The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-08
EASY ENOUGH.
= SENSATION IN a FASHIONABLE
GYMNASIUM


cannon, or Leaping One Hundred
Feet Into Space-Nerve and Good
constitution Required-An Episode
in a Fifth Avenue Gymnasium.
Copyright 1881
NEW YORK, June Mot long ago some
,biur occurred in a fashionable gymua-
eiun on an uptown street not far from
Fifth avenue that had an cir of mystery
sbout it. Women and young ladies of the
select Four Hundred patronized this gym
nasiurn, and the plebian crowd was kept
a. distance. The proprietoro of this high
toned place Of exercise and physical develop
rnent was a shrewd Ward McAllister in his
vav. and prided himself upon the fact that
none but the aristocracy were ever admit
led. One day a handsome young lady with
radiant blue eyes, exquisitely attired, and
at noble bearing applied for admission.
She gave her name as Miss Rosa NJ. Richter
of England, and said her object was merely
70 exercise. Her distinguished appearance,
her rich, yet transformations, dress, her dig
nity and repose, impressed the proprietor
and he chuckled to himself as he mentally
calculated the chances OF her Eeing none
other than some European princess or blue
blood scion of a noble house. He gladly
enrolled her name as a member and she
came nearly every day to exercise. The
costume she wore in the gymnasium dis
PLAYED The most beautiful and perfect form
the proprietor had ever seen. Her arms
were bare, round and smooth as alabaster,
and her bust was q marvel of perfect ply
steal development. Her lower limbs were
equally as we'll proportioned and free from
an ounce of superfluous flesh The pro-
prietor watched her, but her exercise gave
no evidence Of great strength or agility,
and besides she meekly received instruc-
tions from him as to the proper way to
practice. One day when ne was not look
ing she quickly drew up to her chin twice
on the horizontal bar, to the astonishment
of her fashionable sisters, who considered it
a wonderful feat They noticed her beau
tiful form and the ease with which she did
little things that they could not do without
great effort. One day at the end of three
months denouement came. Miss Richter
appeared for exercise in the rich costume
OF professional gymnast. Many fashion
able ladies were in the gymnasium going
through a series of mild exercises. They
stopped and looked at the enhancing vision
climbing a rope with the agility of cat
to reach the flying trapeze. On the flying
trapeZe she went through wonderful evolu-
tons and descended head first on the rope.
Then on the carpet she turned eight or ten
back somerSaultS until she reached the hori-
zontal bar. Springing on the bar with
grace and ease she did the giants swing. a
trick of muscle that few professionals can
do She wound up the performance by a
contortiOn act touching her head to the
back of her feet. The proprietor and the
fashiOnables present were more than aston
lshed, they were struck dumb with admira-
ton and anxiety. Miss Richter dressed an d
walked out without making any explana-
ton, and to this day she is unknown at the
swell gymnasium. ..... 80.
Miss Richter was none other than Zazel,
the well-known circus performer. | met
Zazel at the Park Avenue hotel recently
and asked her about her experience in the
fashionable gymnasium. She laughed
heartily and said that she never had more
amusement in all her life.
Did you see any good gymnasts or ath-
letes among the upper tenF'
Really l never saw SO MANY poorly
shaped and badly developed women before
as saw in that fashionable gymnasium.
In the first place they we're usually encum-
bered with clothes that did not admit of
free exercise to the limbs. | remember one
lady in particular who kept on her corset,
and it was tight laced at that, when she
essayed to exercise. Well, she never did
anything except to swing on the rings after
some one pushed her back and forth to get
her started The star performer among
them was lady who, by superhuman effort,
could pull up to her chin on the horizontal
bar. They never tried to do any real work
| noticed that they all-were fond of the
swinging rings. because there is little ex-
ertl0n IN propelling oneself to and fro after
motion has begun. Women in society OBJ
ject to gymnasium work because it hardens
the hands. They can develop their chests
without hardening their hands on bars
or rings, and that is a secret of mine
that | intend to give to the public
before long. 1t will teach the women of
America how to have full and robust chests,
instead of the sunken hollow ones that are
now so often seen. 1t does not make any
difference If a woman is IS or 40 years old
there IS way to develop her chest, and |
E am sure thousands would like to know
Way | thought the women of New York
were noted for their fine forms and per-
leet physical developments"
They are not found often in the fash
ionabie set. l grant you that they look
perfect models OF physical perfection when
on the street, but that is with the aid of a
sklltul modiste. Padding has been brought
70 wonderful perfection Of late years, and
the tallor-made woman may be almost
as as li-shapen as the hunchback, Richard the
4nlrd, ana yet present fine appearance.
j., =" ere you born with perfect form, OF
uid you acquire it by years of exercisep'
had good, athletic frame to begin
WIN, and years of constant exercise has kept
uo|n the curse Of most women on the stage
ana N the circus, obesity. grew up an attn
lete: Ny father, the late Ernest Richter,
u London, was a dramatic agent, and /
was Graded in the show business. gave
my rlgat name to the proprietor of the
e5hnaSlum, near Fifth avenue, and never
salled under false celors.
one day discovered that was a first
aIe contortlonist, and so | began to prac-
o,ce IA the bending line. No one can be a
ft 80 and truly great dancer without
oTng something Of a contortionist A
f. Il 1i-aSt, as a rule, is good contortionist.
you Will ask any great professional
negro minstrel, or otherwise, if he
Dau 40 any contortion business, he will tell
~ mat he can do splits bends and
S;aoliders Splits is where the legs are
~ Ply spread out until the body touches
S =" ground. To do bend, is to carry the
Isau pack until the feet are reached and a
r -'ulIer Is where the leg can be brought
1gSS1TIalght to the shoulder.
ft1a Oecsre an expert athlete, and when a
Tso glrl went around with a troupe of
5S as Japanese boy. While with the
- ~ l began TO do leaps from perches
a.e3y high, of which some years