St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-04-10
HEROIC MEURTRIER.
The True History of q Great
French Athlete.

Twas at one time employed in Gov
ernment Office. Every day from ter
until four clock became voluntary
prisoner in depressing Office. adorned
with yellow pasteboard boxes and filled
with the mustv odor of old papers,
There breakfasted on Italian cheese
and apples which roasted at the CRATE;
read the morning papers. even to the
advertisements; l ryhmed verses. and
attended to the affairs of state to the
extent of drawing. at the end of each
month. salary which barely kept me
from starving.
Irecall to-day one of my companions
in captivity at that epoch. He was
called Achille Meurtrier. and certainly
his fierce look and his tall form seemed
to warrant that name. He was great
big fellow, about forty years old. with
out too much chest or shoulders. but
who wore felt hats with wide brims.
short. but ample coats, large plaid
trousers. and red neckties under rolling
collars. He wore full beard. long
hair. and was very proud of his hairy
hands. The chief boast of Meurtrier,
otherwise the best and most amiable of
companions, was to trife with an
athletic constitution. to possess
the biceps of prize fighter, and, rs he
said himself, not to know his own
strength. He never made a gesture
even i'm the exercise of his peaceable
profession that did not have for its OBJ
ject to convince the spectators of his
prodigious vigor Did he have to take
from its case an empty pasteboard box,
he advanced toward the shelf with the
heavy step of a street porter. grasped
the box solidly with tight hand, and
carried it with stiff arm as far as the
next table with Struggling of shoul-
ders and frowning of brow worthy of
Milo of Cretona. He carried this man.
ner so far that he never used less appar-
ent effort even to lift the lightest objects.
and one day when he held in his right
hand basket of old papers, I saw him
extend his left arm horizontally as if to
make a counterpoise to the tremendous
weight.
Iought to say that this robust creature
inspired me with a profound respect,
for | was then, even more than to-day.
physically weak and delicate. and in
consequence filled with admiration for
that energetic physique which lacked.
The conversations of Meurtrier were
not of a nature to diminish the admira-
ton with which he inspired me. Above
all. in the summer. on Monday morn
ings. when he had returned to the Office
after our Sunday holiday. he had an in
exhaustible fund of stories concerning
his adventures and feats of strength.
After having taken off his felt hat, his
coat and his vest. and having wiped the
perspiration from his forehead with the
sleeve of his shirt to indicate his SAN
guine an ardent temperament. he would
thrust his hands deep in the pockets Of
his trousers. and. standing near me i'm
an attitude of perpendicular solidity.
begin monologue something as
follows:
What Sunday. my boy! Pos
itively no fatigue can lay me up. Think
of it-yesterday was the regatta at
BONNEVILLE le-Pont-at six o'clock i'm the
morning the rendezvous at Bercy for
the crew of the Marsouin-the sun is up
we jump into our rowing suits and
seize the oar and give wav--one-two.
one-two--as far rs Joinville : then over
board for a swim before breakfast: strip
to swimming drawers. Jump ovor-
board, and look out for squalls. After
my bath have the appetite of tiger.
iood; seize the boat by one hand and
I call out. Charpentier. pass me small
ham. Three motions in one time and I
have finished it to the bone. Charpen-
tier. pass me the brandy flask Three
swallows and it is empty"
So the description would continue
dazzling Homeric
The hour for the regatta-noon. the
sun just overhead. The boats draw up
IN line on the river. before tent gaudy
with streamers. On the bank the
Mayor. with his scarf of office. gend-
armes in yellow shoulder belts. and
swarm of summer dresses. open para
soils, and straw hats. Bang! The sig
nal gun is fired, the Marsouin shoots
forward of her competitors and gains !
e pirt. 'thu Ho idtiSue- we ulne
nj Creteil. How cool the evening in the |
tnsky arbor; pipes glow in the dark
ness. and moths singe their wings
IN the flame of the emelehe an
arSch: AT the end of dessert |
served on decorated plates. we hear
from the ball room the call of the cor
net Take places for the auadrille!
But already rival crew beaten that
same morning. has monopollzed the |
prettiest girls. A fight, teeth broken. !
eyes blaekened. ugly falls. and whacks |
below the belt: in a word. a poem of
physical enthusiasm. of noisy hilaritv.
of animal spirits.''
And the evenings of nv astonishing
companion were not less full of adyen-
f'ire than his Sundays. Collar-and-el-
how wrestling in a tent. under the red /
light OF torches. between him. simple |
amateur. and Dubois. the iron man in
personrat chaseS near the mouth of
sewers with dogs as fierce as tigers
sang,linary encounters At night in
the most dangerous quarters. With
ruffians and nose-eaters- were the most !
Insignificant episodes Of his nightly ca |
reer, Nor do ! dare relate other .d-