Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-06
PROFESSOR HORACE p. SMITH.

Professor Horace f. Smith will tell you so.
He knows its true, for he's the physical
director of the Young Mems Christian As
ISOLATION. and just at this season he is up
to his muscular neck in work. When the
canine constellation, better known as the
Cog star, reigned ascendant in the heavens.
Professor Smith was a man of leisure.
Aurora found him softly humming solos
(tor he has an excellent voice., old Sol.
caught him at noon as he idly slipped the
eifervescent chocolate soda, and Vesper
opened the gates of evening as he whooped
in the grand-stand at Island Park. But
these were the things oflong ago. The last
of his solos has chased itself around the
corner of Sixth street. the cracked ice
has melted in his throttle. and his base
ball yell is now on its way TO the ocean.
When IL was summer he did as @ summer
man should do, but now that summer has
passed away he has put aside summer
thoughts (also his summer clothes) and is
IN for business. He has reorganlzed his
gymnasium classes at the Young Mems
Christian Association, and, what is more,
he has greatly increased their membership
and started the athletic ball rolling in
most excellent fashion. Professor Smith
in the summer is quite q different man
from the gentleman who bears this name
in the winter. Now be is all energy and
enterprise. and if any fat managed to steal
in on his bones during his leisure weeks 1t
has all been ground down to Drawn and
muscle by his recent exertions.
There are several classes which are train
ing vigorously at the association and
nearly every night the place Is alive with
gymnasts, who perform all sorts of aero
batic feats. The younger fellows are, OF
course, the cleverest and most active, but
mi Of dQVAfQ
their energies to physical culture
and spend hours in the gymnasium.
One of the best all-round athletes
who frequents the association is Mer-
win Branch. who can do almost any,
thing IN the gymnastic line. He has
splendid figure. and though quite young
is possessed of an Unusual degree of
strength. His little brother John is an
other clever chap. who promises great
things and is also special pet of the pro-
fessors. Penick Shelton. the active little
baseball and football player, who FORM
erly figured so prominently on the Var
SHY" teams. is now one of the hdbitues Of
the association. He is In business here,
but has no idea of abandoning the sports
he enjoys so much.
Among some of ihe other athletes who
are making name under the direction of
Professor Smith are E. S. Stoddsrd, who is
especially good on the horizontal and
parallel bars. and r. @. Meade. who has
achieved a frst-class reputation on the
horizontals. Some of the other lads
who are doing we'll in the gymnasium are
W; I. Boiling. William Davis, and Stafford
men; W. R. Northern, G. c. Lorraine.
James Allen, George K. Burton, j. f.
Fuss. George b. Sharpe, G. A. Withers,
Roy Fairlamb, Frederick Rahland, Il. G.
Tignor. Ii. A. Adams. Howard Waite,
Saunders Carter. X. S. Christian, w. N.
Michaels, w. Il. and A. s. Crawford, John
Peples. l.. p. Hill, and Clifton Mahon.
The latter is perhaps the finest club
swinger in the city, and whenever he has
appeared before the public he has made
decided hits. Mr.. j. Il. Baum is Professor
Smiths assistant, and he has already rem
dered valuable service as an instructor
While the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton gymnasium is very well equipped, il
Is the desire of Professor Smith to
enlarge its usefulness by set of new
apparatus and machines, and in order
70 procure funds for tins object he
contemplates giving an elaborate gymnas-
tic entertainment about the middle of the
month. For several weeks he has been
carefully rehearsing his classes for the oc-
casion, and the display will be a magnif-
cent one. Several novel features viii be
introduced and the show will terminate
with pyramid formed by seventy-iye
athletes, who Will get into position in one
minute.