St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-13
MUSCULAR NIAIDENs


MUSCULAR NIAIDENS
In Blouse and Knickerbockers---
Developing Health and a Beau
tifuI Complexion.
'.Do you nave many lady puplls?"
asked Cincinnati Times reporter of
Carl Kron, teacher of gymnastics at
Central Turner hall.
s'Ladies and girls, about S00,'' was the
reply, ply. .,,,, g ,oa,o. ,,,,o+;oo +,a
most?"
1.-The very best class of society ladies'.
GenteeI, refined, educated girls who
are too sensible to allow any prudiSh-
ness to prevent them from developing
finely shaped and muscular form.
There are at present about one hundred
ladies between the ages Of eighteen
and fifty who have practiced daily dur
ing this last winter. The season is now
over, but will begin in September.
Most of those / have outside OF the
turner society are students at the
schools for young ladies. Miss Arm
strong's school furnishes class, and
also Miss Nourse's. All the students at
this latter school practice, and their eX-
ercse room is the best equipped in the
city, excepting the regular gymnaslums.
Miss Lupton also has a class OF girls
who 90 through some very pretty and
heaithful exercises. Then there are
girls all over the city who practice on
their own account, and many a fine
form is the result of careful, persistent
practice with Indian clubs or dumb
bells"
How do the ladies dress when prac-
ticing ?''
sin the Turner halls they wear suits
made of blue flannel, which consist of
loose trousers coming to the knee and
short skirt reaching to just below the
knee. Dark stockings and light Slip
perS complete the outfit. We do not in
Sist on these suits being worn except on
Saturdays, when the children have
ample time to don them. In the ladies'
school l find as many kinds of apparel
as persons. | have no power to say
what shall be worn, and each lady IN
dulges her individual fancy in that line.
One thing that renders much OF the
work useless is the fact that, without a
single exception, they will persist In
wearing corSetS while practicing. Tight
lacing, while foolish at all places, is
doubly so in such events. l believe,
J
voted exclusively to women. they would
be more sensible on this point, but now
they are continually subject to being
seen by visitors"
what is your opinion Of the Del
Sarte SYSTEM"
.Simply fashionable fad. 1t is no
gymnastics. 1t will wear out after a
while. By it ladies are taught to re-
lax the muscles gracefully; to pick up
the handkerchief from the floor, to en-
ter room gracefully; to express dis
pleasure by certain pOslngs of the body;
to faint perfectly, etc. 1t is passive
gymnastics and doesn't do particle of
good except to ladies of society,""
doesn't the work of your system
make bunchy muscleS?"
mo, indeed. 1t renders a beautiful
form more beautiful. supple and active,
and develops poor forms wonderfully.
1t is only by training in some special
line that the muscles become bunchy.
Our system avoids that. We do not al
low so much individuality as others.
By other systems, when single pupil
is found to be weak in some particular
point, she is given private drills in ad-
dition to the general ones till she over
comes the weakness, by ours the whole
class is put to work upon a movement
that will assist her. You see. this sys-
TEN is applicable to thousands of pupils
at once, and is also applied in Germany.
and among so many individual training
is impossible for there is scarcely per-
son who has not some weak point"
''Do the ladies learn boxing and fenc-
ing?"
"Boxing, no. But in fencing I have
a class. Some doctors object to certain
movements and lunges necessary in this
exercise, but it has been demonstrated
| by good authorities that there is not the
| slightest danger. Again. in jumping a
| novice will alight on her feet with q jar,
| but [ teach them to bend the knees just
! at the proper time, to allght on the toes
| and to bring the weight to the heel
| gradually, so that woman can jump
| with as little danger to herself as man,
and. although many doctors frown upon
it. it still holds place in all my classes
of ladies. They can also safely in
dulge in running, but there is one
motion strictly forbidden. that is, rails
ing both hands above the head In line
with the body. 1t will do for young
| girls. but is dangerous for ladies'"
| 'tWhat exercises are used chlety?"
"Everything that men use, with the
| exceptions already noted. Indian clubs
swung with full arm. forearm and wrist
movement, to the right and left. III and
out, forward and backward"
The reporter had the pleasure of wit
Messing the exercises of class of sixty
girls from eight to sixteen years OF age.
Their movements were exactly similar
to those of the older ladies. The pro-
fessor played march movement on the
piano, giving directions at the same
time. The girls ranged themselves in
rows of ten each, then marched around
the room in single file, then double,
four abreast, and at last eight abreast.
Then, with quick side movement, they
separated to ten feetapart. Now began
the club swinging. which consisted OF
the movements aforementioned, pref
tily timed with the music. After this
the same martial movements as before
were repeated, the girls holding dumb
bells, which we're struck in time. in ad.
dition to sundry SwayingS and twist
iDgs of the body.
Next the misses were ranged as IN the
club exercise, and the bells were raised
from the hips to the shoulders; tner
this was repeated. while the performers
alternately raised themselves on theil
tip toes and bent their knees. Forward
side and backward bows, twisting anl
turning and finally complex marcf
movement, finished the exercises. some
then INDUCED in football scrimmagt
out of doors, while others practiceG
on the parallel bars. ladders, at jump
ing and at climbing pole. Ih'
strength of muscle displayed was won
derfnl. No exercise is allowed that ha
not been previously practiced in TIT
class.
eAre gymnastics growing in favo
with ladies?" asked the reporter.
Yes. especially the German system
The Delsarte will soon be abandoned
and enough teachers for our system will
not be attainable. have no doubt tina
in few years the Turner societies
which now contain most OF the gym