The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-09
THE ATHLETES WAY
HOW stage is BRINGING UP HIS
SON.
Has Transformed a Rather Weakly
Infant Into Prodlsy-Feats by an
Eisht-Months-oId Baby-Surprising
Ideas for Mothers.

Eight-Months-old Baby-Surprising
Ideas for Mothers.
Alonzo A. Stagg, Jr., son of Prof A.
A. Stage, director OF athletics ut the
University of Chicago, is a miniature
Sandow. He is a baby eight and half
months old, and has had a course Of
physical training since he was f ur
weeks old. From that time the la
has been able to stand erect balancing
himself ON his fathers hand held mt
arms length. He swings from trap
exc bar by his hands, stands on his
head, walks, and arches his back like
an athlete. He can lie fat on his pack
and put his big toe in his mouth. he
can lie fiat on his back and rise 10 a
sitting posture without turning on his
side or lifting himself by his feet or
his elbows This is done entirely BY
using the abdominal muscles, and is
beyond the power of niue men out of
ten.
The Stagg baby is probably the
strongest child of his age in the world.
A. A. Stagg, Jr., is the only child of
his parents, and he started in life with
physical equipment little below rath-
er than above the ordinary.
cat four weeks DID," says Prof
Stagg, 1.-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 it.
Well, when 1 saw the fight the little
fellow was having it occurred to me
that perhaps 1 could help him. That
is the way his athletic training be-
gan"
To hear of this baby's athletic PROV
ess is to imagine a pugnacious over
sized child, or at least q baby some
thing out of the ordinary at first sight
Stepping into the nursery, Prof. Stagg
came back with a small bundle Of hui
mainly Rugged up in his arms The
baby was laughing and kicking, and
wore q white dress and pink wool
sack
"There now" said Prof. Stagg. toss
ing the little fellow down unceremoni-
ously on 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
10 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 Il
unit instead of duality. For example,
paper weight Is showed off a tab e
with a bang. Instantly, with three
times the mental and physical ability
of a 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 it 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 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 OF
his hand, holding him out at arms
length Prof. Stagg tossed the boy VI
and down lightly, raising him nearly
to the ceiling. Alonzo, Jr., balanced
himself easily, standing erect on his
sturdy little legs, and laughing as 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 it success
fully at the first trial, except that
held my hand close to me and watch
ed carefully to save him from fall.
"What was the first exercise YOU
gave the youngsterT asked the visit
or.
"It was massage, properly speak
ing" answered Prof. Stagg. "You see
that, as matter of fact, the ordinary
baby gets very little exercise. He is
handled with care, fed and put t
sleep. 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
l 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 thu
abdomen, the baby standing erect OF
tlit COuCu anu IL lie uc
rived a great deal of fun from tn,
punishment. 81 first noticed an i'm
provement in the muscles of the neck
In very short time he could hold hi
head erect. One day, when he was be
tween four and five months old, | pu
him down on the floor, wondering =
he would try to walk of his own ac
cord He struck out at once bravely
lifting his feet at each step as far n
possible from the floor 1t looked quit,
comical He worked his legs up anC
down precisely as l had been accus
toned to exercising them for him."
Alonzo, Jr., is first-rate pedestrian
now at eight and half months, bu
is not allowed to walk oftener thar
twice a week.
st is not my intention to make
freak of the baby" says Prof. Stage
cor to see just how much muscle h
can develop. / want him to be a
strong and as healthy as he can b
naturally with his physique. l avoi,
pushing him to the limit Just as
would avoid entertaining a man.
A very noticeable result of Bah
Stages physical training is his fnel
developed sense of touch and sight
He does not reach for things in til
aimless and futile way of ordinar.
babyhood. He knows just which wa
to strike for a marble or a card hel
/ in front of him, and makes no attemp
to get it when it is out of reach
1t may be that by heredity Alonz
Stage, Jr., takes to athletics. Pro-
J Stagg is a Yale man. an al-round att
, lete, and has been director of phys
cal culture at the University of Chico
, go for several years. He is a splendi
: specimen of man physically. wit
the head and neck of an old Roman