Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-07-18

HOME GYMNASIUM AT VERY TRIFLING COST
SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS TO THE WEAK,
THE FAT, THE LEAN AND THE OLD.
The opening chapter of William Blaik-
les new book. How to Get Strong and
How to STAY So" consists of a specific
negative answer To the simple question,
DO We inherit shapely bodies?" Atten-
ton is called to the fact that n careful ex-
animation of the men who pass n busy
point i'll large city reveals a sad lack Of
physical grace and proportion. This
pretty general misfortune, he eholds, comes
III most cases from the progenitors of the
Informed These are, as a rule, the sons
of farmers, merchants, mechanics or la
borers, and the peculiar physical charac-
teristlcs produced by the work of the
father have been handed down to the
children. Almost all the work done by a
member of any one OF the four classes
mentioned develops some parts OF his
body at the expense of the others. Thus
the farmer, broad as is the variety of his
work. l. almost always nerect, the habit
Of STOPPING unavoidable III the greater
part of his labor, soon becoming a fixed
habit. Even worse physically is the con-
dition of thr merchant. who. in his YOUTH
obliged to stand all day till his sides and
waist can scarcely stand il longer. often
breaks down under the ccasclcss pressure
The fact that a worker of any kind re-
tlins apparent health and good appetite
Is not . satisfactory proof that his work
is not long him physical harm. If 4 man
should Tie up one arm and with the other
swing Il smiths hammer all day there is
little doubt that he would have an excel
lent appetite and the sweet sleep of Il la
boring man, but it would leave him in
queer shape at the end Of few months
This partial development of the body is
also marked in the forms of mechanics of
various kinds. The blacksmith rarely
uevs one hand ns much ms the other, and
often has poor legs. The stonemason is
peculiarly one-handed. Ninetenths of all
machinists are right-handed and so on
there is an uneven distribution of the
work Of the various parts of the body,
the right arm generally getting the lions
share, the back more than the chest and
the legs having at best but passive sort
of work 10 do. The result of this over
one part of the body, and Of too
little vigorous action on the lighter, tends
to make the average workman more prone
to disease and thus it comes that three
ont of four of the vast majority of men
in this country are born of fathers but
partially developed and uniformly of in
erect carriage The mothers, too. natu-
rally coming from the same classes, in
hcrit many Of their fathers characters
ties. In the poorer classes their life is
one frequently of over-work and drudgery
and i'll ill-lighted, ill-ventilated apart
ments. No regular exercise is common |
among American women which makes |
them use both hands alike, and is yet Wig |
Drous enough to add to the size and |
strength of their shoulders, chests and
arms.
ORDINARY HOUSEwoRK
brings the hands of those who indulge i'll .
il n good deal to do, even though the |
washing and ironing are left to hired help. |
Far too often both the Homework and |
looking after the children are sources Of |
great exertion, but were the woman strong |
and full Of vigor she would accomplish |
each lightly and still be fresh and hearty |
Mt the end Of the day. With both father |
and mother the conclusion seems to be :
Now that the days work is done, no mat |
ter whether it brings with it strength or |
weakness, let us he perfectly content with |
things Us they are. If it makes us one |
handed, So hc IT. Ii 1t makes us stoop |
over, So he H. If 1t does little or nothing |
for the lower limbs, II 1t cramps the chest, /
or never half fills the lungs, or aids di-
gestion not a whit, so be If. If it keeps |
some persons thin and tired-looking, and
does not prevent others from growing too |
heshy. IT never occurs to most of them |
that n very small amount of knowledge |
and effort in the right direction would |
work wonders and in way which would /
be not only valuable but attractive.
Another chapter is devoted to the sub
iect Of half built boys and how little /
adapted their favorite sports are to i'm
prove their physical condition. 1t shows
that the top, the marble, the Jack knife. |
the ball-all welded by one hand-are
but poorly adapted for physical develop
meut. Base bail Is shown at best Ia be- Il
sharp, icrky game, III which almost all
the work develops one side Of the body at
the expense of the other. The lack of
endurance among American boys
is attestrd 10y asking how many of them
would cover half the distance if started
ont on st run Of six or eight miles. If
this is not enough the reader is invited to
visit the public bath house where he will
''sec more big heads and slim nccks.
more poor legs and skinny arms and
lankv. half built bodies than he would |
ever have imagined the whole neighbor-
hood could produce" Take a tape meas
urr and get the pirth of chest, upper and
forearm. of waist. hips, Thighs and calves
of these little fellows. likewise their
heights and ages. Now send to England
and get the statistics Of the boys of the
same age who are good at harcs- and
hounds. ut football. and see the differ
pncr In every solitary measurement,
save height. there is little douht which
would show the better figures.
To improve this condition of things
the author recommends for boys NOR"
lively and trying games, such sfpot ball,
hockey, harrs-and hounds, jumping, run
hlng and swimming. The author shows
that
SYSTEMATIC PHYSICAL TRAINING
Is almost altogether neglected at school, /
no system "i exercise having been intro |
dncrd iili" any school or college in the |
I'hu, uhirSs II Is at the military academy
at West Point, which begins Ia do fnr |
each pupil, not only what easily might be
done, but what ought to be done A 3,
consequence, not onr-half or one tI,irI of
the senior class of almost nny cnllage |
have that vitality or stamina which m,kes /,
1T probable that they will live till 70. A
few of them. the athletes, will be well de
veloped. better, really, than they need he. /
but tins other development may hc far
from the wisest or safest course.
The condition of school girls liz shown
l.. L.
Of any of our cities and towns as they
pass to and from school, but few of them
are found to be at once blooming, shape
ly and strong Instead of high chests,