The sun., 1890-01-16
A DREAM or BEAUTY.
Tho New Athletic Club House In which
Society Women Exercise.

The Berkeley Ladies' Athletic Association
received their friends yesterday afternoon at
their new building In Forty-fourth street,
which has recently been completed at n cost OF
$4,000, and is the only one Of tho kind In the
world. Throughout both afternoon and even
ing the handsome parlors and marble halls
were thronged with interested and delighted
people. among whom one recognized repre-
sentatives OF well known and prominent fami-
lies Of the city. Miss Syms. Miss Brdgman.
Miss Bliss. Miss Elliott Miss Brodhead. Miss
Jenness. Miss Hawkins, Miss Pond Miss Gran
berry. Miss Feldhusen. with the young men
from the Berkeley school, received and con-
ducted the visitors through the rooms and up
the winding marble starways. with their brass
railinRs. hidden In fringes Of palm and ferns.
The building adjoins that OF the Berkeley
Lyceum Athletic Association. and is the prop
erty Of the same stock company 1t resembles
It in architectural design and outward finish.
but its interior is essentially feminine in its
| arrangement and atmosphere. All the corri.
dors have floors OF white marble, with wall
decorations OF q delicate creamy rich relief
pRpering. with traces OF gold. At the left Of
the broad main corridor. which terminates in
q foyer hall. from which the marble stairway
ascends. Is the reception room with It's ex-
quisite Louis XIV decorations. The ceiling is
in cream. with graceful gold designs in re-
lief the walls are panelled in blue aud white
silk brocade, set in ivory finished wood and
the hangings are OF gold and dull pink satin
damask. Handsomely carved tables, softly
cushioned chairs OF gold. luxurious couches Of
satin damask in deeply tinted canary. old pink.
or gold and quaint upholstered pieces called
conversational" are scattered about the
room In most delicate and symphonic scheme
nsSed sSHSdFG Sd which, ans Mss
banked high with flowers and festooned with
smilax. an open CRATE is faced round with real
artistic BIT bit " of Moorish tiiine for
the ssb6o Rrsath whsh IL hsdn a
OF prowess. In the rear Of this are two hand;
some rooms. with finish Of polished oak and
rich rugs, that belong to Or. Mary T. Bissell.
the medical director Of the gymnasium. In her
s Private 0se is i bs ss9
most scientific process, which determines the
necessities.
OF the second floor are two large rooms. q
| and library. which is at present occupied by
a genealogical society
rooms. bath rooms. and lockers. There, arc
| 800 lockers and forty dressing rooms. and as
each class limit mi Is only forty and md two a
perfect seclnsion is possible in dressing. There
are tub baths. middle baths, and sItz baths;
weary athlehes is provided. and all appoint
mentS are perfect In every detail.
Up one more flight and the gymnasium itself
Is reached. q large well ventilated room twen-
ty-flve feet high and lighted by two large sky.
lights. The apparatus was specially designed
for Its purpose by DR.. Sargent OF Harvard Coz
lege and includes all ordinarily seen in mans
gymnasium together with some Sdq.o pieces
In gymnasium. One Of these is an
apparatus, which occupies little room,
but includes the ordinary chest weight,
an overhead pulley weight. n chest developer,
q head attachment, a foot attachment. and q
rowing machine. Along one side the room is q
cunnipRly graded apparatus for rope climbing
which begins with rope ladder, rope with
burS tied in at intervals. another with hempen
bands. then simply knots the rope itself and
lastly smooth iron pole; and many an agile
girl can "shinEy up" that pole as the Gamns
say. with celebrity that takes ones breath
away.
The room communicates with the running
gallery OF the BerKley gymnasium which is
open to the ladies during certRi hours OF the
day. There are saulling and padding ma
chimes and all athletic fXtngs. In the base
ment there is a bowling room rs feet long. cons
tanning three alleys and beautiful swimming
bath
The Ladies' Athletic Club. which is the only
one yet organized, and for whose occupancy
the beautifully appointed building has been
prepared. consists Of about 275 mombers,
among whom are: Miss Helen Gould. Miss
Ives. Miss Minturn. Miss Isellr. Miss Janeway.
Mrs; W. Gin WylIe. Mrs. II. s. Mott, the Misses
Miss Salisbury, Miss Tiffany and others equal:
ly prominent in social life; 1t was organized
about one year ago under the direction OF Dr.
j. IS. Wht8