The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-10
Deferred Matter from Last Week.


causing his hero, Godfrey Dclamalne, TO come to
a sudden death through excessive physical cul
turc he brought down upon his devoted hcad
lpcrfect avalanche Of Indignation from the Eng
Ilish "athlcticists:" and nauguracd a seeming
liz endless discussion of physical development
with champions Of various ability on either side
| A Mr. Skcy attempted to blow the whole subject
sky-high By arguing that excessive physical cul
ture was certain to result in disease, ut least
and an cnfceblcd constitution, il not premature
death" while one DR.. Morgan champoned the
cause Of the "athlcticiss" and the colleges UoI
what would become of the college regattas IL
Skcy was not demolished, showing that oil all
the 80 Cambridge and oxford men who had
rowcd in University races from 1850 TO 1873, 4C
only had died. and of these but small proper
ton had suffered injury from rowing, and they
were radically delicate The athlcticists
brcathcd more easy, Skcy and Collins were de-
molishcd and the boat races continue in Britain
and also in America. However, while II may be
a question whether the amount of time spent IN
physical culture by students in some Of our col
lcgcs is really profitable, there can be little doubt
that some systematic physical training of boys
are would have an excellent effect on the future
of our Anglo-Amcr,can race. There seems to be
| too great Il disposition in these modern times To
force our boys and girls into blooming intcllectu
| al pot-plants by Il dollhouse training in grand
symmetrical course Of the Boston ''cultuah' ma
chine which, while ii may suit Boston, is widely
out place among common youth burdened with
| that uncomfortable apparatus called n body. The
old time notion Of Solomon that "thc glory of a
Young man is his strength reads like most OF
Solomon's wisdom, very prcttily but is rather
! impracticable YOU see" And the rollicting boy,
full of life and mischief learning his three RS
and his Latin or Greek grammar by rote, has
given place to the pale-faccd, stoop shouldcrcd,
whtc-livcted intellectual philosopher of H. who
",tays in the house" with his mamma discussing
Portcr's HuDdn Mind or tearing Mills Logic in
pieces or annotatlng Spencer's B'o'oGy. In child
hood the modern boy is an intellectual prodigy,
at - he drinks to support life, at - his nervous
organism is n legion Of devils driving him crazy,
and at 30 or 81 he dies Of old age is lost to the
world within the walls Of an insane YUM. Not
outstanding very many and some very notable
exceptions, is certain as Il demonstration OF Eu.
| clid that mind must have q foundation of heal
thy flesh and blood 10 stand upon, and that oul
greatest minds and hardest workers have had
this foundation-men like Webster, who, when
necessary, could forcgo his rest for days and
nights together to prepare court papers Or polit-
| zeal speeches ION short notice"
| The Germans are considered the best educated
men in the world, and none are harder. As a
boy the German "goes TO scnool, skates, turns in
his Tunha,t, makes walking tours in vacation,
drills, Marches goes through his spring and au.
tumn manoeuyrcs, dcyelopcs the muscles OF q
] Hercules and the appetite of n Brarcus." lie
can endure anything and all he endures enrich.
rs his blood and helps him to assimilate his i'm.
mcnsc supplies Of food. Ellis brain is nourishcd,
the muscles are nourished, the organs become
strong and healthy" These ought to he the com.
| ing men, they are the useful men. Such at least
was the belief Of the celebrated DIR. Arnold and
many other masters Of Rugby and Eton, which
turned out 20 many of England's great men.
Wcllingto says the battle Of Waterloo was won
on the play ground Of Eton, where, doubtless,
| the foundation of many another physical and in.
tcllcctual victory was laid. No reader of Ton,
B,o,r, at least, can doubt il, who sees how nat
urally the manly sports Of boys, and even their
| fights, at such scoos, dcvclopc spirit Of indie
Ipcndcncc sclf.rclanCc, justice, and humanity.
We have been led into these thoughts by the
exercises which took place at Turn Hall on last
Monday evening, the occasion being benefit
10 Prof. llcydewellcr, teacher Of gymnastics.
About s:;iO when the hall had become well filed,
| the classes marched in-somc % or 30 boys and
~ to - girls, ranging from about q to IL years
Of age. After some marching tall in excellent
timcD the boys were formed into a square } across
and deep, separated 80 as not TO interfere with
each other at arms length, when lOuS series of
arm aud body movements were gone through
with, all the pupils keeping time with the teachers
fo0tbcat. The movements were those tending Ia
dcyclopc the chest toa certain degree, and more
especially To dcyclopc the strength Of while it in.
creased the .uppcncsS Of the body Then the
class were divided into two divisions facing each
other in battle array. One from each side of the
house then left the ranks with folded arms and
hopping on one foot To Join battle The bat
tie" was unique, harmless, and innocent, hut
quite exciting. The object Of each was to push
]
a, 10 force him To the Of both feet 10 protect
him from falling, which render, him Ao,s oa ooo,.
Bat; and the next two in order tried their strength
This part of the programme at last became quite
cxciting, To the spectators al least for tn actor,
showed good pluck in addition 10 not it'll,
science and cunning. Who saws there j. II,
Nofgid IN iighting-,ycn these moot comLats'
Why You could see ii in many 81 those little Eel
lows actions as clearly a, Wellington showed Il
at Waterloo or Napoleon at Au,;crli,z. II va,
only adherence in degree.
After the boys came, the girls, WHO pcriorne,
! Somewhat ihc same exercises that the boys did
30 far as appropriate after which many beautiful
! figures were marched Thi- part Of the enter
tainmcnt WIS ~ Interesting ~ any exercise thu
far given The girls marched beautifully. will
bodies straight as arrows and very graceful ear
riage, keeping time perfectly
The entire exhibition Of the juveniles WI. vcr