St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-12
LEARN TO sWIM

There is no section of the country In
which aquatic sports are held in higher
favor than in this. The Mississippi
river affords an excellent rowing course,
and the lakes surrounding the twocities
are uheXcelled for either rowing or sail
ing regattas. But, unfortunately. every
season is marked by distressing acci-
dents. A squall comes up and upsets q
yacht. and the occupants. being gen-
orally unable to swim, are drowned.
1t is amazing that people unused to
managing boat will insist upon sailing
the lakes and jeopardizing not only
their own lives but the lives Of their
companions. Nearly every man who
sees boat fancies that he is q good
sailor. He may know the names of the
sails, and perhaps be able to tack sue
cessfuliy on calm sea. But when a
sudden squail comes up the mainsail,
or the jib, or the spanker Is not in
proper position and the craft is over
turned. 1t requires agility and quick
comprehension to appreciate sudden
danger and overcome 1t. Not one in a
hundred of our amateur sailors possesses
these q ualities.
Once in the water the occupants are
almost invariably at the mercy of fate.
Few OF them have learned to swim.
That is an accomplishment that has
been much neglected in these parts.
With water everywhere suitable for
bathing, we have not single swimming
school, and there are not half dozen
bathing houses within radius of forty
miles. Boys sometimes furtiveiy plunge
into river aud lake to enjoy cooling
bath and an invigorating swim. butmen
seldom and women never enter body
OF water larger than Zinc.lined bath
tub. And yet there is no more invigor-
ating exercise than swimming. It
brings every muscle of the body into
play, and is especially conducive to the
development of the chest and lungs.
A Gco1 syimmeri is invariably healthy,
wei~.exeloped, well-proportioned man.
good type Cor sculpt0r's chisei. And
the advantages of beauty which women
derive are far greater. The most per-
feet race of women. physically con-
sidered, are the Hawaiians, who spend
half their time in the water, aud ara as
much at home in the surf of the ocean
as they are upon the promeuades of
Honolulu. No artist ever modelled
forms more exquisite; goddesses are
not more perfect in outline. There are
no lnyalids among them-no hacki ng
coughs are heard deuoting weak lungs
and pulmonary complaints. The man
or the woman in the South Sea islands
who cannot swim as gracefully as
duck is unknown, aud people never
drown the re.
Scarcely one man in ten can swim;
not one woman in thousand has
learned the accomplishment. And yet
there is nothing that Is conducive to
more genuine enjoyment than plunge
into the waters of cool and placid
lake; there is nothing more graceful
than bather. as he piows his way
through the water. Naiads and mer-
maids have long been been the fayorite
subjects of painters. and yet mermaid
in real life is an anomaly nowadays.
1t women appreciated the fact that
swimming kwould do more for the
development of their beauty. both as to
form and complexion. than all the 10.
lions. powders and paints in creation,
they would not be slow to avail them
selves OF the privileges that lie at their
door. They would save many aches
and pains, many large DOCTORS bills,
and much outlay for cosmetics if they
would spend part OF each warm day in
lake or river And hesides they Yvonld
be able to save themselves from many a
danger il, they were familiar with the
art. They might go upon an excursion
by lake or river without the ever-pres-
ent fear of disaster. They would enjoy
life with a keener zest, and their days
would often be more prolonged and en-
joyable.
Every man and woman in the land
should learn to swim.