The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-10

" talking about the revival of ath- ! letics, it is only proper that the
 sporting world be brought in pos session of the remarkable strides made by the so-called weaker seX-women.
 AS matter of fact woman'S re- markable progress in athletics dur ing the past 20 years renders prob lematical the distance she will ad- vance in the next score of years. She has participated with great success in many undertakings requiring skill, courage and endurance in which she incurred danger of injury and she has competed against the masculine ath- letes with honor to herself. In ten his and swimming she has shown ex- ceptfona1 ability.
 So when the sporting editor of The Times asked me to give my story of the progress made by woman athlete I could not help, in fairness to my sex. for we women must stick together, to comply with the request.
 To start with I am puzzIed-puzzIed for know not with which prominent woman athlete I should begin. But, that is little or nothing, so I will pro- ceed. If should be too free with the use of superlatives I trust that the reader will forgive me, for be 1t re- membered all through his account I, too, am woman.
 Molla Bjursted, the Norwegian, since being out midst has been the Gource of considerable worry to our better masculine tennis racquet wield- CTS. She has proved herself unusual ly clever in this sport and I believe and with all sincerity and after hay ing seen her play match after match, GLo eI, many men of more than ordinary skill.
 Crack Billiard Players
 And then we have Catherine Hay wood of Philadelphia. She has shown herself remarkably clever at balk- line billiards. In her matches she has always displayed a proficiency that is considered superior to that Of many noted male players.
 Florence Flower, who holds the New York State woman champion at poe ket billiards, I am told, is no stranger to Bridgeporters as she with her sis ter, gave series of exhibitions in this city last winter. Anyway, Flor ence plays the game with commend able skill and only recently complet- ed a vaudeville tour over both the Keith and Orpheum circuit that was brimful of spectacular matches, so that today when the name Florence Flower is mentioned she is immedi- ately identified with the best in poe ket billiards.
 Ruth Law-bless her heart-is an aviatriX as daring as any of the male fliers. Her accomplishments in the air have surprised the most fearless of men and yet she is going on plan ming far more daring feats than she already has accomplished.
 And then there is Claire GaIligan, a mermaid, who swims through the water with astonishing speed, could make it interesting for many of the supposed superior masculine swim mers. She repeatedly has performed d in record-brea king time.
 Women Boxers
 Then my mind wanders back to Vera Roehn, Vera doesn't boast of her ability as boxer, but those who have seen her wie1d the padded gloves in friendly bouts know that she could hold her own with many a man characterized as champion. And there is nothing weak about Vera's S punches, for she lands squarely and with tremendous force. Just now she is playing at one of the Broadway theatres, but she can always be found using her spare time sparring with girl friends.
 And we mustn't forget Mrs. Billy Grupp, wife of Billy Grupp, the for mer St. Louis boxer, who is now con- ducting a training camp for ring per formers In New York. Mrs. Grupp could defeat no few of those suppos- edly near-champs who train at her hubby's gymnasium: She is handy with the gloves and can wield hook and cross as effectively and with the ease of a veteran.
 There have been also women boxers, wrestlers and bag punchers who have become expert in those vigorous branches of sport. It is questionable if women ever will develop into real opponents of men in those pastimes, owing to the rough usage that boxers and wrestlers receive in genuine con- tests. It is also very unlikely that the public ever would sanction bouts between men and women.
 But the fact remains that the wom- an boxer and wrestler of today is not to be considered a novice, but, on the contrary, quite as capable as a majority of the men engaged now in