The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-10

..scrawl strange words for the '.dress Of
men''-a time when to read was wrong. to
write was worse, and his whole business
was to do nothing, simply to relax every
muscle, rest every overtaxed nerve; 70 l1
as one In a trance. with eyes nall cioseu.
giving UP every sense to repose. to let 1ancy
run wild and feel under no obligation 20
make prisoners OF his thoughts for the
amusement of some distant reader. VINO ,o
would not so much as thank you for the
tiresome task. simply to i've wit mo fra z
grant breeze. lulled by the song of strange
birds or the low, RHYTHMIC beat or tne SUIT
en rne ans snd Of BEAUTY OF
sunshine, of contentment-land of fruits ana
flowers. of love and music-land OF the ham
mock.
And so it happens that the simple. inven-
ton that delights the world to-day had It's
age ages before Columbus was horn: while
vet the sovereigns of cultured Europe re-
clined on clumsy divans or rested their
royal persons in most uneasy chairs. THESE
free sons of the forest were swinging IN
luxurious ease. rocked to sleep by the winds
auarreled mildly with the coral rocks that
lined the shore. But the hammac cr
aesrnaa for as ihe rs neasure after
wards; it was the outgrowth of necessity.
for country possessing every cnaTm INA. .naa
the mind conceive must needs nave
some opposing features, and these were
found in this happy region in the form l,3 81
ing scorpions. centipedes, tarantulas and
other equally interesting species, wmcn
eSud only be euded By swngng t slear idea
was first suggested by the matted vines
stretched from tree. to tree, like great ca
stopped to swing, the while screaming out
a fierce challenge to some imaginary r1val.
Mountains ag our Of Gnatemala and neighboring
States the writer had many occasions 70
thank the. originator. of the nammock sa,i hor
through country overrun with insect pests,
to say nothing of the serpents that were
away I from the the camp, to which they had
been attracted by the enticing doors sens
Mheh Would Wy have Sleeping
ground extremely disagreeable, II not GAN
gerous. In these countries the iommock s
forms necessary part of every traveieT
outfit, and he might as well omit saddie,
blankets, leggins and spurs, all o. wnlcn zen
he might possibly get along without, but
the hammock-never.
But do not take them with you when
starting from the North for Tor vo ,ne trauble
sold in the States would be Of little value
paths, often leading through, thorny THICK cko
enough for the passage of your mule, which
offers the only means of transportation IN
this primitive country on the occasion h al
luded to the writer and his companion had
their hammocks made at the beginning OF
the overland journey by native OF Of, wide
thorough work we owed much during. the
months that followed. These swinging beds
were made of heavy sail cloth strongly
sewed and were about twenty-six feet long
and six feet wide in the middle, allowing
the occupant to lie directly across instead
of lengthwise, thus insuring degree OF
comfort impossible to attain in the narrow
net with which most of us are familiar.
The Mozos will hang these in five minutes,
and take them down in less time, rolling >
them up neatly with blankets inclosed, after
which they are carefully strapped to the
back of the saddles, and you are ready to
move.
Delightful as the hammock is for after
noon siesta half hours swing, 1T be-
comes very tiresome when occupied night
after night for sleeping purposes, and If the
f1inchingly acknowledge the ''truth the
whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH" he
would tell you that one of the happiest
hours of his life when he behId from
the summit of lofty pass the white walls
of city known to possess beds of good old
fashioned pattern. But the object of this
paper is to remind the reader of the hum
BILE origin of the swing which he, or she,
is enjoying at this very moment, rather
than to call attention to its flaws or find
fault with it's construction, and whether it
be the coarse net of the common sailor or
the siken tangle of the prince, both should
remember that the pleasure they may derive
from it's use is due to the intelligence of a
dusky hero whose name and whose
have persisted, but whose fame this article
was written to perpetuate, for which honor
alone methinks, it were worth his while to
have lived. ALBERT M. MORLAN.
Indianapolis, March g.