The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
GIRLS WITH CORSETS BARRED.
A Novel Dificulty In the Electrical Depart
ment or "a Girls High school

ment d Z n Sirls' hhfkn schOOi.
A new reason why the new woman must dis
card one OF the most characteristically femi-
nine articles OF her attire or fall short Of flling
her role has turned up at the Girls High School
at Oakland, Cal. She must either abandon cor
sets or one OF the most promising Of the profess
sions, that embracing electricity in all its
branches. Five hundred Oakland goods are
seriously disturbed over the situation. but the
issue IS severely plain. One or the other must
be abandoned, the governors of the school say.
An electrical department was added to the
school some time ago. and a course in electricity
established. The poor professor in charge has
had a dreadful time. During the lessons the
delicate Instruments have played him all sorts
of tricks, and all his experiments have been of
doubtful success. Every once in a while a girl
would step up to tell what she had learned
about volts. ohms and amperes, and immedi-
ately the galvanomet0rS would gyrate wildly
and the needles on the various dials would wab-
BILE, and all the laws OF Volta and Ohm and
Faraday would go to smash, and the findings Of
Edison and Tesla would become strangely lost.
Then the professor knew the student beside him
had on a high-grade corset with ribs OF finest
steel. The Instruments were not affected by the
presence Of some students, because they wore
health waists Of some sort and were hraced
with whalebone or some substitute for steel.
The professor made poor progress with his
class. 1t was impossible to make accurate ex-
perimsnts before some girls, and among these
Something had to be done; but the professor.
being q man. felt q natural de!icacy about dong
anything. Two of the women teachers tackled
tho girls on hygiene and physical development.
and warned them Of the evils Of cOrsets. hut
and at present there is much perturbation
among the ambitious co-eds, who are anxious
for scientific attachments. but yet have all tho
hundrsd reasons a woman can advance for not
This corset. trouble is of long standing"
y 81 ~ Nhn lar 3 ptRa1 lAHnR -. at Na1N
an Examiner reporter, Tho machines In the
electrical department. are delicately constructed,
ence of steel or iron that II is utterly impossible
TO secure accurate results IN experiments, lhave
teacher explain to the girls that ":iey must dis
card their c9rsets before they take their lessons
IN IN the n, eiI Sa ninH d% ~ ,Ge Dse5,e ! can sh tel at once
wearing ~cOrsets, II Is simply II question OF hav-
Ing the girls reeite their lessons properly, and
they cannot do 30 wearing corsets."
Finally Prot, Meads WAS Obliged to issue a
rule barring corsetted girls from the electrical
ruis. II might seem 70 be a rule dfmcalt to
enforce, and, delicate to handle. But Prof,
department the girls have to pass one Of the
Professors sensitive R~Alvanometers The Pro-
pertinent Tiger" works like a charm, and
there is no way In which the girls can beat the
gene; rib 3a fh so Tssr "PTP G o naad Fl " Giri wearing
tically; and tho girl is respectfully but firmly
r'ninded Of ne rule ana expo1tnlations are
yet be told, but tho faculty hope tho girls will
take the advice of Ir. Knox and Dr. Shuey,
both women professors, and abandon corsets on
general principles.
In urging the reform Or. Shuey paid a high
remarks calculated 10 put the Pacific coast girls
on their mettle. Altar an extensive trip through
the East, visiting many prominent Rymnasiums,
ing OF the Eastern girls as compared with the
California girls. She comedies that California
girls are Just as richly endowed by nature as the
Eastern girls, but they have had but little
gymnAstic training.
Even gallant Chauncey NJ. Depew told a Cali
fOrniA interviewer the other day that he did not
think. very much OF the California girls he had
seen during his recent trip through the state.
He diplomatically added that this opinion was
perhaps formed from limited opportunities OF
observation, and he doubted not but that II no
would lind lots OF very beautiful women there.
But while speaking most highly OF all Cali
forniA's well.adVertised attractions OF scenery
and climate. he deplorsd the absence OF song
birds and beautiful women.