The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-07

NEW YORK, Jan. 6.--Almost every
body has been to the physical culture ex-
hibltion. Now everybody is explaining
to everybody else why they went. Pnysi
cal culture in its beauty -in-tights snow
at Madison Square garden has done one
thing for the New York public. 1t has
developed the rubberneck.
New York called it the beauty show.
Before it went to it, that is. The man
agement put the physical culture stamp
On it, labeled it first annual and marked
permanent on the program IN big let
tiers. The management has one big ad-
vantage. No one dares to say he was dis
appointed on the beauty show part.
Everybody has to stand pat and declare
he got the physical culture part he went
for. 1t cost you circus prices toasee that
the show was really what the program
called it. Folks have their doubts about
the permanent part though.
The whole show was the circus with the
main tent left out. When the circus peo-
pie show here they leave their sied-show
cohorts over in Hoboken. Last week this
side show business was the whole thing
in the garden. From cellar to roof the
main part of it was just what you see
under the small canvas of the circus. The
rest you could see in the window Of any
sporting goods or sanitary underwear
shop But the big amphitheater was filled
at circus prices. Why! That's the ques-
ton everybody is trying to dodge.
" hen the eager crowds got by the
cheerful turnstle men they saw the arena
laid with narrow sawdust path about
llckety platform. Around the path
dozen earnest gentlemen with boards and
daring pompadours were scuffing at
walk. They wore anything from congress
CATERS to dirty bicycle sweaters. A big
blackboard said they were fasting.
trick donkey and some clown occasional
gram labeled their antics as humorous.
" performed gloomily inside. The pro-
The drills of local turnyerein bands who
hCuldered wands and did the "hep-hep
were a good deal nearer the crowds idea
If the humorous When, in addition to
this. two faded ladies weren't making
fencing passes, the announcer worked
himself into a frenzy over his megaphone,
and two wire artists made slide for
life" one by his toes and one by her hair.
Z he Sutherland sisters certainly had had
calp remarkably cultivated, while the
Toes of her japanese sde-partner were
plcndidly cultured physically. The
audience stood this endurance test wonder
fully. 70 turn from the ring was to con
front belt Of health food hawkers and
gentlemen punching every variety Of bag
and writing before every known form
of health exerciser. About this outer
circle of booths the spectators wandered
listlessly. Steely-eyed persons with i'm
posing names Of wayy hair were subject
ing themselves TO every species OF torture
with patent bristle scrapers. rubber bands,
weights. pulleys and dumbells. You could
buy hay or harness in every hygenic
form.
Down in the damp basement physical
culture was being exploited in more famil-
lar forms. You were solicited to ring n
cane. paste the niger with baseballs, hold
hands with gypsy fortune telers and do
almost everything Of that sort except To-
cite the elusive pea A dozen colored per
sons from Thompson street did hygienic
auckland wing dance, and longdistance
penmen sketched you for a dime.
But through the dreary hours of wander
ing through this entertainment the New
York crowd was sustained by the oft
heralded prospect Of statuesque posing by
the male and female physically cultured.
A mysterious black curtain, hung high at
one end Of the garden. gave promise Of
this. Whether drifting through the stacks
Of hygienic sawdust biscuits or groves Of
exercising halters, the audience never once
took half an eye from this curtain. Here
was a variety Of physical culture that New
York understood.
When the announcer at last gave the
signal a boisterous crowd of men was
packed thick for 100 feet back from the
curtain on all sides. Everybody was