The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-05
PHYSICAL CULTURE.
A Review of Foreign Schools for
Women-Americans IN
the Lead.

Miss Ellen LIE Garde, of Providence,
r. l., a writer on the subject of phys
ical culture for women and other
topics of moment, and well known in
this city, lectured to the normal class
of the gymnastic department of the
Adelphi Academy last Wednesday
morning at the special request of DIR.
William G.. Anderson, the head of
that department. Her address was
full of instruction and was received
with general appreciation, and as it
was on a subject of much and ever
growing interest to the community,
especially to the female portion OF 1t,
some extracts are here given. She
spoke of foreign pymnasiums visited,
and began with passenger life on
board the steamer, saying-
That the ideal ocean greyhound de
mands a gymnasium is readily seen,
when the need of exercise to keep in a
perfectly sound condition is shown by
life on board ship. TO eat, drink,
sleep and yet do nothing, bodily or
mentally, soon has its bad effect on
the physical side of men and women,
and the only recourse is to pace the
decks in abbreviated walks or indulge
in games OF n kind that will set the
blood moving from other than the
sluggish flow into which it settles from
ship life inactivity and let the muscles
have free play.
OF foreign gymnasiums she said
..All Great Britain is united, so far as
gymnastic work is concerned, in a
great body known as the National
Physical Recreation Society. l can
but think our country needs just such
an organization, and | think you will
agree with me when | tell you all its
good purposes. Its platform is a
broad, catholic one. 1t announces
that il is established for the promo
ton of physical recreation among the
working classes.
This reaching out of a thoroughly
organized body like this to the
bread-winner of the land. to the
scholars of the public schools, to that
natural desire in young men to win in
manly sports if a prize is held out as
an inducement has resulted in perfect
success, and gymnastic work and the
broad subject of physical training
may be said in that particular to be
in advance of us on this side of the
water. The president of this great
body is Herbert Gladstone, NJ. p, a
son of the grand old man. The Duke
OF Westminster is one of the vice
presidents, and the Earl of Meath,
who was in this country a year ago,
and who is trying with great measure
of success in Parliament to make ply
steal education compulsory in Great
Britain, is another.
Another body formed only last
month is tine National Union of
Physical Training Teachers. It's
president is the Earl of Meath, and
Mr.. Herbert Gladstone is vice presi-
dent. The society proposes to pre-
pare and supply experienced teachers
in every branch of physical training.
AS can be seen, it has many advant-
ages for members. 1t is a union for
mutual help, has authority to grant
qualifications to teachers, legally
registers them, acts as an employment
bureau, and provides to its members
who pay u fee of q guinea per annum,
a b~enevolence and insurance fund.
The director of the Liverpool Gymna-
stun, Mr.. A. Alexander. is the honor
able secretary.
The first gymnasium | saw was in
Cork at the Barracks, where are kept
1, 900 men of the army. The English
army requires its privates to take a
three months training in the gymna-
stun attached to each regimental
post. This is also required in France,
Germany and other continental coun-
tries where a standing army is kept.
These gymnasiums are we'll built, but
contain no apparatus in familiar use
in America. They have no chest
weights, rowing machines, intercos-
tails, or quarter circles. Some have a
horse" and bridge, and Others lad
ders; few have flying OF travelling
rings, but all have parallel bars.
Each army post has gymnasium di-
rector with the title of SER
geant major. There are two
other gymnasiums in Cork that
saw. They We're those of the Y. NJ. G.
A. and of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. Both were underground and
by no means airy and light, such as a
gymnasium should be to be h%ealthful.
The largest gymnasium in Ireland is
in Dublin, in Leinster Hall. In Bel
fast is an excellent gym of the Y.M.
c.. A. There is but one ladies' class
in Ireland-that in Dublin, number
ing last winter thirty members, and
with a lady instructor. AT the same
time in every private school, and
almost all the boarding schools, light
gymnastics, and what they term mu-
steal drill, are q part of the daily
work.
With its 5000, 900 of people, London
ought to boast OF many gymnasiums,
and it does. They are to be found
scattered all over its vast area, and
used mainly by the middle and poor
ar afagepg of naonla InAaa1 fhic