The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-03-15
THE ATHLETES WAY
HOW sTAee is BRINGING UP HIS
SON.

Eight-Months-old Baby-Surprlslng
Ideas for Mothers.
Alonzo A. Stagg, Jr., son of Prof. A.
A. Stagg, director of athletics at the
University of Chicago, is n miniature
Sandow. He is a baby eight and a half
months old, and has had course of
physical training since he was four
weeks old. From that time the baby
has been able to stand erect balancing
himself on his fathers hand held mt
arms length He swings from a trap
eze bar by his hands, stands on his
head walks, and arches his back like
an athlete. He can lie fiat on his back
and put his big toe In his mouth. He
can lie fiat on his back and rise to n
Sitting posture without turning on his
side or lifting him self by his feet or
his elbows. This H. done entirely by
using the abdominal muscles and Is
beyond the power of nine men out of
ten
The Stagg baby is probably the
strongest child of his age in the world.
\. a. Stagg. Ir., Is the only child of
his parents, and he started in life with
physical equipment little below rath-
er than above the ordinary.
"At four weeks old" says Prof.
Stagg, "the baby weighed just what
he did when he was born. He hadn't
grown bit He had had a spell of
Illness and at the time we hadn't
much idea he would live through it.
Well, when | saw the fight the little
fellow was having, 1t occurred to IN :
that perhaps l could help him. That
is the way his athletic training be-
gan"
TO hear of this baby's athletic Prov
ess Is to imagine pugnacious over
sized child, or at least baby some
thing out of the ordinary at first sight.
Stepping into the nursery, Prof. Stagg
came back with small bundle Of hui
manity hugged up in his arms. The
baby was laughing and kicking. and
wore white dress and pink wool
sack.
There. now" said Prof. Stagg, toss
ing the little fellow down uncercmoni-
ously on leather couch.
Instantly Alonzo .Ir., righted himself
and looked around. His eyes are big
and peculiarly bright; his head long
from front to back. But the most
striking thing about the little fellow
is his alertness His whole body is
alert. and he holds himself with an air
of confidence and self-reliancc. He is
not afraid of anything. Strange sights
and sounds interest him, but they do
not flighten him. He appears to be
unit instead of n duality For example.
n paper weight is showed off n table
with bang. Instantly, with three
times the mental and physical ability
of II fencer the child responds lie
starts, he peers around curiously,
seemingly at the very moment the
sound is made. Selling n small stick,
his father held it up Oh n level with
the baby's eyes. Alonzo Jr., enjoys
nothing so much as going through his
gymnastic feats. lie grasped the bar
and held it in the grip of his chubby
hands as much as to say, "All right.
ready" His father raised the rod and
swung It back and forth vigorously.
The baby drew up his feet little,
threw his head back, and hung on
without difficulty. Then the father
picked the baby up and stood him on
his hand, holding him out at arms
length Prof, Stagg tossed the boy up
and down lightly, raising him nearly
to the ceiling. Alcnzo, Jr., balanced
himself easily, standing erect on his
sturdy little legs, and laughing as If
iic fllJOl ct IL lloIOuSUlN.
"SiDce he was four months old"
said Prof. Stage, "he has gone
through this performance six days in
the week. He accomplished it success
fully mt the first trial, except that
held my hand close to me and watch
ed carefully tossave him from fall"
What was the first exercise you
gave the youngste' y asked the visit.
or.
1T was massage, properly speak
Ing" answered Prof Stagg. you see
that, as n matter of fact the ordinary
baby gets very little exercise. He is
handled with care, fed and put to
sleep. / determined to give every mus.
Gle little exercise daily, for, as |
said, the baby was not growing at all.
l commenced by rubbing him all over.
/ kneadcd his body, worked his arms
and legs and accustomed him to few
knocks. See there, now and the Pro
fessor gave the young athlete a sue.
cession of Tght-handed punches in tho
abdomen, the baby standing erect on
the couch \and laughing as If he de-
rived a great deal of fun from the
punishment 81 first noticed an inn
provement in the muscles of the neck.
In very short time he could hold HIS
head erect. One dar, when he was be-
tween four and five months old, | put
him down ON the floor, wondering #
he would try to walk of his own nc.
cord. He struck out at once bravely.
lifting his feet at each step as far nv
possible from the floor. 1t looked quite
comcal. He worked his legs up and
down precisely as | had been accus.
toned te--eXercising them for him"
Alonzo. Jr. is n first-rate pedestrian,
now at eight and half months, bul
is not allowed to walk oftener than
twice n week.
1T is not my intention to make a
freak of the baby" says Prof. Stagg.
"or to see just how much muscle he
can develop. | want him to be aa
strong and as healthy as he can be
naturally with his physique. / avoid
pushing him to the limit Just as |
would avoid over-training man"
A very noticeable result of Baby
Stages physical training is his finely
developed sense of touch and sight.
He does not reach for things In tho
aimless and futile way of ordinary
babyhood. lie knows just which way
to strike for a marble or card held
in front of him, and makes no attemp;
to get II when it Is out of reach
1t may be that by heredity Alonzo
Stagg, Jr,, takes to athletics. Prof
Stagg Is Yale man, an all-round ath,
lete. and has been director of physi.
cal culture at the University of Chlca.
go for several yenls. He is IA splendid