The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-08-01
Parsiaa Museular Development.

| Par4iaa Museular Development
ANY careful observer, passing along
our buster fhoronghfsres, on happening
into any country town On 1nsrket Gag,
or anywhere else where men congregate,
can hardly have failed 10 notice that
while there sre msny strong ones, and
many hearty onss, thsrs srs very few who
are thoroughly erect or well ProPortioned
throughout. And when IL In remembered
that the large msiority of men In this
country are SONS Of farmers, merchants,
mschani IS, o. laborsrs, it is mot difficult
to account for this one-Hidedness of build
and indifferent oxrriage. For while the
fsrmer's work il vigorous xnd In the open
air, far the greater part of 1t, and espe-
scially the harder part of It, constantly
uses his back, and does but little for his
trent, and particularly for the front OF
his chest. Moving steops him over and
rounds his back; SO do spading, and
hoeing, and wedding, and lifting OF
nearly every sort. H4s hack grows
thick and STRONG; perhaps massive; 80
DO some of the muscles of his arms, of
his abdomen, and of his Legs, until they
soon 10 outstrip the others that hin
spine, getting once crooked from being
10 long and 80 firmly held in one posi-
tion, never gets out of it day or night
While his whole work strengthens, it
also stiffsns him. Hs lie seldom good
walker, the habit of always hitching MP,
Though the srrand is to place hardly q
mile away, contributing to his stiffness,
found, as it usually is, with En inerect
position as he rides, SO unlike, blythe
way, That which is 50 common among the
English stage drivers, who elected praise
from Emerson for their dignifsd grand
fafhsrly air.
Few of the mechanic Erts are any
more favorsbly TO symmetrical develop
meut and uprightnsg of carriage The
blacksmith, Like the FARMER, works some
muscles tremendously; those Of his
hands, of one of his shoulders, and Of
one of his arms, for instance but his
legs are often Indifferent, and his loins
nothing great, while, in common with
hssts OF mechanics, has work is not done
in the open air. Painters and piasterers
have good wrists; carpenters plane and
saw and drive nails well with their night
hands; masons, with backs bent, lift
heavy stones, which, with one Of their
hands, they have chiseled into shape for
their purpose; shoe makers hoop their
backs rather more successfully than any
other trade; and the jewelers., conpos~
itors, desagnerss and all who do the finer,
lighter work, would never, merely by
their daily toll, develop int wellIbuilt.
erect men, if they kept it for theasand
years. Men i'm mercantile lie sit or
stand many hours each day, are frs
guently burdened with important and
trying work, have so many irons In the
fire us to get no rest, and at the end of
the day find themselves thoroughly ex-
hausted, and in humor for anything but
vigorous muscular exertisn. If their
work calls Them out MUCK it uses their
legs only, leaving tine arms idle, and 80
keeping rhe development but partial.
The spade, the pick, and the the bar Of
the lsboring mau keep him stopped over
in spite of all he can do, and he lives
and dies, as Charles Reade desc ribbed him
in his admirable sketch of She brave
blind swimmer of the seottisb firth,
James Lambart--a man with siouch in
his gait Harper's.