Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1915 — HAPPENINGS in the BIG CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HAPPENINGS in the BIG CITIES

Winter Bathing by the “Snowbirds” of New York

NEW YORK.—The sea gods and mermaids who happen to get into some of the breakers that wash up on Brighton Beach have many smprises these cold days. On almost any day of the season during the winter months, but

especially on Sundays, a great many men and women go into the water st Brighton Beach. They like it best when the snow falls and they can send the blood circulating through their ▼eins with a brisk snowball battle on the shores. All sorts of games are played on the sands or in the snow before the plunge, and the women as well as the men play leapfrog and a modified form of baseball. The snowbirds come from their bathhouses through the biting air with nothing

over their bathing suits. With the exception of the fact that all of them wear dippers, while in summer there are always a few girls who do not trouble to do this, their attire is exactly the same as it is in the hottest weather. For about two hours there are games before the plunge is taken. The time spent in the water varies with the coldness of the weather. In the late autumn or on a mild winter day the swimmers will spend 15 minutes in the water, while in midwinter not more than two or three minutes win be spent in the water. All of the snowbirds are swimmers, and most of them take the time to do a little swimming even on the coldest days. No matter how athletic unafraid is the typical snowbird she never lingers cn the beach after the plunge. The snowbird wears no wraps after coming out of the water, as it has been found that the time taken in putting on the wrap is better expended in sprinting for shelter. Spartan to the last, the snowbird dresses in a room which is unheated. The bathhouse is provided with a warm room, but this is very itttle used, as the genuine winter bathers prefer to dress in an unheated room. Another tradition of the snowbird is that no warm drink or alcoholic drink of any sort is taken before or after coming out of the water. After a quick alcoholic rub the snowbird emerges from the bathhouse in a glorious glow, with eyes shining, cheeks glowing, full of high spirits, strong and gay.