Evening journal., 1892-06-30
WOMEN OF MUSCLE.
They Are Few and Far Be-
tween in Wilmington.
ApYANoEp gTEP BIZ THE Y. NJ O A.

MAKES me FIRST PRACTICAL move To-
ward Hardening Feminine Muscles.
The Friends school Comes Next.
Hints ON An Improvised Gymnasium.
For several mornings in succession re-
Gently, as an EVENING JOURNAL reporter
was walking down West street. when
near Ninth, he noticed a very pretty
young specimen of budding womanhood
walking with well regulated steps from
one end cf the long front porch to the
other, with her chest thrown out,
shoulders thrown back, aud taking long
draughts of the Sweet morning air. II
there be such a thing in the heart of
city of over go, 600 inhabitants. No mat
ter; let the saccharine quality slide.
She was filing her lungs with 1t, such
as it was, and there was plenty Of It.
IL was such an unusual sight that the
reporter thought at first that it was a
case of nervous disorder of the st. Vitus
skirt dance order-but il was not. The
healthy roseate tinge ON the well-rounded
cheek belied such an assumption She
was taking physical exercise. and en-
ioyed it.
This incident led the reporter to make
some inquiry as to what is being done
to build up the physical condition of
young womanhood in this city.
The Inception Of the Reform.
If, twenty-five years ago, anyone had
prophesied that gymnastics and athletics
would secure the hold they now have
upon Americans, especially women, such
a prophecy would have received but little
consideration This was the case when
Dr. Dio Lewis inaugurated his new system
Of gymnastics for men, women and
children. He was laughed az and called
a crank, fate that overtakes nearly
every truly progressive mind. He was
an enthusiast, ahd his enthusiasm was
well founded. He worked steadily on his
method, patiently bearing the abuse that
was heaped upon him, just as Ludwig
John had done in Germany 100 years be-
Iore and as patiently as did Lingthe, the
father of the Swedish gymnastics.
With lapse Of time Dio Lewis became
famous, and his book on new gymnastics
was widely read and recognized as an
authority on physical culture Pupils
/ from his school have been teaching his
| ideas all over this country and in Eng
/ land.
His idea was that women needed physi.
cal culture as much as men, and often
even more so. AS a result of his demon
stration gymnasiums, for women only,
nave sprung up all over the country aud
i'm France. England and Sweden
Dr. Sargant of the Hemanway Gymua-
sium connected with the Havan College,
each year has a special course H. gvmnas-
tics, whereby women teachers of this art
can 90 and receive instructions in this
special line.
Chautauqua under DR.. Anderson. fur
nishes another normal school for women
who desire to learn the art of gymnas-
tics, in order that they may teach that
branch In fact, none of the leading
colleges or schools for girls are without
their finely-equipped gymnasiums and
competent women instructors Persons
not Interested would be astounded if
they knew the amount of money in
vested, the number of teachers employed
and the number of women engaged in
this work, which is destined to give a
woman opportunity to use her muscles
more, her tongue less and be much
healthier, and consequently much hap.
pier Sceptics may rest assured that
physical culture for women and children
is something more than passing fad
and fancy It has come here to stay,
and its strength and influence viii grow
as woman's muscles harden In a few
years it will be a very poor Wilmington
woman who cannot hold her own against
a burglar or a belligerent husband.
The women who have tried it have
been physically benefited. Dropping
shoulders have been Strengthened and
shoulder braces have been cast aside
the delicate girl has been made strong
and the feats she has accomplished IN
the gymnasium have increased her cour-
age and self-confdence Grace, that
principle of gymnastics, which all Of the
fair sex long for has been secured Ia
her by judicious physical exercise The
doctors and druggists bills are nc
longer contracted; and neither is hel
chest She does not need opiates TO lul
her to sleep, but she needs something
louder than her mothers voice or the
breakfast bell to break her slumbers.
The systems in Use.
While it is impossible to enumerat,
an the systems in vogue it may be in
teresting TO womankind to know few
The Delsarte, system is taught Throughout
England France and this country il
many different ways. The Swedish
system has secured a strong hold every
where, and one taking this system vii
be graceful, healthy strong and supple
The Anderson and Sargant systems arr
combinations of the Swedish, German
and Delsarte systems. They claim all tn
good features of the old system and SOM
good movements Of their own
An Association system.
The Young Mems Christian Associs
tion, with its splendidly equipped gym
nasiums and host Of good instructors
bids fair TO develop a system of its own
which it is hoped will become the recog
nized American system.
As usual thing the Young Men
Christian Association does not admi
women to the use Of its gymnasium, bu
few have taken this advanced step
The Wilmington Association is one of tn
few to do it, and have classes for womel
only
Last fall a class of women numbering
about twenty was organized. Under tn
/ direction Of Physical Director Hoffman
? the members Of the class did some ex
cellent work. In the spring, when tn
warm weather compelled the youn
women to discontinue their exercises
they all declared that they were stronge
and better in every way for the exeI