Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-06-06
HEROIC MEURTRIER.
The True History of q Great
French Athlete.

french ACQleCe.
Twas at one time employed in Gov
eminent office. Every day from ten
until four clock became voluntary
prisoner in depressing Office, adorned
with yellow pasteboard boxes and filled
with the musty 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.
ecallto-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 a 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 trif1e with an
athletic constitution, to possess
the biceps of a prize fighter, and, rs he
said himself, not to know his own
strength. He never made gesture
even in 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 Shout
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, saw him
extend his left arm horizontally rs if to
make counterpoise to the tremendous
weight.
l ought to say that this robust creature
inspired me with profound respect,
for / was then, even more than to-day,
physically weak and delicate. and in
consequence filed with admiration for
that energetic physique which lacked.
The conversations of Meurtrier were
not of a nature TO diminish the admira-
ton with which ne inspired me. Above
al
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 of his felt hat. his
coat and his vest. and having wiped the
perspiration from his forehead with the
sleeve of his shirt 10 indicate his san
guine an ardent temperament. he would
thrust his hands deep in the pockets of
his trousers. and. standing near me in
an attitude of perpendicular solidity,
begin rnonologue something as
follows:
what a Sunday. my bowl Pos
itively no fatigue can lay me up. Think
of it-yestcrday was the regatta ut
bonneville le-Pont-at six o clock in the
morning the rendezvous ut Bercy for
the crew of the Marsouin-the sun is I'M
we jump into our rowing suits and
seize the oar and give way-one-two,
one-two--as far as Joinville then over
board for n swim before breakfast; strip
to swisIming drawers. a jump ovor-
board. and look out for squalls. After
nv bath have the appetite of tiger
Good: / seize the boat by one hand and
call out. Carpenter, pass me a small
ham. Three motions in one time and
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.
1.-The hour for the regatta-noon. the
sun Just overhead. The boats draw up
In line or the river, before tent gaudv
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
the first prize. and no fatigue. We dine
at Creteil. How cool the evening in the
dusky arbor; pipes glow in the dark
ness. and moths SINCE their wings
in the flame of the emeiette aa
kirsch. At the end of n dessert
served on decorated plates. we hear
from the bail room the call of the cor
net Take places for the quadrille!
But already rival crew beaten that
same morning. has monopolized the
prettiest girls. A tight teeth broken, |
eyes blackened. ugly falls. and whaeks
below the belt; in word. n poem of |
physical enthusiasm. of noisy hilarity, |
of animal spirits
And the evenings of my astonishing |
companion were not less full of adven-
ture than his Sundays. Collar-and-ei-i
bow wrestling in a tent. under the red
light of torches, between him. simple |
amateur, and Dubois, the iron man in
person--rat chases near the mouth OF
sewers with dogs as fierce rs tigers
eanguinary encounters a; night in |
the most dangerous quarters, with |
ruffians and nose-eaters-were the most |
insignificant episodes of his nightly ca
reer Nor do l dare relate other adj
ventures of more intimate character,
from which, as the writers of an earlier /
day would say in noble style. pen the
least timorous would recoil with hor-
Tor. However painful it may be to
confess an unworthy sentiment am
obliged to say that my admiration for
Meurtrier was not unmixed with re-
gret snd bitterness, perhaps with envy.
But the recitation of his most marvel
GUS exploits had never awakened in
me the least feeling of incredulity, and
Achille Meurtrier easily took his place
in my mind among heroes and demi-
gods, between Roland and Pirithous.
At this time I was great wanderer
in the suburbs, and occupied the leis-
ure Of my summer evenings by solstx1y
walks in those distant regions. as UNI
known to the Parisians of the boulevards
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