St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-27
BANr1NG WITH THE ACTORS.
an Interesting Plan that Makes Miss DAG
export Lean and Miss GernsOn fat.
rN UorIJ

-,
principle laid down some twenty years ago
by WlMam Banting for the reduction of
obesity. The fashion was set by MISS Fanny
Davenport, who recently informed the writer
of her mode of procedure. She said:
81 found myself growing heavier rapidly,
although being tall, was able to carry more
flesh with less inconvenience than most wo-
men. But one day, when in London, got
weighed, and was so startled-I may say
alarmed-at the increase of weight, that l
said to myself Here, this must stop!'
"All very easy to say, but how to make it
stop was the question.
First 1 began to read all could find on
the subject of the reduction of flesh, and de-
cided that the old Banting system was the
best. I was much given to eating candies
and pies; it cost me great effort to relin-
quish these, especially the pastry, for | am
all an American as far as liking pie is con-
cerned. Still, did it. l used always to
carry box of bon-bons in my pocket, and
when / first laid it aside was as much lost
without it as a confirmed snuff-taker would
be without his snuffbox. But quite marked
decrease in weight rewarded my sef-denial,
and encouraged me to perseYere. Water,
too was another weakness of mine. l used
to drink, even in winter, several lumber
fuls, one after the other, and very fire., !
while eating. Well, 7 stopped drinking
water, gradually, of course, SO that now
never touch it,"
Never drink waterl With what do you
supply its place-wine-beer?''
''No, those 1 never cared for. drink
iced tea, winter and summer, and never
anything else. Next, banished bread from
my list of fattening foods, and for months l
have not touched it. Inhospitable l I'M
doubtedly am, since I never break bread
with any one.''
GLOW about vegetables?"
GAS never cared much for them, to alb
stain from them altogether is not depriva-
ton"
'Then it is true, as they say, that you eat
nothing but beef!''
''No it isn't either, for I eat mutton, poul
try, eggs, and fish. But 1 do not attribute
my lessening of flesh solely to abstinence
from certain articles of food, but to the eX
ercise l take. l used to ride everywhere,
now l never ride when l can walk, not even
in a car. Sometimes, indeed, whenever my
time permits, l start out in the morning and
walk all day long, no matter what the wealth
er may be. At first used to return SO tired
that could hardly get through the perform
ance, but now it seems to me the longer l
walk the fresher l become. In short, to
sum it all up in my opinion the only way to
become thin, and to keep thin, is first, no
fluids; second, no food (worth speaking Off;
third, constant walking. To one who has
suffered from a superfluity of flesh, the light
cHIhip 10 ha i'm atp
ing compensates for the deprivation of gusta-
tory pleasure. Whereas fused to feel heavy, l
now feel as light on my feet as a child on
parlor skates"
Miss Effle Germon, the charming soubrette
of Wallack's threatre, has also tried the
Banting system, but with different results
from those experienced by Miss Davenport.
In answer to a question on the subject, she
replied, with laugh:
"Have l tried to reduce my bulk by pant
ing? That l have. l abstained from fat
!ening food until 1 got so weak that 1 could
hardly walk, and l gained all the time in
weight. Did also refrain from water and
other fluids? did, and the less 1 ate and
drank, and the more l walked and used dumb
bells and took Turkish baths the fatter got.
/ suffered so much from hunger and thirst
that often dreamed | was shipwrecked at
sea and dying of starvation. | really envied
that castaway scattering man, who had the
ing luxury of eating the whole crew, and, pc
well fed, sang:
=. Oh, / am the cook and the Captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And the bo sun tight,
And the mids hipmite,
And the crew of the Captains gig.
"Anti-fatl Stouter and stouter did grow
on that till was obliged to give it up, so
that of late 1 do nothing but take all the ex-
ercise I can, and that seems to keep me
about the same weight from year to year"
Mrs Eldridge, who plays the old woman
in Edwin Booths company, called attecuon-
ately ''Aunt Lou,' declares that she is a
natural banter,'' inasmueh as she never
wants TO eat or drink anything of fatten-
ing tendency, and so keeps her figure as
trim as that of girl. Rose Eytinge is very
abstemious eater, as a rule; but in the spring
time partakes of spring vegetables, and
grows stout as the summer comes on, and
then trains down the winter campaign. She
drinks French coffee without milk or sugar.
Agnes Booth and Sarah Jewett fare both Gel
ebrated for their beautiful forms. Both have
handsome backs, a great advantage in these
days, when dresses are cut so low in the
back as to display the shoulder blades. Both
ladies regulate their diet so as to keep up
= just that degree of plumpnesss which is the
first essential of beauty.
Good looks, both of form and feature, are
the stock in trade of an actress. The actor,
having less need of either, cares less wheth-
er flesh or advancing years deteriorate the
shapeliness of his figure. Still, for those who
play young parts, obesity is considered mis-
fortune, as in the case of Mckee Rankin who
played the role of young hero in "Storm-
Beaten" when at the beginning of this sea-
son, it was produced at the Union Square
Theatre.
He had to place himself, in AL sorts Of neg
lige attitudes, such as throwing himself full
length at the feet of his sweetheart, as Ham
let does in the play scene. Being so large,
Rankin could not toss himself about like a
feather, and his efforts to do so were more
amusing than sentimental, and, for this rea-
son principally, he resigned his role to an ac-
tor of lighter build. Mr.. Joseph Whiting,
also of the "Square'' theatre, was for some
time condemned by is bulk to play parts of
middle age, but having lately become a
most determined banter, he has made his
figure so trim and useful that he has resumed
the juvenile roles. He says he lost seven
teen pounds in three weeks by abstaining
from bread and butter alone. The question
that naturally presents itself to the inquirer
into this subject is. How much bread and
butter are required to make seventeen
pounds of flesh.
William Messenger says no, he never bants.
Why should he, when flesh is not drawback
but rather the reverse in his line of business.
Their are several other prominent fat
actors whose face is their fortune; SO they
care too little for their figure to refuse the
goods the gods provide for the table, espec-
Tally as in less prosperous times semi-starya-
ton was not voluntary, but enforced.
And talking of faces, the banting system