New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-04
KNEIPPERS on THE MEADOWS
GRASS DEvOTEES MAKE THEIR
FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE PARK.
ONLY ONE GOES THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE
WITHOUT ANY SHOW OF STAGE FRIGHT
TEN men AND THREE OR FOUR
WOMEN PATTER ABOUT IN
THEIR BARE FEET.

N'hfN fAlltk Abci IN
THEIR BARE FEET.
The followers OF Father Knepp made their first
puDhc appearance Yesterday before small but
mighty Interested gathering. a few OF the be-
levers In the took advantage of the permits
sion granted by the Park Board and walked on
the grass on the north meadow OF the Park, but
theF did II in half-neartcd and tmfd way
ard with one exception they clearly suffer
Ing from stage fright. The notable exception was
Hugo Charles Pressfrennd. who is the vice-presi-
dent OF he local Kneipp verein. and who intro
duced the cure" In this country in 1855. He
walked on the grass with his sandals and stock
irgs sticking out OF the pockets OF his brown sack
coat. and looked with contempt upon the other
kneippers who kept close the edge Of the woods
into which they skurried ordinary
mortal, one with ahoes on his feet approa ched.
John J. PrenGergast. who keeps a soft-drink
stand tho south side OF the meadow. had ar
ranged place where the kveippers could take on
their shoes and stockings and have them cared for
but the water-cure people evidently knew nothing
II this arrangement. for of them a.
early $50. by he One-hundredth-st.. NiDe;ysxth
Il. and Eighth-sve. and the Ninety-sixth-st and
Fif;h-ave. entrances. and hid their shoes and
stockings in the woods. There IN all ten
and three four women Each patient kept
the spot wi ere the shoes stood. and when APP
preached by any would walk away and II
seemed TO those who were there AZ spectators
no Information 10 the the method Of
taking It,
The were. 10 all appearances. Ger
mans. One was venerable white bearded man.
whose erect arraee and FIRM tread As h. walked
reading newspaper showed that he not TAX
ing the for journalism. The other men were
Of middle age lean and fat. tall and short One
man. who carried his shoes under his arm. walked
the meadow ard when asked by reporter
# this his first venture on the grass laughed
and said that he had taken similar exercise FOR
years. and that he attributed his good health
and perfect circulation to that fact. One man.
evidently a beginner who stepped upon the grass
as tirnidly as n novice walks into the surf and
who never took his eyes off his No. SHOES ana
hand-k blue socks was asked how he expected
TO be benefited by the grass walk. but ne would
not say. and the reporters who stood around MIN
did not know whether his was a case OF ingrow-
ing nails premature badness muscular rheuma-
tism silver mania.
II the men were shy. the women were doubly
walked along the northern edge OF the meade"
with her skirts tucked In. bloomer fasn'on' one
remained on the grass 1--WE minutes. and two OF
the women barely touched the grass with tneir
bare feet before they concluded to give II up an"
disappeared behind the foliage
Long after the other kneippers had gone MI
pressfreund sal on the edge Of the north meado"
and entertained those who had come to see the
sight with stories about IN rer1arkahle cure
~ had been effected He predicted that the
MEADOW would not be large enough 10 accoHlino-
date ali the people who will be won oNsr 10 tI.e
cure" by the time the grass Is whi'e WIN S"o"'