The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-24

Whoop-la. ng-Bang-Whacs
--Sizz-Bingl!
They're Off!
Who?
Why haven't ycN seen them, round at
the Orpheum-the Athletic Girls?'
If you have. you'll know that when
perfect LADY, has any idea of boxing
fencing" wrestling or bag punching"
she's got to have her hair pinned on
straight.
It's no place. believe me, for anything
false
With such whrring and clashing
and slashing of legs and arms and bodies,
take it from me. If you happen to have
a dozen or more cream puffs." yclept
false hair pinned about your premises
you'll mighty soon be minus them, for
such auickness and alertness and skipping
and hopping and jumping you haven't
seen since the Turkey trot appeared upon
the horizon with its "fifty-seven varle-
ties of steps and mis-steps.
There are five of the Roehm girls in
the "act," and comlier lot OF you've
never seen.
There are tall ones and short ones. slim
ones and -er-er-well not fat ones-be-
cause athletes won't allow themselves to
grow fat-but they are stout, and they
are all good to look at.
"A feminine Frank Gotch'' commehted
somebody as the wrestling match was on,
and femininity swung itself into what
might be called wind mll'' movement.
and the bout began while the audience
sat breathless on the edge of the chairs,
eager to see which of the contestants
was the better fellow.
1t would take the pen of a Robert
Chambers or the versatility of Harold
McGrath To describe the wonders of these
grls-even then. you wouldn't get the
right idea, unless you went and saw them
with your own eyes-which I did.
Not only that.
| l picked out the pretty little black eyed
girl that looks like Spanish Senorta-
the one who does the pretty fencing stunt
and talked with her about her work
| and she told me a. lot of things I never
heard before and perhaps you haven't
! Miss Idah Roehm. she's the wife of the
man who owns the -act," and he's one OF
| the best known athletes in the country
and man of wide experience and keen
| observation, else he wouldn't have such Ii
capable bunch under his management.
| Miss Roehm wouldn't impress you at al;
when you see her in Citizens clothes,
as an athlete.
Rather
| She looks more like "a dancing girl-
| with her soft black hair and rosy cheel
and big sparkling eyes and slight little
well rounded. stylish figure!
II weight lis pounds now said Miss
Roefm. That's immense for me-almos
too much. When I started In this bust
ness a few years ago weighed only 81
| you rather associate athletic womer
with the large robust type | suggested,
and it seems unusual to see a girl as
slight as you are doing such heav,
stunts"
"But see how I've put on flesh" sait
she. that's the advantage of atheti,
work 1t is not only good as reducer
but the slenderest woman can fill out the
holows and the ugly places in her body
neck and arms, and put on whatever
amount of flesh she wants to by the
proper work" Q
..Then you regard athletic work as fav
orably for women as you do for men?'
suggested.
"I do when it is correctly DONE" ex
claimed Miss Roehm. 1T should never b,
carried to excess. For instance, just be
cause a woman takes up boxing. yo;
don't expect her to become prize fighter
Athletics, like everything else. when car
ried to excess is injurious Irther thai
beneficial. The athletic woman have al
immense advantage over the womai
who knows nothing about athletic
when it comes to danger and periou
situations. The thug, the piclkpocket, tn
brute who enters the house as night an
has to be dealt with-can easily be sub
dued by woman who knows how t
use her strength when necessary. A
athletic woman is her own protector. Sh
doesn't need pistols or hat pins to war
off foe,'
speaking of what athletics can Il
sor slender women she continued, Nv