The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-03
ACTIVE, GIRLS ON FLYING RINGS.
What u Male Reporter Saw at n Young
Nyoman's Athletic Exhibition.

The most fashionable of coachmen
drew rein before the doors of the Berke-
ley Ladies' Athletic club in West Forty
fourth street near Fifth avenue at
o'clock Thursday afternoon, and tho
most fashionable Of ladies thronged
through the broad portals and up tho
broad stairs to the gymnasium.
Its fourth annual open exhibition was
invitations were sent out, and $50 ladies
responded TO the call, but there was no
call for males
The exercises were held in the gym
nasium regularly used by the Berkeley
Athletic club (masculine), and the stow
ard. knowing naught of the arrange
ments made by the sister organization,
readily admitted me and told me the
gymnasium WAS two flights UP.
When entered, | SAW dimly Il wilder
ness Of bonncts and substantial vision
i'll blue Just executing Il most energetic
maneuver OIL Il flying trapezc.
Around Il cleared space i'll the center
Of Il neatly waxed floor ladies were seat
ed, three or four rows deep.
had enjoyed the entertainment about
seven seconds when heard a cry:
'Oh, there's man. What's he doing
hcre:'
Half Il dozen ladies rose from their
seats i'll CONSERVATION. y lady of mid
die age came to the place where | STOOD
near the entrance, and exclaimed in cx-
cited tones:
How did you get here, sir? You
can't stay here. Iou must go right
out"
But ann from The
Il don't care where you're from. You
mustn't stay. Not even the fathers of
these young ladies are permitted to come
ill.,"
The card of invitation which carried
availed nothing, and as l was making
the best OF Il most ungraceful exit heard
echoing behind me ripples of feminine
laughter, and ordinations OF amaze
ment at my audacity, and the strains of
orchestra music, and the clapping Of
hands i'll measure.
caught a parting glimpse of other
visions OH tr;tpeZes and horizontal bars
and parallels. and of little girls ranged
i'll open rank keeping time to the music
with calisthcnc movements.
That was the way attended in pro-
fessional capacity the fourth annual open
| exhibition of the Berkeley Ladies' Ath
| ietic club.
After the $50 ladies had seen all the
marching and calisthcnics and dumbbell
| work, and the work at the weights and
| swlngings and twistings and gyrations
on horizontal bars, parallel bars, ira
peZes and flying rings; after the visitors
had been taken into the clubs house next
door and had been conducted through
the different departments. DR.. Mary Tay-
lor Bissell, the director of gymnastics,
told Inc of the afternoons entertainment
and of the clubs condition.
1--WE have about 300 members alto
geiher," she said, but only 81 took part
i'll today's entertainment. 1t was not,
think, the most successful of the yearly
exhibitions we have given. Still it was
very satisfactory.
The theory we have followed is that
of light exercise and plenty of it, so the
heavyweight events were not partici-
pated i'll SO largely rs the others. They
are not so popular, | believe, i'll men S
| gymnaslums either.
The first event upon the programme
today was the marching. The drill,
which includes many movements from
the military tactics. concludes by the
formation of a double circle, the chill
dren forming the inner one They carry
light dnmbbells and accompany the
march with bell movements.
There were dumbbell exercises by
the entire class, the children under II
using rings instead of the bells The
older children were given each single
dnmbbell for the dnmbbell work The
bells used by the adults weigh IL pound
The Youngsters have only half a pound
10 carry.
Then came The performance on the
| horizontal bars flying rings and all the
| heavyweight work, which was attended
| by music and calisthcnic exercises by
| The childrcn's class
eve 10 have jumping sometimes. but
| there was none today. The exhibition
altogether WAS highly successful. - New
| York Herald
riff .,C Z Ina