Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-03
FREE BATHS FOR GIRLS.
Two Thousand Naiads ia the wave
SECRETS of the Dressing Rooms.
!. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprie

secrets OF the Dressing. Rooms.
New York Daily Graphic.l
"Girls Day" at the Free Bath is
charac acteristically illustrated by. our ar
tist, Miss Jessie Curtis, from drawing
made at the bath located at the foot OF
West Eleventh street. This bath is six
ty feet long by thirty-Gve in width, has
sixty dressing rooms, and is lighted IN
the evening by twenty glass globes. The
water is over four feet deep is very clean
and clear, and the scene by day or night
is charmingly animated.
The good accomplished by the two
public swimming baths OF this city Is
incalculable. Passing down Eleventh
street on the west side OF Filth street on
the east side of the town to the river,
from 5 in the morning till 8 o'clock IN
the evening, may be seen hundreds OF
weary, dust begrimed men and women
and scores of children eager to lave their
tired limbs in the cooling waters. II
cleanliness is next to godllness, ana II
IL assuredly conducive to the latter at
tribute. then the public bath ranks nearer
the church than other institutions, and
the lesson taught within its walls BY q
single code of regulations are just those
most easily comprehended and most
generally needed by the uneducated
classes. Among the multitudes who visit
these public baths one is bound to be-
lieye hundreds receive proper training
in their own homes; but one is also aware
that thousands, alas, know little and hear
less of decency in dress and decorum IN
manners, and to them the rules that
exact a suitable bathing attire and a
proper behavior toward each other are
simply surprise, matter OF specula-
tion. and in many cases an aggravation
to be borne patiently if possible, II not,
nevertheless to be borne, or pleasure
forfeited in consequence =.
There are now two large free baths in
oneration in this city; one, as betore
stated, on the east side, and the other on
the west, and it is estimated that on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from
10 900 to 10000 women and children are
admitted to bathe, while from $1,000 to
25 900 men and boys enjoy the same
privilege on each OF the other days OF the
week. To show the great need that exists
for a large number of these excellent
institutions, it is only necessary to state
that the managers of these baths are
frequently obliged on very sultry days
10 close the doors every half hour to
exclude the outside throng of applicants
until those already within have enjoyed
their allotted twenty minutes On the
"Women's Day" two polite feminine at.
tendants easily manage and .superintend
the scores of Naiads that disport them
selves in the "briny wave, and seldom
have occasion to reprove an individual.
In the evening a more difficult class OF
subjects appear, frisking diving and
smashing about with an energy one
would deem impossible after hard day S
labor in July. These require an ocea-
sional looking after but, all things
considered, are very we'll behaved On
the other days of the week four police
men are present to preserve order among
the more boisterous devotees OF the ma
torial art, and little boys and big swim
about in wholesome fear Of those gilt
buttoned and starred lord OF creation
watching them with an eagle glance. !"
In the evening on women's day, the
scene is most singular and enlivening
the bath being brightly lighted by gas
Jets that fare and fash upon the waters
and gay jackets of the bathers Every
variety Of color and material has been
brought into requisition for the stipulated
custume-calicoes and striped howered
bed-ticking; ginghams, checked and
plaided; 6annels, yellow, red and blue;"
some cut bag and pillowease fashion,
and others gracefully fitted, scalloped
and trimmed Amusing transformations
are constantly occurring as the fair
bAthers enter their dressing rooms in all
the glory Of hoops and founces, ehignons
and floating curls, emerging therefrom
sans hoops, sans hair, sans so much that
constitutes the feminine toilets Of to-day.
And after the first splash-what Hebes
and Venuses, what quaking masses Of
solidity, what shaking anatomies are re-
vealedl Here a wisp Of hair and pair
of skinny arms; there a rosy face, long
tresses, and shining, snowy shoulders
flash through the waters. Peals Of laugh
ter and shrill screams ring through the