Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-10
CYMNASIUM'S USE
Discussed interestingly at Ban
quet al the Local
Y. NJ. c. A.
A DEVELOPER OF CHARACTER
First Annual Function of Glasses in
Athletics Proves a Sue
cess.

per was held last evening at the
Y. NJ. c. A. so men being present.
These represented all the various gym
nasium classes, the basketball teams,
handball players. fencing class. and
the business men. The supper was
served in the gymnasium by the ladies
of the Association Helpers. The Ia
bles. which were set in the form of the
letter Y. were profusely decorated with
ferns and flowers. The supper. though
not intended for an elaborate one. was
a success in every way.
For the after dinner program, Rev.
o. w. Lawrence, pastor of the Chris
tian Memorial church, served as toast
master. He opened the program with
a few fitting remarks. and each speak
er was introduced with some clever
description or introduction. Bert
Steaks was the first speaker. respond
ing TO the toast, First Year Experience
es in the Gym" He described his eX-
periences as having patience and TAX
ing pains" and protested that it was
mainly taking pains. though not in the
ordinary use of the term. He claimed
to have taken pains in every part of
his body but considered the results
worth the effort. Henry Lemberg, who
was to have responded to the toast
up From the Junior Ranks" was not
present. and in his stead f. c. Earl
physical director, made short talk.
SOciabiIity in the Gym.
The Social Gym" was the subject
discussed by Harry E Schiller. He
said that the gymnasium is naturally a
social center. but that it should be the
aim of the gymnasium men to be more
cordial to new men. He spoke of the
value of games and gymnasium con-
tests in bringing about good fellow
ship. A. J. Richardson was introduce
ed by the postmaster as reminding
him of the speaker who was to give a
lecture on fools, by one of them" He
said that Mr.. Richardson was to give a
talk on The Awkward Squad, by one
of them" Mr.. Richardson showed that
he was well informed as the awkward
squad, having been a member of one
in the army and two in Rock Island.
His subject included the question. rs
Ii Necessary" and he declared that
the awkward squad is an essential, for
If we have no awkward squad, how
can we have anything else?"
D. l.. McNary. in responding to THE
Has Beens to the Corners" said that
an athletic game is one of the best de-
velopers of character, and demonstra-
ted his point by sketches of the infiu-
ence of bOyhOod contests in later life.
He characterized the gymnasium as the
most accurate mirror of character,
claiming that every phase of a mans
character will be shown best when in
a gymnasium.
w. l.. Reads talk on Dreams" was
one of the features of the program.
He said that he perhaps should have
taken the subject of athletic Dreams"
referring to nightmares Mr.. Read
told something of the causes of dreams,
and went into discussion of telepathy
He said that thought transference. he
believed, is possible. during sleep He
illustrated the points of his arguments
by witty stories of dreams and dream
ers
Give Clog Dance.
Gus Hamerick, Harry Snider and
Willis Wood gave a clever clog dance
and were repeatedly encored by the
spectators. Frank Young furnished
several piano solos, including the
Dance of the Demons" which made a
decided hit with the hearers.
The program closed with an address
by Prof. J. X. Hart, OF the high school.
who gave a brief history of physical
culture. He opened his address with
a discussion of the present athletics.
He said that so-calIed yellow journal
ism" has done more than any other
one cause to lower the standards of
athletics in the United States.
He told of the classification of anna
teurs in early Greece as athletes and
Of professionals as agonizers. John l..
Sullivan was mentioned as a modern
type Of agoniZer. In connection with
athletics, Prof. Hart gave the history
of professional sports. The early ath-
letic sport originated in the Olympian
games of Greece. The athletes were
the highest type of men before they
became agOnizers, and when they later
went into Rome they became further
degenerated by this professionalism.
He spoke of the Bersekers. and CLASH
fled them as vastly different in their
exercises from the later Greeks and
Romans in their physical pastime. The
American ancestors had little athletic
sport; they secured their exercise in
hard work: but even they had their
rough sports-wrestling fighting and
racing. The athletics of today are bet
ter controlled Men do not have for
ests TO clear, and many OF them get
their entire exercise in gymnasiums
He urged that the young men give as
much time 10 the development Of their
bodies as TO their minds and morals.
Impossible to fOresee an accident.
Not impossible to be prepared for II.
DR.. Thomas Electric Oil-monarch
over pain.
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