The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-03


The students of Bowdoin College are to give
agymnastic exhibition in City Hall, Friday
evening of this week. Those of the readers of
the PRESS who were present at the exhibition
which they gave here two years ago, will not
fail to attend this entertainment which will be
made superior to the former, not only by the
introduction of new feats but also by greater
skill in the performance of TIE old ones. The
exhibition is of interest, not so much on ac-
count of the feats themselves, although they
compare very fayorably with the best gymnast
tic performances ever exhibited in the city, bu-
because they exhibit the result of the regular
and systematic course of discipline which is
carried on at Bowdoin These performers are
not few exceptionally strong men, who were
selected from the whole number of students
and who have spent their time on physical
training to the exclusion of everything else,
but on the contrary, they are men who were
below the average weight and strength, and as
it happened in this case many of them were
suffering from chronic complaints when they
commenced on the course of training. line
students when they enter college are put on the
mechanical apparatus, and there their muscles
are developed and their frames built up Al
ter the class has worked for some time in this
way, certain men are selected to take part in
the exhibition, not that these are the only men
who have derived any good from the course, or
that are capable of development, any more
than the eight men who are assigned senior
parts are the only ones in the class who have
derived benefit from the instruction 10 English
composition. but because these show themselves
best fitted 20 do the work assigned to them
Nor are these men selected solely on account of
their strengths certain amount of strength
is necessary but there are many In college who
possess this-but on account of their peculiar
mental qualifications. Frequently the strong
man has to give way to his weaker neighbour
who, although he does not possess great strength
yet has his strength SO perfectly under the con-
troll of his will, that it enables him to perform
feat-slmple enough on the fOOr-at dizzy
height. This control of the muscles, this cool.
ness and presence of mind, which enables one
to concentrate all his energies on a certain
thing, and that, too, just at the right time, are
the browning attachments Of physical culture
tiles to a sufficient extent to perform an act at
the height of fifty feet, which they would do
with the greatest ease ON the ground. Yet this
power of Concentrating all ones energies and
hurting ones self for short time against some
Impending obstacle is Of inestimable value to
any man in his every day life.
The Bowdoin Athletes do not claim that they
can compete with professional gymnastS in
feats Of strength and endurance, and of course
it could not be expected of them. The time
allotted to them for practice is too shot, Only
two of those who will appear in this exhibition
participated in the former one. Under these
circumstances it would be useless for them TO
attempt feats requiring herculean strength, but
in those requiring courage, self-possession and
rapid, responsible exercise of the Judgment,
they show themselves masters of the situation.