The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-06

for fee of three drachms each. When l
thought of the two obols in old days to
hear severa, plays Of Eschylus and ARTS.
tophanes and their compeers, it seemed
to me that the price of things had risen
at Athens. TIE course seemed not in
the condition to be expected from the
greatness of the occasion. Part Of it,
near the entrance, was in ridges like a
potato.feld; further up there was a
straight pole about thirty feet high; and
near it green pool Of stagnant water,
some seven or eight feet wide, for the pur-
pose of long jumping with pole. There
was also an oblique pole for climbing with
the hands, like the ladders in our gym
nasia. This completed the arrangements.
AS for the keeping of the course, nothing
could be more ridiculous. The whole sta
dunn was pompously lined with soldiers !;
but the crowd pushed through them and
formed rings in the middle of the course
as the excitement increased, nor was any
one disturbed except by some very mild
expostulation. People walked about as
they pleased, and some accidents were
very narrowly avoided.
And then the dogs were very leading
feature. Greece is a wonderful place for
dogs. They are in every house, in every
room, in every boat. They bark in the
streets all night. They are present at all
the public ceremonies. They are like
spoiled childrcn-always in the way and
never kept in the least discipline.
The sports opened with a fat race OF
about two hundred yards up the stadium
| start oG q
good entry, as the whole number Of COM
petitors was not above twenty five. They
were all dressed in gray check shirts,
fashionable fitting gray trousers, and
tight wcl!.blacked spring sided boots. In
the middle of the race they overlook a
very fat old lady, with two cur>dogs,
walking up the course before them, and
with whose right of doing SO no one
dreampt Of interfering. So the runners
had to thread their way between the old
lady and the ours. After some time they
approached gentleman in tail.coat AID
white tie, who had added to his costume a
blue silk sash and who held in his hand a
flag. This the winner seized, and danced
about, waving it to the multitude, who
chcered him vigorously. Then all the
dogs began to bark, and the band be-
gan to play, and everybody looked very
much pleased.
Next came the climbing Of the straight
pole. Here again four presented them
selves and here. as IN every case, they
were walked up to table, where a man
in tail-coat and white tie took down
their names, and suppose their parents,
names and addresses also, for he was
tediously long about it. After they had
stood in military posture during the pro
Of them really showed great quickness in
going up the pole, and would certainly
prove a dangerous ncighbor to an
orchard. This performance was the best
IN the whole meeting. l; was, consequent
~ not at all so amusing as the succeeding
contest of jumping the stagnant pool with
the pole Most Of the athletes with diff:
fculty rose into the air by holding the
middle Of the pole and then climbing ~,
in order to fall cut as far as possible on
the opposite bank. And fall they did,
into the deep dust especially one little
man, who alishted twice in violent sit
ting posture, bnt the third time got the
pole between his legs and seemed certain
to meet With dangerous accident. But
luck seemed ever in his favor. for in a
subsequent trial he planted the pole
against the opposite bank, so that it snap
dea when he rose, and ought to have kill.
ed him; whereas he only alighted with a
great splash in the pool, and defiled the
spotless dress Of the experimenting
judges.
This incident created, of course great
laughter. Also, strange to say. though
there were dozens of dogs abont the course.
if any one of them looked the least puz-
zled and was in search Of his owner, some
5000 people began to whistle to him.
Still, this WAS seldom the case. The dogs
know perfectly where they were, and it
had a most curious effect to see a large
underlined pointer coiled up fast asleep
right under the obliQue pole during the
contest in climbing. Had any Of the
competitors let so his hold. the animals
life would probably have been sacrificed.
Another ran more imminent danger
from on1 Of the darts thrown at target.
missed it's aim and nearly slew the dog
abridged from "MacmiHom's Ma gizine'"
THE LATEST RAT STORY.
| [Newburg IN. W Telegraph.
| Mr. c. r. Odnll at his hote] an Fro,t