The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-17

New York, Jan. 15.-LOvely woman
has taken another step forward in her
invasion of the sporting world. The
tennis maid of 1890 was considered q
wonder; the horsey girl of 1891 q
terror; the fencing beauty of 1892, the
rowing girl OF 1898. the basket ball
maid OF 1894 the bloomerite of 1885
and the golfng girl Of 1885 were all
marvels. But the maid of 1891 so far
outranks all of the others that they
should not be mentioned il the same
breath. She is the boxing girl, and
the way she has taken hold OF the
new sport portends u iOng existence
for it as the reigning diversion OF the
athletic maid.
Discolored eyes, bleeding noses,
fractured jaws, broken ribs and other
incidentals of the boxers life seem to
have no terrors for her simply be-
cause the gloves she uses are as large
and as sOft as down pillows. Then,
again, her muscles are not hard enough
to land d blow sufficiently stiff TO
cause any OF the above named fatal
ties; moreover, il is a fundamental
part of her etiquette never TO cut
loose and polish on a weaker opponent.
She boxes merely for the healthful
pleasure TO be gained by it, and not
with the purpose OF ever turning the
art TO serious use.
There is only one place in the city
where boxing is INDUCED in by women,
and that is a gymnasium patrOnized
by the butterflies of fashion and the
matronS who have been shocked into
tremendous activity by the knowledge
that they are growing fat. Thus the
patrons are divided into two distinct
classes. And one is easily dfstin-
guished from the other.
Those who frolic from the natatorium
to the flying rings or trapeze, or in
dulge in a short bout at the f0ils, show
that their sole purpose in life is 10
have a good time. They are the butter
flies. The others cling to one corner
of the room where the various re
ducing'' machines are located. and
work away with the silent determina-
ton of martyrs. They have no time
for frolics; to them the gymnasium is
a serious, solemn business institution
capable of yielding that great boon 20
middle age-a slender, sgirlish and
graceful figure.
But since boxing achieved recOgni-
ton there has been a happy mingling
of the two classes. The butterflies
took it up because it was something
new and offered a dazzling chance TO
display their agility; the matrOnS be-
cause of the solemn assurance of the
master that it was the speediest and
most healthful method for the annihi-
lation of superfluous flesh.
This master is something of genius.
He has been contending with the
foibles of the fashionable athletic girl
for many years and knows the COM
pick creature by heart. Women get
tired of ordinary gymnastics. he says.
They won't keep them up because of
their interest. But about boxing there
is a rivalry that fascinates while it
invigorateS.
They were in doubt about it when
1 talked of introducing the sport, but
when l had induced the first two to
don the gloves. and showed them how
to move their hands and feet and use
their eyes, they began to realize some
of the science hidden in sport which.
they had supposed, was merely vulgar
brutality.
"Then l explained that the success
full boxer must have the feet of
dancing master and the strength, of
Hercules. You can't imagine how
those women pride themselves on their
The allusion to Hercules
touched them in a vulnerable SPOT,
and, of course, l knew l had them
when / mentioned the dancing master
II am not teaching these women the
art as a means of self-defense, be-
cause there is not one chance in 1000
OF it's ever being Of any service to
them But as a health producer 1 re-
gard it as a snort of the first kind
Before introducing it 1 had talk on