Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-02-17
THE ATHLETES WAY
HOW STAGE IS BRINGING UP Ais
sen.
Has Transformed Rather Weakly
Infant Into . Prodigy-Feats by an
Eight-Months-oid 6aby-Surprising
Ideas for Mothers.

arms length. He swings from a trap
exc 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 fat on his back and rise to a
Sitting posture without turning on his
side or lifting himself by his feet or
his elbows This is done entirely BIZ
using the abdominal muscles. and is
beyond the power of nine men oct OF
ten.
The Stage baby is probably the
strongest child of his age in the world.
A. A. Stage, Jr., 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 DID," says Prof.
Stagg. ''the baby weighed just what
he did when he was born. He hadn't
grown a bit. He had had spell OF
illness, and at the time we hadn't
much idea he would live through il.
Well, when / saw the fight the little
fellow was having. IL occurred to me
that perhaps / could help him. That
Is the way his athletic ira ,n'ng 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. Stage
came back with a small bundle Of hui
mainly Rugged up In his arms. The
baby was laughing and kicking. and
wore a white dress and pink wool
sack.
There. now said Prof. Staeg. toss
ing the little fellow down unceremoni-
ously on a leather couch.
Instantly AlonZo Jr., 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-reliance. He is
not afraid of anything Strange sights
and sounds interest him, but they do
not brighten him. He appears to be
unit instead of a duality. For example.
a paper weight is showed off table
with a bang Instantly, with three
times the mental and physical ability
of fencer. the child responds. He
starts. he peers around curiously.
seemingly at the very moment the
sound is made. Selling small stick,
his father held IL up on level with
the baby's eyes. Alonzo .Jr., enjoys
nothing so much as going through his
gymnastic feats. He 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 il 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. Stage tossed the boy up
and down lightly. raising him nearly
10 the ceiling. Alonzo. Jr.. balanced
himself easily. standing erect on his
sturdy little legs. and laughing a IL
he enjoyed it thoroughly.
''Since he was four months old"
said Prof. Stagg. ''he has gone
through this performance six days in
the week. He accomplished 1t success
fully at the first trial. except that l
held my hand close to me and watch
ed carefully to save him from fall"
what was the first exercise you
gave the youngstery asked the visit;
or.
1T was massage. properly speak
ing" answered Prof Stage. You see
lHHt, us u VI tdCt, Tue
baby gets very little exercise. He Is
handled with care. fed and put to
sleep. l determined TO give every mus
Gle little exercise daily, for. as
said the baby was not growing at all.
/ commenced by rubbing him all over
/ kneaded 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 right-handed punches In the
abdomen. the baby standing erect on
the couch and laughing as IL he de-
rived a great deal of fun from the
punishment 81 first noticed an inn
provement in the muscles of the neck.
In q very short time he could hold his
head erect. One day, when he was be-
tween four and five months old. | put
him down on the floor, wondering II
he would try to walk of his own ac
cord. He struck out at once bravely,
lifting his feet at each step as far as
possible from the floor 1t looked quite
comical He worked his legs up and
down precisely as l had been accus-
toned to exercising them for him."
Alonzo Jr., is first-rate pedestrian,
now at eight and a half months. but
is not allowed to walk oftener than
twice a week.
ut is not my intention to make a
freak of the baby" says Prof Stagg.
''or TO see just how much muscle he
can develop. l want him to be as
strong and as healthy as he can be
naturally with his physique. avoid
pushing him TO the limit just as ]
would avoid over-training a 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 the
aimless and futile way of ordinary
babyhood. He knows just which way
to strike for marble or card held
in front of him. and makes no attempt
to get il when it Is out of reach.
1t may be that by hersdi!y 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 Chica-
go for several years He is a splendid
specimen of man physically. with
the head and neck of an old Roman
Mrs. Stagg has been devoted to gym
nasium work and plays basketball
tennis and golf. The baby Is growing