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Physical Training

About This Item

  • Title: Physical Training
  • Date: 20 December 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.00793
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 20 December 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Brynne Schweigel Kaylen Michaelis Samantha Gilmore Tara Ballard Stephanie Blalock Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Physical Training." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.00793.xml (TEI)
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PHYSICAL TRAINING.—

The season for outdoor sports has passed, and bats and balls are laid aside to await the opening of another spring. The rapid progress which the game of base-ball has made in public estimation, and the greatly increasing number of its votaries during the past season, prove that the people of this country are at last beginning to appreciate the necessity of physical exercises and recreation to the toilers after gain in this mammon seeking age. We desire to devote a little space at an early day, to a resume of the operations of the season, which cannot fail to be interesting to the large number of our readers who have been interested in the progress of the game. The winter season admits of little out-door exercises in cities, but substitutes are provided in the gymnasiums which have become so numerous and popular. The great majority of our readers are probably unaware that we have in this city a gymnasium, completely appointed and furnished in every respect, the terms of admission to which have been placed at a lower figure than in any establishment of the kind in New York, and that it well deserves the support and assistance of the inhabitants of this part of the city. We understand that an exhibition will be given on Wednesday evening of this week, at which some of the best gymnasts of New York have promised to be present and perform, and that sundry exercises of an interesting character may be expected. Tickets of admission to this exhibition (which will necessarily be limited in number) may be obtained gratis by an early application to any of the members, or at the Gymnasium, No. 61 South 4th street, adjoining the Riding School, where the terms of admission for the season may also be ascertained. We trust this enterprise may be sustained and strengthened, and that it will not share the fate of every previous effort for the social and physical advantage of the people of this district. Its advantages are too manifest to need any commendation.

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