The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21
CHAUTAUQUA GIRLS
Who Swim, Row Shells and Study
and Improve the Mind.

The Cbautauqua girls swim like ducks,
too, and row in shells such as the Harvard
and Yale boys race in. Down at the east
corner of the grounds, near the gymnasium,
are the bathing grounds There are SWIM
ming teachers there at set hours, man to
teach the men and boys, and woman to
teach the girls. 1t has become quite the
thing IN ChautauQua for the girls to swim
and dive.
When the aft ernoons are warm there is a
good deal of bathing done on the beach
down by the gymnasium. says the New York
sun. 1t is fine sandy beach, all submerged,
sloping gradually until very deep water is
had. 1t is a very delectabe sight to see
this piece If water just full of girls on warm
afternoons They jump and romp around in
the water rs if water was their native ele-
mert, and dive off the platforms out in deep
water fearlessly, and swim with strong,
steady strokes.
You sit down on the bank and watch
til EN-, ard you will soon recognize plenty OF
girls whom you saw earlier in the day listen
ing earnestly to learned lectures up in the
grove. That girl diving so carelesSly off into
ten feet Of water was the very one you
watched this morning reading the history Of
philosophy so earnestly.
She las a figure like Diana. and as she
comes up with a stone from the bottom of
the lake she shakes oil the water with n
vigorous fliit of her head, and starts shore
ward with strong strokes of her 1.-the arms
that make you envy her activity. Admira-
BILE girls these Chau'anquans are, you re-
mark to Yourself, and then you wonder
whether girls who study philosophy one
hour and 90 swimming the next ever tlrt
like the generality oil girls do who go to
watering places.
While you are watching the girls bathing
n.
long pull down the lake. The first one TO
come in lands half dozen sturdy young
fellows, whose steaming bodies and tired
figures show that they have been having q
trial squirt. probably preparatory to a
lace. The boys disappear, and then comes
in the other crew. But such crew! You
rub your eyes vigorously and look again.
Yes, they are girls, six girlsl They ship
their oars at the word and glide up along
the dock easily and with the skill of veter-
ans Then one by one they step nimbly out
and trip up the steps of the gymnasium TO
the ladies' baths and dressng-roOms. Every
one OF the six Is as clean-cut in figure as an
athlete. They are dressed in black aud
white. Thev wear white sailors waists
with high necks and long sleeves, all trim
med heavily with black.
Their black zouave trousers are bound
around the leg just below tho knee. Long
black stockings and high black kid shoes
complete the costume. They do their hair
up IN black ribbons and wear black sailors
caps OF regulation pattern. Each one as
she gets out of the boat shakes herself to
timber up after her cramped position while
rowing, and then adjusts the bow of ribbon
at her neck before she disappears in the
gymnasium.
All six of them have becomingly thick
coat Of tan on their faces and necks, and
there IS not one of them that is not astonish-
ingly attractive and bewitchng in her
oarsmans costume. The rowing masters
say the girls are quite scientific, but they
cannot, of course, compe with the boys
They have neither the strength nor the
stay.
While very few Chautauqua girls follow
rowing to the extent of padding she'll
scientifically, all of them row the light,
round-bottomed skffs which abound there
with strong steady strokes. As night sets
in, more and more of these boats appear
upon the water, until at shutdown the lake
is sprinkled plentifully with them. Many
of them contain family parties, and often
parties of girls row out together. Most OF
the boats contain couples, though.
There is no need for any young man to
lack girl at Chautauqua. There are many
young men there, but there are many, many
more girls Now is the chance to find out II
girls who study philosophy and swim also
1lirt. They do. Why, see, here is the very
Diana who dived so boldly an hour ago.
She is smiling, mischievously. but the good
looking young man who is with her is the
picture Of woe.