National Republican., 1883-07-20
HOW TIE GIRLS SWIM.
Pretty Dears Flirting I'm Woter-ThO
Craze to Paddle Includes all Agcs-Dar-
lings Bathing.

CruLe TO Fndtite Ancluucs nll ASch-Dnh-
lings Bathing.
Chicago Nci0s
"Goin in ?" asked brunette young lady
not more than sixteen years Of ago of an ac-
auaintance, as the two met yesterday on
tho steps of west side swimming school.
I" It's too cold" replied the interrogated
parity with a shiver. She was the daughter
of prominent coal dealer and had just left
the pool wherc twenty or more young ladies
of various ages wore kicking and splashing.
The two chatted for moment, thou entered
the office.
anybody in ?" asked the young girl that
had first spoken of u clerk that stood at an
Office window. A nod of his head answered
her question.
"Give me two checks" she replied, and i'm
mediately the two eutered the apartment
where their sex were enjoying the morning
hour.
aMany actresses are expert swimmers"
said one of the ladies in charge. Carrie
Swain is exceedingly fine. Mrs. Langtry is
nnrong tho best. | saw her in England, and
she,was as graceful rs could be- Dolly Adams,
u variety actress, was good swimmer. | have
heard that Mary Anderson was graceful in tho
water, but | never saw her. Miss BecSwith,
the daughter Of a London swimming teacher,
fancy movement in the water to waltz music.
\ number of Chicago ladies are now learning
the movement 1t consists of graceful turn
of the body as it lies just beneath the water
surface.
"Of ladies in this city the wives of profess
sional men, and especially physicians, seem to
be most Interested in learning tho art. One
physician has nineteen ladies-daughters,
daughters-in-law, and nieces-in his family,
all ofwhom can swim. There arc quite q num-
Der of wives of clorgymen who visit the bath.
Among the business classes the wholesale
merchants and their families arc tho most
regular attendants. Many of these purpose
visiting the scashore, and desire to learn to
swim before entering the water.
when the school was first opened, but
few years ago, we had not more than fifty
pupils during the season. This year we will
have 1000 or more, Since the opening over
6,00O Chicago ladies have become able to
swim. Girls and women of all shapes and
sizes, and in age from years to 60, are at
tending now. The majority of those who
come are between the ages of 15 and %.
There are quite number of little girls un-
der 10 years of age, and few old women
who have celebrated their semi-centennal
anniversaries least they look as if they
were 60 years old, though thoy say they are
only 2S. Several ladies are here from other
cities expressly to learn to swim. One from
Atlanta, Ga, another from Racine and
third from Springfield, ILL.,, are taking lessons
at the south side school,
"When twenty girls get together in the
pool they make more noise than hundred
boys They are free and easy, knowing no
male person can sec them, and kick, and
splash, and laugh the entire time that they
are in tho water. They wear tho regular
bathing suits for ladies, which leaves bare
only the arms, and legs below tho knees.
Some of the girlstako to the water like ducks;
others, however, are timid, and it is some
time before they will venture to wet more
! than their feet. Their instructors arc pro-
tesSional lady teachers, and soon influence
their pupils to get over their timidity. 1t is
frequent that those most timid at first become
most expert l remember once seeing an
elderly lady, who was afraid to enter tho
water when she first came here, jump into
the pool one day with her clothes on and
| save girl that was stTangling
Not long ago two Of our pupils, ladies, who
| had become expert swimmers, were boating
with gentleman friend on one of the smaller
lakes. The boat capsized. The man could
not swim, and the ladies, recognizing tho fact
swan to him, supported him until the over
turned boat was reached, and then towed man
| and boat to the Shore
Another lady, q pupil from here, thrown
into the water in an accident outside of New
| York, managed to save herself by keeping up
five hours, and until boat reached her,.
Can the girls and women learn to swim
| better than the boys and men?"
"Well, there's mighty little difference. If
any, it is in favor of the females. When they
come to the school they come with the deter
mination to learn, and as general thing arc
quick in mastering the art. Some will learn
| in half dozen lessons, while others can't
become swimmers in fifty trials. 1t would
surprise an outsider to see how readily a
woman of go will learn. True she's a little
ri n bnr Uil n N narlt yaIl
makes her n successful pupil. The girls are
more graceful than the boys in the water.
They pride themselves on their grace moro
then on their swiftness. Their bodies will
lie almost fiat on the water, and they will
swim more lazily, which adds to their grace
They swim with tho breast stroke, and hav-
ing become proficient in that, learn the fancy
movements. 1t is difficult to get the girls out
of the water. They seem to enjoy it so much.
A limit, however, is half an hour. The water
is 7S0 in temperature and the air of the room
800.
"There is great rivalry between the young
lady swimmers, When they enter contest
they shiver with excitement. They are dar-
ing, many of them as much so rs the boys.
When they learn the breast stroke they learn
to plunge then to dive float, and tread, and
in everything some of them will equal tho
male swimmer Frequently one will leap
from the rafters, thirty-fve feet high, and
dive into the deep water AT the upper end of
the pool. Miss Lulu Johnson and Miss Macy
are both expert divers from the rafters. The
young ladies can use the gymnastic apparatus
very skillfully. Someiwill swing from the
second floor III tho rings and leap to the
trapezc, Then, they like the spring board,
and can turn sOmersaults, backward and for
ward, equal to any circus performer. We
have several young ladies who can lie on the
bottom of the pool, and can talk, and drink
from n glass undnr NyntprO