Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-22
ON THEIR MUSCLE.


ef The Central High SehOo1-TWelve
Prizes Notwithstanding Useful
as well as Ornamental.
Six or seven years ago the teachers of our
city schools took the Gymnasium fever,
which was at that time prevailing in the
East, but as they had only a mild form of
the contagion they did not at first import all
the remedies, contenting themselves with
the introduction of " clubs" That seemed
to go to the spot and have the desired effect,
for a time but the organs of the human
system get so used to one kind of treatment
that, after a time, the virtue seems to a
been cast out of the means, and recourse
must necessarily be had to other agencies
and modes. So after "clubs" came "rings,"
and in due time "wands," then "dumb
BELLS" and to the list of beneicent agents
have been added "bags of beans" and we
know not what all. Gymnastic practice
has been embraced in the regular pro-
eramme of school exercises, and taught and
practiced daily, for Eve or six years past.
It has been the custom of the teachers, for
the last four or five years, to award prizes,
| annually, to the best exercisers. These
contests lave always been open ~ to tho pub
lie, although not publicly announced be-
forehand, and they have been looked for
ward to with much interest by the scholars
and their proud fathers and doting mothers-
As it is desirable to obtain a piano for
use in the Gymnasium of the Central High
School, it was thought best to ask an ad-
mission fee to the prize contest this year,
and devote the proceeds of the exhibition
to the purchase of an instrument. The
contest came off yesterday afternoon, in
the Gymnasium. At two o'clock the pupils
filed up in good order from the school rooms
below, and took seats on three sides of the
spacious apartment, leaving the centel free
for the unrestrained operations of those
who, in the language of a youth at our side
given to slang or Americanisms, were about
to Ego in on their muscle"
The platform was crowded with ladies
and gentlemen, fathers and mothers and
friends of the competitors, and quite a
large number of spectators bestowed
themselves in various parts Of the
room, in seats commanding a good view of
the floor. DR.. Theodore Sterling, Principal
of the High School, and Mr.. Sidney Norton,
teacher, took their places in front of the
platform, while just in the rear the judges
obtained seats. They consisted of Miss An
gier, teacher of Gymnastics in the Female
Seminary, and Masters James King and
Charles Fuller, both of whom are graduates
from the High School and took prizes a year
or two ago.
The exercises were opened by singing,
the whole school, under the direction of
Prof. W. W. Partridge, singing with fine eff
feet, "Who's a Brave Man ?"
Figures had been marked upon the floor
in the open area, upon which the COMPETE
tors took their stand as their respective
names were called. Thirty-six of each sex
had given their names as competitors for
the twelve prizes, but for some reason only
thirty-fve youths and t~wenty-nine miss
es actually entered the lists. The
whole number were called out to take part
in the first exercises, that of the rings,-an
which did not count with thejudges
in deciding the question Of awarding prizes.
The pupils went through with the perform
ance in q ~faultless manner receiving orders
from DR.. Sterling and timing their move
ments by the thrum of the piano and the
of the drum. The former instrument
was manipulated by Miss Alice Woodruff
aud Master Willie Case, while Alex. Rich
ardsOn thwacked the drum.
The boys were divided int two or three
sets. The younger were called out next,
and went through in very creditable man
ner with the exercises with the dumb bella.
Then the larger youths, and then the
misses and young ladies. When all the
had been rung on the 'bells'by the
bellies and belle-admirers, the "wsnds'
put into the hands of the competitors,
and, last, the Clubs" The boys were call
ed up FIVE times and the girls four times.
All showed the effect of discipline, and we
to discover even one downright poor
They hadhad considerable drill
.ng with the rings, bells and wands, but the
clubs, we Understood, had been in use for
his occasion only about a week; yet all
"muscle" and skill in the use of
hem. They lave been used to two exer-
Uses, daily,-twenty minutes in the fore
loon and the same in the afternoon, ex-
epting Fridays, when the two were merg-
d into one practice forty minutes in dura-
ion.
The exhibition did not conclude init FIVE
clock, making the performance altogether
DO long and running the risk of "exercis-
the spectators as thoroughly as the
upils. At length Mr.. Norton called the
uccessful competitors in front of the plat :
,rm. As each name was announced the
smainder of the pupils went into the NEST
pirited demonstrations of applause. The G
beers would have done credit to the
political convention. We append
lie names of the winners of the prizes
pavc