The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-08

vas easy. ~ Aiken lati winter several
fashionable women followed the hounds
while riding Astride GENERALLY sJ-ak.ns.
What man do,s to-day IA the nay 70
athl-tlcs, wornRn du~s also.
This condition Il affairs has brought
about a desire on the part 81 men and
women 10 take up seriously the develop
mon; 20 their t-Iiies Rut 20 do this re-
quird training and trpin.rs The de-
nahd was equal TO the supply and now In
all the large cities there are plenty ef
schools ~ physical cult ue. And this has
wrought other changes for the better be-
sides changes from fabby to hard muscles,
There are some women in every com-
munity who want TO do something out Of
the ordinary. just for the sake Of being
davilish.' II IL not many years zinc e
Cigarette smoking became a fad with some
fashionable women. That fad with a great
many women has gone the way Of all fsds,
and many Of those who formerly regarded
the smoking 81 a cigarette now and then
as really dare -devilsh. regard IL now as
sin DIV coarse and vulgsr The dumb
tell, tho chest weights and the punching
tag have teen substituted by the women
who want 20 do something bizarre.
The father Of ply sical culture a. a scienoe
In this country 10 that little big man who
calls himself Attila. the name Of his mothe r.
IT. speaking Of the development Of physi-
cal culture In tho United States the other
day, Attila said:
IF you AK me II physical cult re Ii moro
popular to-day than IL was Ave year ago,
l answer that 1, Ia morn popular han II was
a wear ago. Q month ago. even q week ago.
II must 10 90. else how could 30 many ply
steal culture schools exirI Every new
school ~ his kind that In opened 10 a hene-
III TO humanity, II the Instructors know
their business. But the instructor In phys
ical culture should he carefully trained
for his work. el-e he may do more harm
than good 70 his pupils. For instance,
every competent instructor in physical
culture should he a. skilled AZ an antomis
as The men occupying the chairs Of anatomy
IN the medical colleges. Ono cannot de-
velop the muscles Of the body unless one
knows tho body.
1T has been interesting to me In my
work 90 nots the steadily Increasing num-
her 81 active business n professional
men who are seriously taking up the de-
velopmcnt Of their bodies. I suppose my
experience 10 that Of most Of the other
directors Of physical culture schools
Every day almost a new name. the name
Of some professional OF business man. about
whom ! have read In tho papers IL added
to my list Of pupils.
a busy man cannot 20 In for athletics
In this country. IL takes too much time
and conditions are too exacting. In Eng
and many nen Of Affairs make IL their
, business to play a little tennis or some other
game every day. In this country II an
active mar 81 Affairs followed The example
Gf the EnslishmAn be would Soon become
'Proportionstely, do you have n many
women pupils as men'' asked The Sun
man
All. no. Was the answer. And do you
know the reasoni We'll, III tell you. There
~ no use mincinR matters. The average
American woman il too lazy to undertake
tho hard, systematio work required by
Tho course In a physical culture school.
Many women come 70 me every day and
ask questions about what they must do
TO become strong. ! tell them, and then
they AJAX how much tine 1t viii take. l
answer, An hour a day, at least Then
they shrug their shoulders or roll their
ewes and protest that they couldn't think
~ giving 80 much time a. that to a thing
like the culture Of the body. That is too
much Ike work.
However. | am glad 10 say that the
number ~ women who are learning how to
lie strong and Who are doing conscientious
and systematic work Ia the development
81 their bodies has increased 50 per cent
In the last five years, Maybe IL viii surprise
YOU, but ! tell you that nearly every woman
In this country IL d~form~d. Thu deformity
may not 10 great. but still IL 10 a deformity
Some ladies might not think me very polite
10 say 30. but IL Is q fact that nearly every
woman In this country has knocked knees
That IL one OF the first faults hat | have
to'corTcct.
But II the women Of this or any other
country realized tho solemn obligation i'm
posed upon them to hav" and maintain q
strong, healthy. muscular body. there would
~ need of more schools II physical culture
than there are to-day The mission Of NO
man on earth II maternity. How can that
mission he properly fulhlled, how can wo-
man dischaIg 81 her duty To the race II che
insists. for fashions sake, In deforming her
body. | use the word deform al vi-edly
FOR = woman with a pinched waist IL a de-
formed woman and the woman who viii
persist in the wearing Of high heeied shoes
will d~form herself
II ! had my way. there would 10 no
schools ~ physical culture. because there
would 10 no need OF them. ! would have
tho culture 81 the body as much a part OF
the system Of public education IN every
state a. IL the culture Of the mind In every
grade - the public school system. from the
primary department up, ] would have all
Instructor In physical culture let tho State
take up this question and the matter will
he gone into - thoroughly that there will
be no quacks AT the head 81 the physical
culture depart m.nts in the schools.
If this suggestion were adopted the
boys and girls Of our country-fo for the
United States L. INV country A. we'll as
II il yours would take up the work -
IN" with h"dles properly equipped for
~" strain they are called upon 20 endure
Their" would 10 no need 81 schools for
physical culture then. because every man
and woman would hc his or her own in
s%'rurior
Tho work ought to begin early The
| ulaythinEs ~ my children. from tho time
ihey were two wears old. were dunrblslls
and Indian clubs have three little ones.
and II there are any children anvwhere
With finer phvsipg.s, I want 20 see them
Tho little ones can 10 taught a. well n
the children Of larger growth but in
hn't" car" ard patience should he taken
with them
'th"'!cS IL not phv-ical culture, hut
physical culture Develops good athletes
The strength 81 American men and women
j. gradually improving with each year.
but our women will have to grow much
stronger before they will Ia the equals
81 their sisters over ~~as
The s'rongcei women among the so-
called civilized nations ar- the women ~
Germany. Newt 90 them ARE tho Aust rian-.
and then coin" ne English The French
woman j. a butterfly, socially and phvsi-
| cally NTH n krsaeh Won could blow her