The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-29

safely be said that the features that
most Of the attendants had come to
gaze upon were not any more decolette
than variety show or a bathing
scene.
1t was apparent that most Of the
crowd had come to look at the beauty
contest ESQ called) rather than at
demonstrations on punching bags,
home exercises or to hear lectures
on foods for strong men.
There was a three-day gO-as-yOu-
please race started. The contestants
have bound themselves to eat no food
until the race is over; they will run
from II o'clock every morning until
II o'clock every night. There were
fencing matches and other things
n Collection of Beauties.
During the past two months agents
for the exhibition have been selecting
subjects in all the large cities in the
country in an effort to secure the best
specimens of physical beauty to- be
found the country over, and New York
had dubbed the exhibition the shape
show in advance, being guided to
that name by the large number of
billboards all over the city portraying
women arrayed in suits not unlike the
union underwear" familiar to read
ers of the advertising pages of the
magazines.
A $1,000 prize is attached to the con-
test and those present to witness it are
expected to determine the relative
merits of the forms exhibited by VOt-
ing for the contestant whose shape
most appeals to their senses as indica-
tive of beauteous development.
For an opportunity to thus eXer-
else their artistic senses, the visit
Ors were most anxious, but the gy-
rating beauties did not make their
s~1~ |,
crowd was getting anxious and i'm
patient when the curtains were pulled
aside and the footlights of the posing
cabinet turned up. A loud groan sa-
luted the roof The poseurs were
men. Most of them were bare to the
waist and seemed to be busy holding
up unseen universes on corded masses
Of chest and back and shoulder
muscles.
= Bring on the Women!' hOWled the
spectators in disgust, while the male
contestants went thru ten different
poses on their pedestals before they
were thru with their exhibition. They
were nearly all teachers Of gymnas-
tics and muscle development, and
made a brave exhibition without rails
ing any enthusiasm to speak of.
The Models Appear.
There was roar of delight when
detachment Of female loveliness.
Nineteen women. were entered in the
contest, but there was not sufficient
room on the stage for all to be shown
at once. So eleven were shown at
first. Some were young and some
We're beautiful, according to the diff
ferences of individual tastes, but all
: stood on pedestals scantily clad in
tight-ftting suits none too securely
tied with blue ribbons around theil
waists. Each one bore a number to
be voted for, and as the beauties Went
thru their gyrations, hundreds OF
voices shouted out the numbers thai
were considered to be best entitled tc
the prize.
AS the roars rose above the grow
ing laughter and applause, apPrecia
tive wiggles were observed in the
frames of the union suits whose mum.
bers We're called. But one man pret.
ty nearly caused the whole line te
fall off their pedestals.
ANY one of the bunch will do fol
Willie!" he howled Individual mum
bers were lost in the whoops of ap
plause that greeted the sally. The
electric light man became SO con