The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18
BUSINESS MEN WOULD GREATLY
APPRECIATE A SWIMMING POOL
Downtown Workers Would Be Very Glad to Have a Convenient
Bathing Pace-Why American Sportsmen OBJ
ject to Publicity.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Hundreds Of st. Louis business men woult
be very glad to rave a fine swimming poe
or natatorium downtown. 1t Is not Otter
that St. Louis gets a moderate summer lik'
that of 1902. There Is not any town IL
America which lacks bathing facilities NOR
than does st. Louis.
Indeed. it can be said that there is no
any place within twenty-five miles of tn
and secure swim. The Meramec River il
rough bottomed. brush-banked. %snag-bot
toned and of dangerous current. ,
The Mississippi TO Clifton Terrace
scarce availab bic for bathing purposes. Crew
Occur is muddy and of horrible bottom.
The three or four natatoriums in town arr
always crowded, and are very much out OF
the downtown district. They are not bust
ness mems resorts. but rather those of chill
dren. Only one of them can boast filtered
water.
If the proposed new ST. Louis Athletic
Club. which started out with such Il flourish
of trunpetS some time ago-and of which
so very little has been heard recently
wishes to make a hit. 1t will cater to this
fill it with clean water. keep it clean,
such a swimming pool would be the max
ing OF It,. The swimming. pool of the Chi.
cage Athletic Glnbaprobabiy the most ia;
that club famous; At least. the
splendid tank Is more talked about than
any other feature of the club.
Restricting the use of the swimming pool
to members, the St. Louis Athletic Club
should make 1t a very successful feature.
Only avery desirable class of men have, so
far. Joined the club. After a morning OF
hard and hot work. it would be rather pleas
ant to walk into the club restaurant, order
lunch. and. while it was being prepared,
take q quick plunge. Those who have gone
through a. real st. Louis summer will appre.-
ciate this. After a mornings work such
a plunge would send a man to his work fit
as a fiddle and clean as the proverbial new
pin:
Thinking it over, the proprietors of a
North Side mineral spring which is said to
possess unusual sanitary and beneficial
qualities have long desired to pipe their wa
ter to a bathhouse at Fourth and Locust
streets. If advisable something might be
done to secure this water.
Being a cody lot, st. Louis business men
naturally are a cleanly lot. too, though they
are, restricted to bath tubs or owe for
their bathing. There is nothing that men
It miss so much as a chance to swim. Ard
chances to swim about ST. Louis are scarce
as molars in hens. With a handsome pool
{. would b. a most attractive place for
men.
American cities are not accustomed to
p0np and pageant, to sights and exhibit
lions. as are the cities Of Europe. The stand
army puts the nobility and the gentry
RI Europe |, 1 o. show, , and they rather sra no seem to
opposed to public display in which they
lake part. They dislike being regarded as
white elephants" The h9i-polloi; not be.
citizens of European towns. are inclined to
rubber" and gape at the private citizen
when he goes upon parade.
thus 1t is that the American likes to take
recreation and sport In deep and dark
He will not play golf on a public
or polo In a public park; For the sight
y VI sir AIan in l-nt ~
iding breeches is enough to bring the guy
md the samin down upon him with unbri-
lied tongue and a shrewd wit that at
lines finds weak points in the gentleman's
,hield of amour propre.
In Europe the gentleman puts on his
somewhat outre golf toys and goes out on
'olors n rides on public race courses. He
assumes his red coat and goes forth hunt
ng foxes He takes. his ponies and his NAL
he huge delight Of the popuIace.
All this makes fine show for the public,
,leases the 'lower". classes, as they call the
o the parks and does the gentleman sports
nan no harm.
I have often thought that it was a deal
II a pity that American gentlemen were so
regretted that Country Club polo teams
lid not practice and play in public at
Forest Park instead of in private at Clay
md brave game. It would delight and
please Americans to a degree greater than
my other game. AS far as publicity, etc.
soes. it may have its disadvantages. to be
lure. But they are not intolerable.
The member Of the st. Loui Cricket
all of them men Of high standing. fine
and character. find cricket.
great pleasure. The spectacle of a cricket
match in progress lends much to the ap-
earance Of the park. The well-kept green
Yard; the handsome clubhouse. the clean,
chtf0 uniforms nf tho nlnNrarc yrnEn n
harming picture. TIL cricket crease makes
show place, and many visitors like to sit
own and watch the game: though they un-
1t but ~fnfrequentIy.
Many golfers found the odd Scotch game
the park pleasant enough, And If odd
ames are to be guyed. the gamin and the
slowishr game of cricket and that long
croquct" as they call golf. The
.meriean Is somewhat more inquisitive
the European: He has Il habi. of
butting In" and asking tiresome questions
'hich the game ignorant Europeon has not.
ut he is always more polite. apprecia i've
respectful than his European prototype.
OF course. there is what is known as
newspaper notoriety." something that
gentlemen. very strongly. and. in
amy avs very properly. detest. It is
rue that the American newspaper is very
item more inclined to stand open-mouthed
nd gap greedily at an odd sporting specta-
le than the average street Camin. 1t sees
e al nv pld. iHS a Ganle OF
kind In public and straishtway
throws a fit" 1t plays such things Ip for |
stories. and at once proceeds 10
md neurotic reporters of the great human
type to interview the plave and |
sk them why they play such a game. etc. |
orses. implements. dogs. etc, are ali akan
. and exploited in hyperboIc.
object to sr,ch jndiScrfuipate
unreasonable publicity. II does make !
fellow feel silly to be exploited as n great
off or polo player. and his skin expatiated
pom when he knows, and knows thai
reryOne who knows. knows that he is |
,allv a dub and novice of the first water |
nd that he is written up not because he |
a skilled player, but because he Is in Soma ,
ay OF other a man of worth and promi- |
ence commercially.
In ten years service as a sporting writer
have frequently come In contact with ,
,ortemen. who. I had been told enteri
very decided objections To nersonaI /!
lblicity- / have always found thar these |
never extended to moderate
roper and correct publicity. When = writer
lkes the performer on his merit in the |
on the merit of his performarce
'afsed any good work or criticised anv
,or work. the performer does moi obiect
Men who would decry observation-disclosures |
,es into general Disagreement Of the man
Of his special performance in |