The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-07-03
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CAVALRY EXERCISES.
P,~htin~ Duma1ssSat West Point
An Exciting Scene.

4 ~
n n the performances Of something tha,
. IL very hazardous, the drill i'm wtat Il
| called the school OF The trooper is an
amusement nj abso rsn ny interest. We
have inst had che Of these exhibitions
4, the Riding Hall. That bnildit;g +
i PIG feet long by 81 feet wide. TIE en-
tire space inside IL one nrena. the only
accommodation for spectators being
two small galleries, enc on each Side
| The ground is covered With tan-bark
to adepth Of three orfear inches and
heGbrr an exercise this Is isasened up
II and made smooth aud even by means
of narrowing.
Our gallery eosttsiHs The President
4 ofshc Uait.d states. the Geferal Of
Tile srmirs, The Official board nf visit
or. besides = considerable number of
I guests. rssirfiy- old graduates nj the
Acaasms.& Face to face With these
distinguished spectators are the occa-
/ pants Of the opposite gallery-many Of
them fair young istie-, Suddei y the
wide door through which the horses
have come swings open, and 10 come
the twenty troopers, their long -ahres
dangling III their sides. Each rider
seizes his horse By tbs bride reias aud
the grosms retire. The captain,
mounted on handsome Bay, gives the
command 10 momtt, and in al Instant
every man il IN the -a'iale. The
troops. after whs. ling shout. dividing
into single flies. etc, iinslly take up
their stand, ten horses in one end II
the hall and ten in the other, stand
ing face to face.
The attendants then bring in the
paraphernalis. This consists Of four
posts provided with feet, Que If which
posts il set in each corner Of the arens,
and leather bail, the size OF mans
head, i placed on the top. On each
side of the long hail tall crane Is
erected, the arm extending nver the
track, aud from this arm depends
ring six inches in diameter. Between /
the cranes and eactf corner post =
leather ball lying on the ground, bang /
four in all. These are The Imaginary
foes of the mounted soldier. 1t will
be seen that he has ten enemies TO
combat in going over this short dis.
lance. The captain gives the word OF
aud one man from each
squad spurs his horse gently aud rides
out obliquely across the arena. just
before the two meet they draw their
revolvers. and holding them in an up
tight position, ride on Ia the end ot ,
he hall and there fall into the course ,
Each man then put, -pui- 10 his morse i
md discharges his pistol al the head |
N the post. He then quickly depos
IS that weapon in the pouch and
matches his sabre from the scabbard
II the opposite side. As the pistol
oes bang the horse springs into a
reak-neck gallon. The sabre is no
ooner out than it swoops down upon I
he head Of the first PROSTATE man i
p it comes with the rapdity of light {
ing, and goes through the ring de- ]
ending from the crane overhead. o
Down it comes with a ''thud," and a
head is gone. Up it
ONES, the Hit even with the riders 6
lip, the point leveIed forward, and 10 {
alf . second it darts out like the
,ngue of the cobra, land OF goes the
cad Of The man at the corner At the
ext corner the sabre has been raised
nd comes down with sweep, cut
ng off another head. 1t swings once
nd comes down to the ground, ami
Hating the third PROSTATE man,
ONES up like fash and forces the
Their ring, goes down again with a
weep at another foe on the ground,
nd finishes with letting daylight into
he Uranium Of the last standing foe
n the corner. Ten attendants ifave
0 be present to replace the heads as t
asst as they are knocked OFT. While I
he horses are making the circuit they .
un with fearful velocity. Having
made the circuit the hor-emen hold in !
heir painting steeis aud resume their
places in line. The captain then calls
next and two more horses come
prancing out, going through the same
movement as the first. and 80 on until
all have had their turn. Occasionally
the rider in thrusting at the head aims
too low aud hits the wooden post. /
the post goes aud some |
times the sabre fails to the ground. !
leavlng the post standing Iti a |
fearful test for The nerves. When he
exercise Is fully under way The noise
becomes so great a. to be almost deaf
ening. The wbaDg'ng Of the sabres
rs they bi; up and down. right aud /
left, the Changing Of the long s,..tbbards !.
at the horses sides, the discharge Of
the pistols, filling the place win .
smoke, the CHATTER II the horse. EIoof-. Z
the rafting Of the earth they kick az /
and shoot far behind them all thl-
with The pounding Of the
horses feet against the slopng p!aIks
whenever they deviate from the reg
ular course, makes quite noise enough, I
and there would be no opportunity for
the spectators 10 applaud even if they
were cool and collected enough to I
think of applauding, which is seldom
the case.
Didn't Like It.