Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-03
AN ATHLETIC SOCIETY WOMAN
Mrs. Hollis H. Hunmewell is Hand
some as Well as Muscular.

The most muscular and best all
around athlete Of all the sport-loving
women in New York society is Mrs.
Hollis H. Hunnewell. She was Miss
Maud Jaffray, and nature endowed
her, as it has every member of the
Jaffray family, with a fine physique.
She is six feet tall and her figure is
moulded in superb and beautiful pro-
portions. Her face, too, is a rarely
handsome one, with clearly cut, regu-
lar features, smooth, firm skin and
brilliant coloring. Her brown hair is
wavy and abundant.
AS a child her robust health de-
manded plenty Of outdoor exercise,
and her strength fairly forced her to
prefer the compansionship of boy
rather than Of girls. Her father,
Howard S. Jaffray, has a fine country
house at Irvington on.the Hudson, and
it was in the country and in the COM
partnership of boy relatives and their
friends that Mrs. HunnewelI spent
the holidays of her girlhood. Tom
boys" some persons call SUCH girls
and the beautiful young matron will
not deny that the term applied to her.
CroqUet she abandoned early as the
game Of little girls, old women and
lovers, and she substituted base ball.
There is many man in society today
who remembers the beautiful Mrs.
Hunneweu as strapping girl, who,
scorning hat, gloves or mask, stood
behind the bat" and caught the fast
est curved balls without "muffing
She boxed, too, and not only asked no
favors in the manly art, but bested
every boy of her age who dared to
face her, and not irfrequently defeated
youths as tall as she. She was very
fond of wrestling, too, and became
very expert at it.
1t is related that on two occasions at
least this remarkable young woman
used her strength to administer de-
served chastisement upon grown per-
sons. While in Boston, few years
since, it is said, she was convinced
that a certain woman had spoken
slightingly of her. She rebuked her
traducer, it is reported, by lifting her
bodily, laying her, face downward
across her knees and spanking her
soundly.
At another time, in the same city,
Mrs. Hunnewell was at luncheon with
woman friend in restaurant. An
impudent fellow annoyed the two
ladies by ogling them. When his i'm
pertinence had reached a point where
it was no longer bearable, Mrs. Hun
newell walked over to the ''maSher"
and, selling him firmly by the ear,
jerked him to MS feet, and with no
gentle hand led him to the door. One
quick turn Of her wrist then sent the
fellow sprawling upon the sidewalk.
The plucky young woman resumed
her lunch without even drawing a
quickened breath. Needless to say,
her companion told the story of the
courageous act and women and men
alike praised the deed warmly.
When Miss Jaffray outgrew her
girlhood's right to play baseball, box
and wrestle. she turned her outdoor
life to tennis, golf and cross country
riding. In spite of her height she
was agile on her feet and very grace
full. Her long reach, too, aided her in
the games Of tennis and golf. Of the
latter sport she is very fond at pres
emit. Walking has always been a fad
of hers, and golf gives her an excuse
to exercise it.
She used to regard a walk Of twenty
miles in a day as a mere "constitu-
tional." So in swimming, too, she
accomplishes long distances without
fatigue. It is a fact that, with few
exceptions, she can outwalk and out
swim any man of the smart set. d"
Though a fine horsewoman and pos
sessipg a perfect seat, her size tells
against her in riding to hounds. Still,
mounted on horse up to her weight,
it is seldom that she is far behind
those in at the death" Her agility
is remarkable for a woman of her
magnificent proportions. 1t is childs
play for her to leap from the ground
to the saddle, unaided, and it is whis-
pered that even now she can vault a
five-barred gate that her hunter might
refuse.