkable games on re-
cord. ..-.
This was the battle on stilts. The city
was divided into two sections, called the
Did and the new town, the inhabitants OF
those of many another town
in our own day-were constantly at strife
with each other There feudS were OF
yood-natured sort, however, though they
sometimes resulted in some pretty rough
sport. -4E
Tie Namurois were fond of games; and
/ hundred and fifty years ago the stilt- .
light, introduced nobody knows when, was
It the height of its popularity. The COM
1atants, five or six hundred in number,
livided into two bands, regularly of1cered,
md distinguished by the colors Of their
costumes, advanced upon each other in the
public square, mounted on stills
our feet high. They were un-
.rmed; but wrestling and kicking and
Trusting with the stiltleg-sometimes
dangerous weapon-were allowable. The
,attle begun with the sound of martial
music, and the armies were led with gay
,anners. Women followed their lovers,
)rothers, and husbands to the fight, their
mission being to encourage and cheer them
N by their presence, to support the fall
ng, and to assist the wounded from the
ield.
These battles lasted an hour or two, or
onger, the eombatants often fighting with
reat spirit and determination. Marshall
axe, who, in 174S, witnessed one of these
said of it, 4" If two armies en-
aged showed as much valor as the youths
f Namur, it would not be merely battle,
ut butchery."
Once when the Archduke Albert of
Austria passed through Belgium, the Gov
rnor of Namur promised that he should
ee battle in which the warriors should
ght neither on foot nor on horseback,"
nd got up stilt-combat for his entertain
nent. The Archduke was so much de-
ghted that he at once exempted the
Jamurois from the payment OF the tax on
,eer-s privilege which they enjoy, l
hink, to this day.
In conclusion we must not forget to
MENTION the Yankee who crossed the
apids of Niagara on stilts few years ago
-sfter all, the most daring feat of stilt-
7alking of which we have any account
)ur Young Folks.
In Germany and German Austria, twen-