, 1885-06-12
FIFTH AVENUE .FLoAT.


- - ~ fH''"
sSca x--4 So,
\ man Of compact physique AM
healthy color. who was dressed in n
bathing suit, leaned against the rail- Of
a small swimming tath up Town and
carelessly knottcd a bit Of rope as b..
talked Of his bathers.
I've been instructor Of the better
clements OF New orS society for many
years, he said, ''an1 ] may say that
Eve been satisfactory
You do not deal with the humber
elements them
II never touch anything that is not
of the upper crust, said the instructor,
composedly. The tone is everything
| Affect tho upper tone. This is partly
because | like it, rs it isalways pleasant
20 meet ladies' and gentlemen than par
N and upstairs, and partly iecause
! find that 1t pays to be exclusive II
you let people know that you cater to
the better elements they will patronize
you.
The place is near the Fifth avenue, in
Il OF tho most aristocratic parts OF
New ork. A liver ed attendant opens
the door, and n NUM- er of m
glish and french illustrated news
papers lie about. 20 American papers
are in sight. This would indicate that
tho better element does not Affect
native journals. The bath itself was n
good-sizel pool rallied in handsomely
and nearly seven feet deep in spots,
with spring boards, swinging rings,
swimming gear, and co%ntriyanees for
frolicsome athletic, and daring swim
mers overhung various parts of the pool,
while commodious dressing-rooms were
ranged around the four sides. A small
platform oyerhung the deep end Of the
bath. 1t vas nj least ten feet above
the water, and was designed for rial
diving.
The professor was a man of great
gravity. He was well-constrained and
thoughtful, but his composure never
gave the impression of s~ullenness or i'll
humor. His manner was that Of q stu
dent, and he seemed rather proud of
the discern ent which had led him to
establish a swimming bath in such a
neighborhood.
Have you many pupils Of the fair
Sex the professor was asked in the
course of conversation.
"Oh, yes, Il very considerable num-
Der. Their hours are from o in the
orning till 4 p. m, an they are the
most delightful of bathers."
What sort of costumes do they
wear
The majority OF the ladies' use their
seaside costumes, but quite n number of
expert swimmers wear the single gar.
ment-that is, without skirt or tunic.
you know, and with tho arms and neck
hura No man nra aIraftt.1 -. L.
ing ladies hours even the swimming
instructors are women, and so the la
dies are perfectly safe from obsorva-
ton.
1T would surprise you to see some Of
our expert swimmers. We have do en-
young women who take headers from
the platform up there, and We have
only one man who attempts it. A ten
foot dive is not to be sneezed ut,
you know. Well, the ladies spring
fro n it head first with the fear
lessness and grace of birds. 1t is
usually the case with wo zen that
when they make up their minds to do a
thing, they go it for all they are worth
One of my patrons is as pretty in the
water rs she is in The drawing-room.
he is n great society woman, and her
name appears constantly in the papers.
er face is as delicate as a cameo, and
she has a soft little voice, like a nun.
Tho first time she came here ! supposed
she'd lie tmid, and expected to S nd in
attendant in with her. While was
thinking of it, she came pattering down
the walk, ran out, gave n big Jump on
the end of the springhoard, and took a
dive that never saw beaten in my life.
Then she came up. went hand over
hand to the rail, and ran up the steps
TO that platform up there. Over she
went like a swallow no comes hero
regularly, and she is tho queen"
II o any children como herei'
Amy! Well, rather. The fact ID. we
have more children than adults, and
there are a good many of them ex-
tremely clever. We have .ome as Dung
ns : years. ~ purse they have 10 be
bathed. but we have taught many n 10
year old to swim. About the most re-
markable case eve had though. was
that of a lady u5 years old who came
here to learn swimming. hats pretty
good age to tegin at, yol know, but
she was determined, and We went to
work regularly. In three months she
had learned thoroughly. and now II she
should fall overheard she would DO as
well able to take care OF herself as you
would.
Then he bowed with grave respect and
went TO attend to the needs OF n group
OF young men who came noisily into the
bath.