Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-08
SOMERSAULTS IND HAKDSPRINGS.
WHAT A FAIR VISITOR SAW AT THE
NEW ATHLETIC CLUB.
Daring Feats by Prominent and Rising
Young Athletes-A Vivid De-
scription of Them.

"Sakes alive! what narrow escape !
have had! Just moment more and /
would have been crushedr'
The speaker was young lady, and she
was nearly out of breath from running
when she made this statement to gentle
man friend whom she had bumped into al
the corner of NJ and Sixth streets.
why, what has happened?" asked the
yeung man, and the cold chills began 10
creep down his spinal column.
"Oh heavens" cried the frightened and
painting young lady, "the whole building is
falling down. My what narrow escape
I had '
What building?"
why, the old Pavilion, here-the other
side OF it was tumbling down as passed.
My such dreadful noise, too.'
The feeling of fear and concern deserted
the young man in moment. and one of
intense enjoyment of the young lady's
childish innocence, or rather, Ignorance
took Its place as the truth dawned upon
him. He grinned broadly and hugely as
he explained to his fair friend that her
fears were all for naught-that 1t was only
the boys practicing in the new athletic
club-room, which she had heard.
But she wouldn't believe it until they
had walked down in front of the building
again, and she had heard the deafenins mn.
roar without seeing any fiying timbers
dust or other usual Accomplishments of
toppling buildings.
We'll, who would have thought il ?n
said she, after she had thoroughly recoy-
cred from her surprise. And thought
all the young men who belonged to the
new club were dudes-nice, quiet young
men, you know"
"Oh, you thought so, did you ?'' said her
companion, drawing himself up in an in
dlgnant manner. "Pll have you to under
stand, Miss De Montague, that we can
make just as much noise as anybody"
She apologized, and he accepted the
apology. by the way" said he. Wont
you come up stairs and see who's making
all the racket, and how they make it ?"
1t took her very small portion of a
second to accept the invitation and up
stairs they went.
The sight that met her eyes upon reach
ing the gymnasium floor completely dazed
her for time. There was such a bewilder
ing profusion and confusion of lightly clad
figures OF all sizes, shapes and weights tum-
DllDg ABOUT on mattresses swinging on
bars and trapeze, working pulleys and turn
ing somersaults-and all accompanied by
such deafening noise-that the fair visitor
had to be led to chair to recover her scat
tered senses. She had been brought into
an insane asylum, thought the poor crea-
ture. The whirling and dancing athletes
observed the visitor and they whirled and
danced the harder, wholly unmindful, ap-
parently, of the racking effect upon the
young lady's nerves.
But presently she began to revive, and
gradually the whirling figures grew less
terrible and grotesque in their appearance,
until finally they began to assume the
shapes of human beings, and still later she
recognized here and there familiar face.
1t was not so bad after all-in fact, before
she knew it she was deeply interested, and
was greatly enjoying what was going on
about her.
Her companion observed this and felt
much relieved. Wouldn't you like to
walk about and see our apparatus" he
asked.
She would, and they walked, But before
they had taken many steps she was nearly
thrown into Mysteries again by the sight of