1 No. 0 B vaulting buck.

For a High School.-Continued.

1 McCaffery striking bag and disk. 1 No. 70 horizontal bar.

1 No. 76 A horizontal bar. 2 No. 79 parallel bars.

1 No. 82 suspended parallel. 1 set No. 104 breast bars.

1 24-foot horizontal ladder.

1 No. 97 climbing rope.

1 No. 93 rope ladder.

2 No. 96 climbing poles.

1 No. 109 vaulting standards.

4 No. 101 B mattresses (4 by 6 feet).
2 No. 103 B mattresses (5 by 10 feet).
1 all-hair tumbling mat (5 by 15 feet).
1 abdominal mat.

1 rubber "take-off” mat (3 by 5 feet).
2 rubber jumping mat (30 by 3 feet).
2 No. 114 vaulting poles.

1 No. 1 medicine balls.

1 16-pound indoor shot.

2 head harness.

100 pairs 2-pound Indian clubs.
25 pairs 3-pound Indian clubs.

1 No. 25 leaping board (for vaulting 100 pairs 1-pound wooden dumb-bells.

horse).

6 dozen bar balls.

1 No. 27 incline board (for traveling 100 sections Indian-club, dumb-bell, and rings). bar-ball holders.

1 pole vaulting board.

The above apparatus will be delivered f. o. b., Philadelphia, for $1,315.

FROM THE SCHUMACHER GYMNASIUM COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO.

Regarding the requirements of the gymnasium and the possibility of adapting rooms designed for other purposes to gymnasiums, it might be said that any room is better than none. Almost any room may be made valuable as a gymnasium, but its value will always be proportionate to its advantages; that is, the more desirable features it possesses the more benefit may be derived from it.

By desirable features we mean first, light, ventilation, facilities for controlling the temperature, etc.; second, appropriate design; third, accessibility.

The same sanitary rules apply here that apply in other schoolrooms, bearing in mind, however, that increased respiration and perspiration demand a greater supply of fresh air and a more frequent complete change of atmosphere.

The walls may be of wood, stone, or brick, but it is preferable that they be of wood, and if not sheathed entirely a desirable arrangement is to have them sheathed from the floor to a height of about 5 feet, being finished at the top with a neat molded board 6 to 8 inches wide, which should be placed so that its center shall be at a height of 5 feet from the floor, as all wall machines will require an attaching point at that height.

The "wall board” at a height of 5 feet is almost a positive requirement, unless the room be full sheathed, and even then is not out of place. A "base board," say 8 inches deep and three-quarters of an inch thick at the floor line, is also desirable, but not necessary.

The windows are preferably placed high up from the floor.

For heating, steam is entirely suitable, and in school buildings is usually available. Where possible to avoid, however, do not have radiators on the floor; have coils of pipe around the room, high up from the floor, immediately under the running gallery, if there is one. The heat will then be better distributed, pupils working at wall machines will not be exposed to direct heat, and there will be no wall space occupied, as is the case where radiators are used. If, however, radiators are preferred, have them placed high up on the wall on brackets, say 6 feet from the floor, and thus as nearly as possible approach the arrangement suggested.

The ceiling should be of good height where it can be had, and where hanging, swinging, and flying apparatus is to be used, as in schools for older pupils, the ceiling should be 16, 18, or even 20 feet high. No finish is required overhead, except such as may be desired for appearances, and in a gymnasium bare beams are entirely appropriate and afford excellent points of attachment for overhead apparatus.

Of course, if a building might be constructed for a gymnasium, there are several

desirable features that might be introduced, adapting it to its purpose and with proportionately increased results.

If the room is of generous size and a running track may be introduced, much will be added to the value of the gymnasium.

Such a track is best laid on a raised gallery, preferably hung by iron rods from the beams overhead or supported on brackets from the wall; posts or pillars from the floor should be avoided as much as possible. The gallery should be from 44 to 6 feet in width and about 10 feet from the floor, it should have curves of large radii at the corners and in fact if convenient, might be semicircular at the ends, but never less than 8 feet radius.

Again, if we may dwell on ideal construction, and the building may be supposed to have been constructed expressly for a gymnasium, there should be bathing facilities and locker rooms, which are best placed immediately under the gymnasium floor. They will not require a great ceiling height, but should be as well heated and ventilated as the gymnasium proper and require besides an effective system of drainage.

In many schools an assembly hall is provided for general school exercises and in some cases provisions made for visitors. A gymnasium could be easily designed that would be complete as a gymnasium and yet serve as a hall for the other school work and might have a gallery for a running track and an extension back of the track for visitors, with a physical director's and an examination room below on the main floor and a platform for the physical director near his room.

In case of commencement or other public exhibition the visitors may use the whole gallery as well as the floor, and the director's room become a dressing room and his platform serves the speakers.

But with the present outlook, baths, locker rooms, director's and examination rooms, and perhaps even the examination itself must be omitted and the most good be gotten out of existing circumstances.

As to equipment, it is safe to say that the basis of the outfit (if it extends at all beyond dumb-bells and wands) must be the chest weight which not only provides exercise for almost all the muscles of the body and an infinite variety of movements, but is so completely under control and is so readily adapted to all classes and all degrees of strength, that injury or even failure to benefit is almost impossible.

Of the chest weights, therefore, we advise ample supply and a few special forms of pulley weights for particular groups of muscles; as the intercostal, the name of which indicates the muscles reached; the quarter circle, an excellent device for raising the front chest walls, developing the abdominal muscles and correcting stooping shoulders; as is also the pectoral machine, which is desirable for pupils who bend greatly over their work.

A chest weight, having a "floor attachment" and known as a back and loin machine, provides work for those parts and is readily convertible into a regular chest weight, or one or more may be added.

A neat attachment, called a "neck strap," is manufactured by us, and may be instantly attached to any chest-weight handle, making a complete neck machine for exercising the muscles of the neck and upper back; there may be a number of these straps; they do not in any way interfere with the use of the chest weight, as they may be as quickly removed as attached.

A wrist roll will provide exercise for the forearm and wrist, and is preferably operated by friction and arranged to be adjusted to different powers.

A finger machine, operated by an adjustable spring and provided with a roller finger bar, develops the muscles of the fingers and forearm, relieves cramped hands, and renders stiff fingers supple.

The foregoing machines may be arranged around the walls, all requiring wall attachment; the arrangement will vary with the design of the room, but it will be well to keep apparatus of one kind or class as much as possible together, for convenience in operating as well as for symmetrical appearance.

ED 92-37

Note here that chest weights should be placed 6 feet apart in order to permit extended-arm movements.

The above-named pieces are desirable and advisable in schools of all ages, and the list contains nothing that is injurious to a growing child or is liable to misuse tending to be otherwise than beneficial. It is all compact, occupying space close to the wall; and, together with a complement of dumb-bells, wands, and, perhaps, wooden rings, might provide an acceptable list for the younger classes, having sufficient variety to gain and hold the interest and attention of the pupil.

The pieces mentioned may be merely added to for older pupils, as almost all of them are capable of immediate adjustment to greater power, and more difficult or more vigorous work on the other pieces will adapt them to the increased strength and endurance of advanced pupils.

The dumb-bells need not necessarily be increased in weight, those weighing from 1 to 2 pounds will be sufficiently heavy for the entire school course. In the high schools, however, as both muscular power and muscular control are increased, Indian clubs may be introduced, the use of which not only develops muscle and adds grace, but, by the rhythmic beat of the circles, teaches physical judgment perhaps as well as any of the lighter apparatus. There should be a sufficient number of clubs and bells provided to supply the largest class that is to be handled, and hooks and hangers will be required in which they should be kept when not in use.

For the older classes we would also advise the introduction of some of the heavier pieces requiring the support and control of the body by the arms, on which class of apparatus the weight of the body is the resistance to be overcome by the muscles. This class of apparatus is especially valuable for instinctively teaching muscular control, physical judgment, and physical courage, all of which are of such great advantage to the pupil in later years.

Chief among apparatus of the latter class is the regular parallel bars, a piece which provides a great variety of movements calculated to produce agility and grace of movement in addition to the above-mentioned acquirements.

The work on the parallel bars should be vigorous but not violent, although the strain is almost wholly on the groups of heavier muscles.

Mats should be provided for use with these bars to prevent injury to feet and ankles by alighting on the hard floor. The bars are well adapted for class work on the "follow my leader" principle and are in circuit with the vaulting bar, vaulting horse, and traveling or flying rings. If necessary the class may be divided into "squads," each squad to be under the leadership of some more advanced or more proficient scholar who is careful and will command conscientious work on the part of the members of his squad, the director overseeing the whole and having the plan of work laid out and adapted to the class.

The vaulting bar as mentioned might well be a part of the outfit, and as it is adjustable in height, it may be used as one of the introductory pieces to the heavier apparatus. A large number of trunk movements are possible on this bar besides those of direct vaulting and it is considered indispensable in most gymnasia.

The breast bars are also much used and are entirely practicable in a school gymnasium. They are useful for deepening the chest and they also reach the muscles of the back and arms in connection with a "brick or foot block” and a strap (breast bar or abdominal strap) encircling the two bars. Good back and loin work may be done with or without dumb bells in the hands. As to arrangement, they are preferably run to the ceiling, if not too high, or under the gallery, if there is one, but they may be braced out from the wall or run across a corner; one pair is probably sufficient, although two pairs give three spaces.

For hanging or swinging apparatus, first comes the flying rings, the exercise on which is of a recreative character and is excellent for the intercostal muscles and raising the side wall of the chest.

Other banging apparatus should be traveling rings, a rope ladder, a knotted rope or rosary, and a climbing rope (smooth), and in this connection we would advise, as

adapted to the older classes and requiring less exertion in climbing, the peg pole, not the old wooden post with the slipplery wooden pegs, but the new device, which has overcome all the difficulties previously experienced and removed all objection to this valuable apparatus.

The rope ladder is next, perhaps, and may be even used before the peg poles, as it allows the climber to use the feet as well as the hands. It is a preparatory piece, entirely safe, and teaches confidence to the pupil who is unused to being off the floor. The rosary is a heavy manila rope 4 inches in circumference, on which at intervals of about 8 inches are arranged sewn-in knots of smaller braided cord, forming holding points for the hands. These knots should be sewn through the rope and not tied in or around it.

The climbing rope is identical with the rosary, with the exception that it is perfectly smooth and has no knots. It is of four-stranded 4-inch manila. The operation of climbing is more severe on this rope, as the hand must grasp the smooth rope and no vantage points are provided.

One each of these climbing pieces will be all that is required, and with an adjustable ladder and perhaps a giant stride will constitute the hanging apparatus, although, of course, there are numerous other pieces of this class, some of which might be introduced in the school.

The giant stride is essentially a school piece, and may be used by the girls as well as the boys. It consists of four (or more) ropes carrying handles or rings, as desired, suspended from the ceiling by a swiveled head or plate. In operation, as many boys or girls as there are handles or rings grasp them and, running in a circle, are swung up by centrifugal force, being kept up by the vigorous pushings of the first one to touch the floor. It is enjoyable, exhilarating, and beneficial, and practically free from danger.

The adjustable ladder is a most valuable piece and your physical director will make excellent use of it.

Among the heavy floor or portable pieces the most desirable is the vaulting horse, on which several hundred distinct and recognized movements are made and which is considered indispensable in a complete gymnasium if a thorough course is to be given; it consists in simple form, of a padded body supported on legs, and has from this been developed into one of the cleverest and most complete devices used in the gymnasium.

A leaping board and, perhaps, a pair of jumping stands would complete a very fair outfit for a high school, for while there is a practically unlimited variety of pieces, all of them may not be advantageously used in the public school, especially if the pupil must exercise without proper gymnasium costume. We would mention here that it would be well to cause each member of the class to have for gymnasium use a pair of soft-soled shoes, both for the preservation of the apparatus and for the freedom allowed the feet, which is denied them by the stiff-soled street shoes.

Much of the foregoing, of course, is based on the ideal school gymnasium, and while practicable and desirable, may not be attainable; in fact it is probable that much of the school gymnasium work will be of a very simple order for the present, and until the public is educated to a knowledge of its value.

Such an outfit would cost about $250, and would be capable of doing all that may be done for the pupil at that stage.

These additional pieces would cost about $150, and with them all you would have a very good high-school gymnasium.

TABLE 1.—Summary of statistics of physical training in cities which hare regular systems and employ specialists. (a)

a It must be understood that the figures in this table refer only to cities described in the heading. See Table 2 for other cities that have gymnasiums, military drill, etc.

b Of these, 7 do not report the system employed; 2 use the Emersonian; 2, that of the Boston School of Oratory; 1, Anderson's; 1, Dio Lewis's, and 1, "calisthenics."

e Not including those in Denver (District No. 1), Colo., in which it is reported that "all" buildings have gymnasia.

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