Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-17
WOMEN AT THE FgNcEas, CLUB.
well Equipped Quarters Where They
Learn That Graceful Sport.

Well Equipped Quarters Where They
Learn That Graceful Sport.
The Fencers' club, on West Twenty
eighth street, is one of the most interest
ing clubs in the city for an outsider to
visit. The rooms, for the club does not
occupy a whole house, are finely adapted
for the purpose for which they are used.
The principal apartment is of course
the fencing hall. 1t is a long, deep
room, well lighted and capitally venti-
lated. The end of the room facing the
greet is fitted up luxuriantly, with easy
chairs and lounges, where enc can sit at
ones ease and watch ones fellow crea-
lures working hard at their amusement:
and certainly there can be no greater
sense of rest than that This club is
peculiar, in that women can and do
belong to it. A woman's class meets
every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,
and the women are as untiring in their
efforts as the men.
The big table at the end of the room
is covered with books. All the period.
icals are to be found here and the vari-
Gus paraphernalia of club reading and
writing room. The walls of this loung-
ing room are thickly hung with pictures
many photographs of the various mem
bers of the club. In that part of the
room where the real work is done the
walls are lined high up with the various
swords, masks and plastrons. Above
them hang more portraits Of the differ
ent members of the club, with some of
the prizes won by the successful con-
testants. Beyond are the dressing rooms,
with the baths. Here the disfiguring
fencing costumes are kept. Verify the
woman who would be fencer must cast
to the winds all thought of fashionable
figure. The girls wear, as rule, one
skirt of light weight and blouse waist.
Over this is worn padded jacket, and
to protect the face and head ponder
GUS wire cage, mask, is put on.
The wcmen's classes are held in the
morning and there is almost always a
number present. The members whose
names are enrolled ON the list do not all
come. Mrs. Raymond Ward, Miss M.
Roe, Miss S. Roe, Miss Pomeroy, Miss
Penniman, Miss Gertrude O'Connor,
Mrs. Frank L. Montague, Miss Edith
Herbert Mather, Miss Henrietta NJ Ma
cauley, Miss Julia Leigh, Miss Laurence,
Miss Helen M, Graham, Miss Kate
Drexel, Mrs. James Creelman and Miss
Edith Benedict are all active members in
every sense of the word, for they are
Jealous in their efforts to learn. When
they first come to the club ON the morn
ings given up to them each gets in turn
her lesson, and they then fence with one
another.
1t is interesting and amusing to see
the look Of grim determination which
overspreads the face of the most amia-
BILE of girls when she feels she must soon
call ''touchee" touched), which is the
signal that the foil has ever so slightly
grazed the jacket or plastron. 1t is
amusing also to watch with what vigor
and strength the newcomer begins.
They require many lessons to learn that
dexterity and swiftness are of more use
than any amount of brute force.
The list of club members comprises
many well known names. Of course all
are not SO enthusiastic about the sport,
but the rooms are always well filed.
The club gives receptions occasionally
when matches take place, and the only
trouble then is in limiting the number
of invitations. Among the members oi
the women's class at the club, besides
those mentioned at first, are Miss Cora
lie Livingston Gardiner, Miss Grace
Scott, Miss Barnard, Miss de Carmen.
dia, Mrs. Walter K. Watrous, Miss
Wetherspoon and Miss Westervelt.-
New York Tribune.