The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-04

METHODIST ATHLETES.
West Side Club a Prosperous
Adjunct Of Pastor Lit
ties Church.
VIEWS sANA IN coRPoRE sAho.
Spiritual Growth Promoted by
Physical Well Being
Among the Churches.
VEINS sAnA IN coRPoRE sAho-

Among the CnurcneS.
The West Sid Methodist Episcopal IS
a we'll organized church. 1t is noted Tor
its many literary and social organizations
and for the harmony and good feeHng
which prevails amongst its members. II
has also gained considerable prominence
because of the achievements OF MS
younger members in the athletic held.
The Rev. Charles Little, pastor Of the
church. believes In a church seeing TO the
physical as we'll as the spiritual develop
ment of its members. Thus 1t was that a
year ago he sanctioned the organization
Of the West Side Club, an athletic organ
~ization, and the building of a gymnasium
at the expense of the church at the rear
of the church building.
The West Sid Tub was organized IN
the spring of 1897. Several months prior
to that an organization known as the
Bachelors Club was formed by a number
of the young men of the church for the
purpose Of agitating for a gymnasium
and raising money. toward paying for It.
1t succeeded in raising several hundreds
of dollars and in getting the officers OF
the church so thoroughly interested IN
the project that they decided to erect the
building. They did erect it at a cost OF
81. 500 for the building and $500 for the APP
paratus. The gymnasium, or. rather, the
home of the West Side Club, is a two
story structure. 1t is heated by steam.
The first floor is devoted to the gymna-
SUM. It is fitted with parallel bars,
horizontal bars, flying rings, rowing ma
chimes, chest weights, wands and basket
bali. in fact, everything that is needed IN
a well appointed gymnasium. The sec
ond floor is divided into a library and read
ing room. which is used as a meeting
place for the Beach Chautaudua Circle.
The reading room is comfortably fur
nished. 1t contains a number OF good
books and the current issue of all the
popular magazines.
When the Bachelors Club had attained
it's object it disbanded and it's members
started the West Side Club. which was
organized without delay. The first OIL
GERS of the new organization we're
President, Edward Taylor; Vice President
Harrison Thornell; Secretary. Frank Bur-
rows; Treasurer, Randall Hough. The
West Side Club has been a success from
the start. 1t now has sixty members. Its
gymnasium and reading room are well
patronized and It's members are acquitting
themselves with credit on the athletic
field. Among the promising athletes who
wear the colors of the club are Fred
Wright and Harry Stivers.
The club is making preparations for a
carnival of sports to be held in the near
future, possibly on July 4, on the grounds
on Hatch avenue, near the Morris Canal.
The boys have laid out an excellent base
ball and athletic field there. They con-
template building a quarter mile track.
An important auxiliary to the West Side
Club is its baseball team, of which
Charles Brooksbank is the captain. The
other players are:-Harry Stivers, Fred
Wright, Harry Swenerton, VIM. Luttan,
Luther Cummings, Ned Wright, Warren
Wilson n Halsey Petit. The baseball
ciu1 has played a number of games this
season and has yet to meet defeat. Tit
present officers of the West Side Club
are:-J. Harvey Swenerton, President;
Harrison Thornell, Vice President; VIM.
E. Beach, Treasurer; J.. Francis Burrows,
Secretary; Fred Wright, Financial Secre-
tary. The Board of Directors is composed
of the officers and Edward Taylor, VIM.
Stone, Harry Stivers, William Crawford,
Frank Swenerton and VIM. Cummings.
The chairmen of the various committees
are:-Athletic. Bernard Wishart; enter
tainment. r.. Francis Burrows; finance,
| William Stone; membership, Harry Stiv-
ers.
| Club is its associate membership. This
is composed of the young ladies of the
church. They have no voice in the man
agement of the club, but in other respects
they enjoy all the privileges accorded to
the young men. The gymnasium and
| reading room are given over to them
| Tuesday evenings and every afternoon.
| Under the efficient teaching of Miss Her
| zog. a professional teacher of gymnastics,
| the young ladies' are rivaling their broth
ers in competition for honors on the ath-
letic field. The ladies have officers OF
their own, as follows:-President, Miss
| Grace Thorp; Vice President, Miss Josie
| Boomers; Secretary and Treasurer, Miss
| Rosalie Wilson.
Separate. from the West Side Club, but
connected with the West Side Methodist
Church, is the West Side Tennis Club. II
| has a membership of forty and is Differed
| as follows:-President, Edward Taylor;
| vice President, William Stone; Secretary,
| Miss Minetta Quaiff; Treasurer, William
| Crawford. The club has grounds at West
| Side and Eye avenues, adjoining the par
| sonage. There are two courts, which have
not yet been put in condition for playing
this season. A meeting was held last
| night at the home of Miss Grace Peck
| ham. al West Side and Kearny