Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-12
SWIMMING IS RpUznz

Swimming will never become passe
at the summer resorts. This season
the little lakes and rivers so much
frequented by the resorters have
been literally supplied by Jupiter
Pluvius, and there is little danger Of
many Of them going dry" as was
noted last year during the long
period of drought. To illustrate
how a rainy spell that brings frowns
on the face of the farmer may cause
laughter wrinkles on the countenance
of the city merchant, 1t is matter of
fact that the big houses have sold
more bathing suits this far this sea-
son than they did during 1900 and
1901. A great deal Of this unusually
large sale is attributed to the album
dance OF water in the resort lakes
and the increased desire of the SUM
mer beoarders to swim.
No one can tell the anguished
father what to do IL he sees his baby
struggling in the water Of treacher-
Gus little lake and he, is powerless to
swim out to it's assistance. But there
are thousands Of teachers who will
provide everybody with the instruc-
ton necessary to make swimmers out
OF those who cannot make progress in
the water. Do you want to be able to
save life at the summer resort? Do
you want to be free from fear when
out in storm? Learn to swim. 1.-THE
knowledge OF the art Of swimming il
worth more than all the money in the
world if you are a long way from shore
- i xx1r4
boat for you," once remarked Howard
r. Brewer, the Pacific coast champion
swimmer, while we were swimming to-
gether recently. 81 believe would
not be afraid 90 get dropped overheard
in the Pacific, 100 miles from shore,
If could be guaranteed that no shark
would get me. It il possible for . hui
man being to doaso much more in the
water than theEayerage man thinks
can be done, that some day some pow
erful swimmer will adopt that scheme
swimming many miles to lands-to in
gpire within the breasts Of his fellow
men the respect thai should be shown
for swimming
Brewer is SO we'll known that a few
sspointers'' from the champion, to be
perused while sitting in a boat at some
resort, should be of interest
sWhi1e the teachers will tell about
the several distinct steps to be ac-
quired IN learning to SWIM remarked
the human water rat" the water
polo boys who played with Brewer
called the Californian, 1T must be re-
membered that any boy may swim if he
falls into water over his head for the
first time by simply initiating the
motions of dog who is hurled into
the water. Lessons are well enough,
but presence of mind is the greatest
cork lifebelt, so to speak,that you
throw out to a person in deep water.
You may watch your teacher go
through the movements used in swim
ming, urging his or her class to fol-
low them before going into the wa
ter and you may spend hours in prac-
ticing the arm movements, paying
strict attention to the injunction to
keep the hands fiat, palm downwards,
to keep the elbows drawn nearly to the
sides, to count tone' and push the
hands forward until the arms are fully
extended, to turn the hands slightly
outward and use a sweeping backward
stroke, ETC., but would advise begin
ners to stop all this laborious work
the moment they find they have the
confidence that makes swimming
easy. Get another teacher and then
take up the racing strokes immedi-
ately