Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1902 — PAUL PRY on Physical Culture [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAUL PRY on Physical Culture

Health and Strength Sent by Mail! Interesting Facts About the Simon ITethod. How Everybody can Become Strong and Vital, and all Women Beautiful. Let it not be forgotten, that all that needs to be done la to write Sam J. Gorman, 14 Quincy Street, Chicago, and full explanatory, beautifully illustrated pamphlets will be sent—Pree to any applicant. Say, I think a perfectly developed man is more to be admired than a pretty woman—sometimes. Why? Because there are agreat many more pretty women than strong, well-develop-ed, evenly balanced men. Man nowadays is a creature of habit, and half our diseases come from the neglect of the body and the overwork of the brain. A bad appetite or reckless waste of vital caloric, is a crime against nature. No man can be successful without health. Health is so necessary to all the duties of life as well as pleasures, that the crime of squandering it is equal to the folly. What am I driving at? you say. Well wait a minute, keep on your shirt, get busy —I am aiming directly at you. • Let’s begin with the stomach. Never mind now, I am not reading you a sermon, only just relating a few facts. Of course you know them as well as I, only I think and write of them and you don't. Original? No not at all; besides, originality is simply a fresh pair of eyes, and that means good health.— But to come back tc our stomach. Our stomach is our slave, that must accept everything that is given to it. but it avenges its wrongs as slyly as does the slave. Here’s an idea. Some day, begin in the morning and duplicate everything you eat and drink that day—that is to say, if you drink two cups of coffee, eat a chop, a couple of eggs, some toast, a few potatoes for breakfast, put an equal quantity of everything in a large bowl. When you go down town and drink a couple of cocktails before lunch, put it in the bowl. Your lunch, whatever it may be, do not neglect the bowl. Your after lunch libations, your dinner from fish to dessert, and claret to sherry, fix that bowl. Going to the theater tonight?! A little Welsh rarebit (these little devils create more troubles than Belgian hares), or a little bird and a dry bottle? All right, old man, but treat that bowl fair. Now you are through for today. Ready for bed—but wait just a minute. Let’s look in that bowl “My God,” you cry, “is it possible that all that horrible, greasy, indigestible mess has gone into. my stomach and still I live?” Yes, and there are thousands i upon thousands like you. Oh— , that kills more i than weapons, guns, wars, or giison, and would destroy us all! ut now comes my secret. I want that horde of sick men, overworked brains, unevenly bal anced physical specimens, to pay attention to what I have to say, and by so doing and following my example I’ll turn that army of dyspeptics—HAS-BEENS, into a galaxy of bright able, lusty, strong, healthy young bucks. No. you’re not a bit too old —don’t get old the old adage—that 40 is. the old age of youth—and 50 ia the youth of old age—is no longer true if you’ll follow me and my friend Simon. Now for a plain, unvarnished tale. There are two men in this town, and they are known as Samuel J. Gorman and Sylvester J. Simon Mr. Gorman is president and Mr. Simon is secretary of the Simon’s Natural Development System, and also the proprietors of the New Northern Baths, located at 14 Quincy street. A six story building, devoted entirely to this corporation, and I am reliably informed that more than 1100,000 has been spent in fixing up this palace, I've been all through it. First you enter on the ground floor; you are then in the finest tonsorial parlor west of New York, and I don’t know that that city can beat it. Every barber is an artist. This is a fact, not a cheap advertising statement There is an elevator in the corner. The uniformed darky takes you up to to the fourth floor. This is the business department; cashier,

buffet, sitting and lounging room for guests, and, without gushing, it’s a thing of beauty. It is artistic. The chandeliers cost S2OO each; the side wall lights $50 — the stained-glass windows are veritable works of art, the carpets are velvet and moquette, the furniture, fixtures and settees are 4 genuine mahogany, the upholstery real leather, and everything to correspond. Here I am introduced to Mr. Gorman, the president. Also to Mr. Simon, the originator and instructor of his Natural Development System. Mr. Simon is one of the most perfectly developed men —physically—in the world. Generally, our strong men are associated in our minds with the prize ring, wrestling bout, and we are apt, in such persons, to meet men who have developed their physical at the expense of their mental powers. Here it is especially where Mr. Simon over-turns that theory. This man has the figure of Mercury, the features of a literature, and the speech of a man of culture. He is sure of his points; his arguments are based on facts, and I am going to outline his theory of physical culture as it was shown me. Before I do that I want to say that the six floors of this building are devoted to the New Northern Baths, and when I had visited each floor and came to the plunge bath I unhesitatingly pronounced the entire plant the grandest thing of the kind in the world. Every device for comfort—all baths known to science, and the price—just the same as elsewhere. Now, back to Mr. Simon. I was taken to the sixth floor, the front portion of which is exclusively devoted to the physical culture department. “Where are your dumbbells, your weight pulleys, your boxing gloves, horizontal bars, and other paraphernalia of that sort?” I asked. “Haven’t any, my boy,” pleasantly smiled Mr. S. “Not necessary in my system.” 1 was dumfounded. and frankly acknowledged that I could not understand his idea. Now listen to what he says. “Paul Pry, you say I am a finely developed man. All right; it is all due to my method. You realize, Mr. Pry, that method is the arithmetic of success. When I began to use my Natural Deyglouinent System, my strength was Tar below the average. I was weak, and nervous, and in poor health generally, now you see me as I am and what my system has done for me. My principle is, in a nutshell, to give to my patrons the benefit of my personal magnetism, by exercising with them, and by the force of resistance I permit a certain degree of an-

tagonism to enter their physical makeup, so that every practice is a sort of mental as well as physical combat. Beginners do not realize this principle during the first few lessons, but they soon learn, become interested then delighted, and before they are through, are completely fascinated, and that is the secret of my success. I take Heshy men and reduce them in thirty days, from fifteen to thirty pounds. I take constipated, weak-livered, nervous wrecks, and in the same length of time regenerate them—yes, Paul Pry, completely rejuvenate them.” All this time Mr. Simon walked the floor and illustrated his theories. Gracious, what a man! With his muscles in repose, he walked the incarnation of strength and grace, when slightly excited his muscles would swell—well, he is all right. Boy comes to the door. “Mr. M , for his lesson.” “All right; come in.” Then enters one of the prominent business men of Chicago. I had known him for a long time, but had not seen him for months. Not the same man now. I was invited, with Mr. M ’s consent, to watch him put through his course of sprouts. I did, and it was a delightful, physical and mental revelation. Mr. M became three years younger while he was going through his twenty minutes’ exercise. Every movement, as he tried to overcome the instructor, assumed grace, power and determination. A constant flow of pleasant talk helped matters. Here are a few of Mr. Simon’s aphorisms as he taught Mr. M :

“Yes. use soap when you go to your bath; remember, as long as there is life there’s soap ” (See that point?) “Health is the vital principle of bliss.” “Abstinence is the great strengthener and clearer of reason.” “I do not say the mind gets informed by bodily action, but it does get earnestness and strength by it, and that nameless something, that gives a man the mastership of his faculties.” “The greatest happiness co res from the greatest activity.” ‘•The wise for cure on exercise depend— God never made his work for man to mend." And so continually one delightful flow of wit and reason. I was shown a list of pupils. It contained old men and young men and some of the best in town. And I know he is doing a world of good. The man fascinated me. When I got ready to go he said: “Paul Pry, how much do you weigh? You've got entirely too much bel— excuse me, I mean stomach.”

“Never mind,” says I, a little nettled (between us, my impediment to my stoop is my sore point); “you can’t help me any, I weigh 232 pounds.” “Oh, I don’t knotY, ’ warbled the professor, “I can put you to 200 in thirty days if you will come here twenty minutes a day—and and make you a better man in every way.” As he said this he looked me in the eye and I know he meant it. and I accepted. So every day at 5 p. m. you can find me there, and I wifij>eep you posted as to my progress. Come up and see me. Say, there are a lot of fellows on the board of trade—and I know abont 200 of them—that need Prof. Simon and his system worse than I do. Why don't you join me? By the way, Mr. Simon sends his system of development—to earnest seekers—by mail. Write for full explanatory circulars. All the facts are gotten up in tine shape, beautifully illustrated. Yours truly,

PAUL PRY.

SYLVESTER J. SIMON