The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-25
I'm m ense Value of
Jessie Hubbell Ban
croft's Work Is Be-
ing Realized
By EILEEN o'CONNoR.

eating the metropolis Of the world. Yet
she has taught it two lessons. Needful
and great lessons they are.
Because she has taught them well New
York is grateful. 1t expressed its graft
tude by reaching forth its hand in help
fulness. Graciously it received her as the
Minnesota missionary to the metropolis.
Coming to this city as assistant director
Of the physical culture department of the
public schools she swept with her clear,
prairie trained vision the children Of the
public schools and those children of a
larger growth whom she saw on the sub
way and elevated trains, at the play
houses and the opera and in church, and
reached the conclusion that many of the
diseases from which flesh suffers it is not
heir to but acquires. One of the chief
means of acquiring those ills, according
10 her further conclusion, is wrong
posture.
Parent of Many Physical Ills.
Bad walking is the parent of brood
of physical ills. Wrong sitting may
shorten life. Incorrect standing preju-
dices our usefulness in this life and is
a short cut to the next. To reach a con-
clusion is to act according TO that con-
clusion, and with despatch, if you are
a Jessie Bancroft, originally of Wlnona,
MINI. Without longer pause than was
necessary to outline the organization she
set about forming the American Posture
League. Leading educators and promi-
nent physicians Of the country she united
to spread the gospel of right standing,
sitting and walking as a means to the
sound mind in the sound body that Is
the aim of humanity.
Superior men and women have su-
perior carriage" she asserted, and the
wise folk nodded their approval of her
hypothesis. Eve have come justly to as
soeiate such carriage with the highest type
Of the development Of the race.
"Artists understand the full value
Of the erect position. Much of the Won
derful spirit and buoyaney OF the Winged
Victory is due to the uprghtness OF the
torso. Most Of the figures modelled by
Saint Gaudens are family electric with
physical and spiritual uplift. MacMon-
MES in his statue of Nathan Hale shows
through the magnificent erectness OF the
pose, magnificent in spite of the strain
upon the pinioned arms, the superiority
of spirit over death itself.
1.-THE reasons for good posture IN SIT
ting and standing are unanswerable," the
eirl from the West told the wise folk OF
the East. Erect carriage of the body is
necessary for full health and vigor.
an the case of children it is an impera-
tive condition for right growth and de-
velopment. To make this quite plain and
sufficiently emphatic let me say that only
in the perfectly erect posture of the body
are the heart, the lungs and the other
great organs in a position TO perform
their work to the best advantage.
Waste of Nervous Effort.
"The habitual bad carriage of the body
in walking, standing or sitting seriously
interferes with the great functions of the
UOUS. 1He IN VI IANi 'ouoJ
cular effort required TO maintain an in
correct position is greater than for cor
rect one.
THAT brain condition and development
bear a.direct relation 10 the erect posi-
ton becomes apparent when we consider
the collapsed posture and imperfect car
riage characteristic of idiots and defec-
tives An habitually poor posture in
given individual may indicate not low
order of brain development but general
lack of nervous or physical power.
at cannot be disputed that erect pos
ture is, as a general principle, an EXPIRES
sron of intellect and energy as well as of
physical vigor Ii indicates also hope,
courage and cheerfulncss. 1t is the atti-
tude that symbohzes Edward Everett
Hale's famous rule of life:
81 ,,l- ,,, o,J ,,,+