The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-10
Count Cassini an Expert.


Count Cassini an Expert.
The club could not have chosen a better
president than Count Cassini. He is kind.
courteous and dignifed, and will undoubt-
! edly be impartial in all hi dealings with
/ the club members, all Of whom recognize
/ him as being the most expert swordsman
of all the local experts.
! CheValier Trentanove bears the title OF
| eaptaine de la sale d'armes, or captain or
! the fencing school, and all suggestions
/ and arrangements will be referred to him
/ for settlement. Cheyalier Trentanove is
! an expert fencer, having learned the art
| in Florence and Paris. He is man Of
/ wonderful strength and dexterity, and
| his friends are still waiting to see the
man who will be able to touch" him.
His intimate friend, Prince Troubets-
/ koy. is. however, considered the strongest
| man in town and is an expert fencer.
| Troubetskoy is in appearance a man of
\ iron muscles His shoulders are immense
in breadth, and he lifts weight of 100
| pounds with as much ease as an ordinary
| muscular man would hold oJt light
/ dumbbell.
Chevalier Trentanove and Prince Trou-
/ betskoy have been indefatigable in their
/ very much pleased with the results Of
/ their labor.
| Although all the men members are con-
sidered experts in fencing, one and all
bow to the superior art of Prof. Darien-
lat. who Is the maitre darmes and will
spend his time in teaching.
Prof. Darienlat is a Frenchman who
received the art of fencing almost as a
birthright from his father who was
maitre d'armes at the Ecole Mlitaire in
( Paris Prof Darienlat became a pupil of
the same school, and there -7rfscted him
self in his profession. lie terward be-
came professor at JoinvilIe School. He Is
we'll known in Washington, having resid-
ed here about six years. He was the
fencing master for the Columbia Athletic
Club, but for the past two years has been
connected with the Young Mems Chris
/ tian Association as teacher of fencing.
/ He is devoted to his art and speaks with
| pride OF his American pupils.
! When asked if he expected TO exper-
( ience much difficulty in teaching the
young women members, who know abso-
lutely nothing about fencing, the maItre
darmes said:
/ ''Oh' no; it will not be difficult"
Teaching Women TO Fence.
You see American women are like our
French women. They learn very quickly.
/ Explain a thing a few times and they
Understand exactly what they must do
/ The practice Is what is most necessary.
and l believe the ladies who are members
of the Fencers' Club Will not lose their
/ interest easily.
american women, as a rule, are very
! graceful and quick in their movements,
and Invariably possess keen eyesight. You
know the eye is the main feature in fenc-
ing. One must Of course be agile and
| muscular. but to be a good fencer the eye
must De true. II must watch every move
/ OF the part or the antagonist, and in or
I DER never to be of ones guard the eyes
/ must endure quite q strain. If one fencer
| relaNes MS attention for the tenth of a
second he gives his opponent the chance
which he has been waiting and maneuyer-
ing for during a long time"
! What style Of woman is best suited TO
become a good fencer?'
1 why. the slender woman. of course.
I although not all the lady members of the
. club are slender
NO. l have not heard Of any of then,
taking up fencing in order to reduce their
weight. although i understand that ladies
sometimes do that.
diH very mucn interested in the club,
and mean to do my best to make good
fencers of my pupils"
Miss CasSlni. the multt-talented Young
niece Of the Russian Ambassador. knows
how 20 fence, as do some of the other
woman members Of the club. 1t is a pic
tCre TO watch Miss Cassini in her fencing
costume, her cheeks aglow, and her dark
eyes sparkling as she watches for chance
TO touch her antagonist. She is Just about
the proper weight, and her eyes are good
fencing eyes. They could not be brighter
Misses Patten and Foraker are also good
fencers.
II the rest Of the woman club members
are as handsome as those who compose
4 the committee, the fencing tournaments
| given privately by the fair Sex will be
scenes of beauty and grace
Imagine the stately Mrs. westinghouse
fencing with the tall and slender Mime. de
WOlIant Or dainty Miss Merriam, who
is said by many 10 be the preltiest young
girl in society, endeayoring TO lunge en-
tierce at handsome Miss Foraker or Mrs
| M2yi