The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-24
A SANDON THODGHABABY THE WAR PREPARATIONS
ATHLETIC AT EIGHT AND A HALF
MONTHS.
What Physical Culture Has Done for
the Child of Prof. Stages of Chicago
University.

University.
Alonzo A. Stage, Jr., son of Professor
A. A. Stage, director of athletics at the
University of Chicago, says Chicago
correspondent of the New York Sun, is
a miniature Sandow. He is baby eight
and a half months old, and has had a
course of physical training since he was
four weeks old. From that time the
baby has been able to stand erect, ball
anclng himself on his fathers hand held
at arms length. He swings from ira
pese bar by his hands 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
sitting posture himself by his feet or
elbows. This is done entirely by using
the abdominal muscles, and is beyond
the power of nine men out 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 a little below rather
than above the ordinary.
"At four weeks Old" says Professor
Stage, 1.-The baby weighed just what he
did when he was born. He hadn't grown
a bit. He had had a spell of illness,
and at the time we hadn't much idea
that he would live drought it. Well,
when 1 saw the fight the little fellow
was having, it occurred to me that per-
haps 1 could help him. That is the way
his athletic training began"
Today Alonzo Jr. weights twenty-one
pounds, and at twelve months he will
probably tip the scales at twenty-four
pounds Twenty-Five pounds is the
weight of the average baby at year
old.
To hear of this baby's thletic proves
is to imagine a pugnacious, diversified
child, or at least a boy something out
of the ordinary at first sight Stepping
into the nursery Professor Stage came
back with a small bundle of humanity
Rugged up in his arms. The baby was
laughing and kicking and wore white
dress and pink wool sack
There now" said Professor Stage,
tossing the little fellow down uncere-
moniously 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 strik-
ink thing about the little fellow is his
alertness. His whole body is alert, and
he holds himself with an air of confid-
ence and self-reliance. He is not afraid
interest him. He appears to be unit
instead of a duality. For example pa
per weight is showed off the table with
a bang. Instantly, with three times the
mental an physical ability of fencer,
the child responds. He starts, he peers
around curiously, seemingly at the very
moment the sound is made. Selling a
small stick his father held it up on
level with the baby's eyes. Alonzo Jr,
enjoys nothing so much as gong
through his gymnastic feats. He grasp
ed the bar and held it in the grip of his
chubby hands as much as to say, 'Al
right. ready" His father raised the roo
and swung it back and forth vigorous
ly. The baby drew up his feet little
threw his head back and hung on with
on without difficulty. Then the father
picked the baby up and stood him on
his hand, holding him out at arm
length. Professor Stage tossed the boy
I'D and down lightly, raising him near
ly to the ceiling. Alonzo Jr. balanced
himself easily, standing erect on his
sturdy, straight legs and laughing as II
he enjoyed it thoroughly.
"Since he was four months old, sale
Professor Stage, che has gone through
this performance six days in the week
He accomplished it successfully at the
first trial, except that I held my hano
close to me and watched carefully tC
save him from a fall.
what was the first exercise you gave
the youngster?" asked the visitor.
at was massage, properly speaking,
answered Professor Stage, You see
that, as a matter of fact, the ordinary
baby gets very little exercise. He is
handled with care, fed and put to sleep
1 determined to give every muscle lit
tie exercise daily( for as l said, the
baby was not growing at all. L com
menced by rubbing him all over.
kneaded his body, worked his arms anC
. legs and accustomed him to a few
knocks. See there now" and the PROBES
sor gave the young athlete succession
of righthand punches in the apuonen
, the baby standing erect on the coucl
and laughing as If he derived a grea
deal of fun from the punishment. ="
first noticed an improvement In tn
muscles of the neck. In a very shor
, time he could hold his head erect. On
! day. when he was between four ant
five months old put him down on tn
floor, wondering if he would try to wall
of his own accord. He struck out a
once bravely, lifting his feet at eacl
step as far as possible from the floor
1t looked quite comical, He worked hi
legs up and down precisely as l ha
been accustomed to exercising them TO
him."
! Alonzo Jr. is a first rate pedestria
now at eight and a half months, but
not allowed to walk oftener than twic
a week.
A very noticeable result of Bah
Stages physical training is his finel
developed sense of touch and sight. II
: does not reach for things in the aimles
= and futile way of ordinary babyhoot
= He knows just which way TO strike TO
a marble or a card held in front o
him, and makes no attempt to get
: when it is out of reach.
|. SALVATION ARMY.
Officers and Members Doing Relief an