Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-22

F. l.. Oswald. NJ. D.. in Chicago Record
Herald.
one who sympathizes with the South
African republics concludes his apology
for their defenders with the apt remark
that 1.-THE achievements Of the TransVaal /
patriots ought to be judged with reference
10 the difficulties of their situation and
in comparing the exploits of ancient and
modern athletes we should make due al
lowance for The influence of circum-
stances which during the last 1900 years
have conspired for the physical degrade
zion Of the human species.
The enervating lUxuries of the Roman
empiye were followed by an era of des-
potism that crushed the working. classes
under the weight of cruel tolls, and by
| that millennium of madness, the 100
years war against health and nature
that threatened the perversion of all san
| itary instincts. Forty generations of Eu-
! ropean peasants were treated worse than
| beasts: millions of city jewellers were
! crowded together in dark, narrow and
squal.d tenemepts; Greek gymnasiums
| ard Roman baths We're suppressed as
/ worldly vanities; self-tOrtures were rec
commended as duties, as tests of moral
merit
| The aftar-efrects of that horrid delirium.
/ still tremble in our nerves. We walk the
/ paths of reform with the tottering steps
| of refugees from a life-blighting dungeon.
Our most progressive nations have but
half recovered from the epidemic of anti
naturalism.
| That under such circumstances the eau
casian race could have evolved thousands
| of superlative athletes proves that the
| physical staying powers of the human
| species have been considerably under
! rated 1t also justifes Professor Jahn's
prediction that a century of sanitary re-
| form viii revive the era of the Olympic
! festivals.
! The dawn of modern civilization is gen.
orally dated from the end of the thirty
years war, but very few of the strong
men Of the subsequent centuries enjoyed
the benefits of anything, like systematic
4 physical culture. King Augustus of Sax
ony passed the first fifteen years of his
/ life in the ballroom atmosphere of a
| frivolous court, and only afterward came
under the influence of a relative, who in
| spired him with a passion for outdoor
1 sports, and now and then encouraged
/ him 10 contest the prizes of a wrestling
match. The lank youngster became an
l-athlete and before the completion Of his
/ twentieth year could challenge the ex-
llperts of half dozen different gymnastic
| exercises, vaulting, weight lifting, ham
mer throwing, and what not.
| The partially of referees was supposed
| 10 account for some of his victories, till
one day he dashed cut into the main
street of Dresden and stopped panic
1 by arresting the career of a rampant bull
..Seizing the raging brute by the horns,
| says the court chrdnicle, he was tram
| pied and dragged along for space of
| 100 rods but, never relaxed lhis grip, eX-
! cept to aim powerful blows at The eyes of
| the uuadruped, which finally reeled and
| dropped, totally blinded"
No neighbor ventured to question his
physical prowess after that exploit, and
1 when ne mounted the throne his sObriQuet
/ of august der Starke" was recognized
| by all contemporary princes who had
! seen him roll up heavy silver plates ike
| sheets OF pasteboard. or lift armchairs
by grasp:ng one Of the legs close to the
floor.
He could break horseshoes by twisting
them to and fro! but once found his
tnatca in a country smithy, where he had
amused himself by damaging the stock
in trade in the presence. of his reunue-
your iron must be pot metal" said he.
| but maybe you can't help that so here
| a dollar for you. Excuse me, your maj
esty, but this must be a counterfeit.
said the Did smith. shanding back the sill
yer dollar rolled up like circular piece
of felt
Thomas Topham, Yorkshire tanner,
was the son of a poor shoemaker, VINO
! had kent him cobbIing as long as he could
/ control him at all. but consented to a
| change of program when his son one day
| ripped out a floor plank by getting a
1 clutch in a knot hole" and then effected
| his escape through the cellar Topham
| junior won incredible bets by his weight
| lifting exploits. and one night carried on
q sentry box, together with its contents
4 an iron stove and drunken Waterman
1 and deposited his burden on, a market
| square some ten blocks away, He could
| shoulder ten grown men and treat them
! 10 a free ride as long as they were able
| TO balance each other
Yet in America that often doubted feat
was eclipsed before witnesses by DR.. Win
ship. of Boston, who lifted 200 pounds
! 1.-THE weight of eighteen average mem by
means of straps fastened to his head and
| shoulders And that modern Hercules had
| developed his superhuman muscles dur
ing the last eight years of his life. In
his schoolboy years he passed for weak
ling, and overstudy affecting his lungs.
! made him. what athletes considered
physical wreck; but the turning point
came during the Last year OF MS attend
| ance at a medical college.
| A fellow-student, it is said, insulted him
| in the presence of the whole class, and
then mimicked his bantam attitude of de-
fiance. Realizing his helplessness, the SEN
sitiye Young man went home and
at once commenced a course Of physical
| seIf-culture, which in the course Of few
wears made him not only the equal but
the superior of the professional bruiseFs
for and near.
j His strangle grips brought the stoutest
| wrestlers to terms. and though he never
mastered all the tricks of the prize ring,
! betting became one-sided whenever he did
manage to land a blow.-EIis hands, indeed.
| came to resemble. gorilla paws. Ordinary
1 finger bones cracked in his grip. His up
| per arms were punches of monstrous
| muscles, out of all proportion to his size.
| and there seems no doubt that an excess
of unsy1nmetrical development and over
| exercise-exercise often carried to the
| verge of collapse-had something to DO
| with his early death. for his friends re-
! membered to have seen him strain away