Miss Vulcan at Home.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue V, 30 January 1904, Page 62

Miss Vulcan at Home.

Rather small, in fact almost petite. Miss Kate \ uicana. who is at present astonishing everyone by her prowess in the wonderful turn s'hv and her brother .ire giving at the Melbourne Opera House, is surely the very anti thesis of a strong woman, yet she is champion lady weight-lifter of ,< the world, an ali-ruund athlete, and chain pion in several other branches. She runs, swims, dis es, eyries, and wrestles, at least the latter she does not care about, as she considers it unrefined an I unwomanly, although once she accepted a challenge at that and won it. In all branches of sport she is good, in many an ex’-ert. and even now she is only a girl, with quiet, gentle waysAlthough English by birth, for she was born at Bristol, of a Welsh father and English mother. Miss \ uicana, as she is I now n professionally, is quite Oriental in colouring, and in one of her portraits appears quite startlingly’ to resemble an ancient Egyptian as portrayed on old frescoes. Children of a Baptist minister, and brought up in an atmosphere of almost. I’uritanica.l principles, where the stage is looked at ask ante, it was quite by chance Miss A uicana and her brother (with whom she travels) cairn* to adopt a professional life. The brother, Atlas, when quite young, was a great amateur athlete, becoming first amateur weight lifter of Britain, then of the world- In those days he was in business for himself, a young married man. and a respected townsman- as the offer of a town councillorship—where the position is regarded as a coveted mark of honour —proved. In those days nothing was farther from his thoughts than to become a profession weight-lifter. However, serious losses in business ruined him: he could obtain no steady lucrative position, and various friends persuaded him to appear professionally- He did so. made an instantaneous success, and won a foremost position all over England. An elder sister appeared with him as assistant, and the turn speedily (•aim* to be accorded first place on the programme. This was years ago, before physical culture had become the rage, and to be a pupil of Atlas was guarantee of excellent training in muscular development. This is all gleaned during a chat with tin* brother and sister, who are thorough enthusiasts about their work, and Miss \ uicana shows her arms under her thin blouse sleeves. to prove that for all their development they are as soft and as rounded as any ordinary woman’s, but when she flexes tin* muscles, and causes them to dance, it is altogether aut.ther story. “How did you come to take up the (•ailing?’’ is queried, and Miss Vulcana. whose speech is marked by a fascinating burr of accent, explains: “Well. T was a regular tomboy as a child always climbing and romping and running about, the very despair of my mother, for I ruined my clothes, and was always in disgrace. T used to get up every morning at six and go for a long walk before breakfast. T almost lived in the open air when I was not in school, and my greatest delight was (limbing trees. It is to this free life T attribute my physique, and a great deal of my muscular development, and 1 always say that anyone can become almost as strong as T am if they will only go in for plenty of outdoor exercise Naturally T used to see my brother practising at home. and. of course. I tried to do the same things. When 1 was eleven T said to him, ‘1 can lift that.'point ing to a 561 b weight- He would not believe me. but when I succeeded in doing so he was surprisedand said. ‘Well, if you can do that now von are going to be better than Anna.’ the sister who then assisted him ” “Did you then begin to train?” “No, I just went on in my old way, until one day when T was thirteen. It happened that my brother and sister had a free week, and Anna seized the opportunity of visiting some friends in Birmingham. No sooner had she gone than an oiler of an engagement came from a manager near Bristol. We telegraphed to Birmingham to several friends where

we thought my sister might be, but could not catch her; she had just gone, had uot come, etc., and as it meant a big fee 1 asked Will to let me go with him. lie would not hear of it at first, but 1 persuaded him, although he made all sorts of excuses; thought the manager would think he was deceiving him, etc. 1 reasoned, ‘I am your sister. les, but not the right one, and the manager would object.’ ‘Still,’ 1 persisted, he cannot get away from the fact that we are brother and sister.’ Well, it ended with my going. I had t< borrow a dress from my brother’s wife to make me appear old enough.” Atlas here explains: “I was as nervous as possible, and as white as a sheet during the performance, but she was quite cool, and declared sue enjoyed it. Oh yes, she had practised some of the tricks at home, but never with me for exhibition, which was what made me so nervous.” Vulcana continues: “Prom then 1 have gone on gaining strength and experience. As 1 told you, 1 first lifted 561bs, then . raised two olilbs, one in each hand, soon 1 could manage 1201bs, barbell with both hands. The heaviest weight 1 lift is 224 lbs, and 1 do not think I have yet reached the maximum.

"My brother used to pose, and 1 really assisted, but some time ago he proposed that 1 should pose, as he had come to tlie conclusion that it was foolish for a man to do so, and so many had adopted the fashion. He would prove that a woman could do so with modesty, and that she could have good muscular development, yet that she could be gracefully and roundly shaped, as a woman should.”

Mr Atlas nodded assent to this, and explained: “A woman should er all curves, and proper muscular development rather aids this than otherwise. Kate’s muscles, when relaxed, you see, are as soft as any lady's, and you note her limbi, are shapely, and she is _uite feminine in appearance. People seem to think that a strong man or a strong woman must be a huge, fleshy creature, with muscles of iron, but this is all wrong. Indeed, when once muscles become permanently hartf or stringy, that person is done.'

Miss Vulcan hastens to pay her tribute: “Aly brother is beautifully proportioned, and has stood for a model of St. Michael for a church in Paris, but he never poses to artists as a rule, excepting to his own little son, W'ho is very clever with his pencil. No, 1 have never been annoyed when posing. If I hear a snigger or suggestive sound, 1 generally look quietly in the direction from which it comes, and that is sufficient. 1 must own it is never from the ’gods ; indeed, we have noticed that if anyone there dares to even make a coarse remark there are plenty of his neighbours to silence him. I cannot understand how anyone can see anything suggestive in a beautiful picture or statue of the human figure, and it is not only ignorant people who do, but very often quite educated folks. There is still a good deal of the Puritanical mock modesty. To me the human form is the most perfect and wonderful work of nature, and is beautiful in it? curves and exquisite proportions.

“There is a great deal of science and mental strain in our work, for the least error in calculation, or the least slip, would mean an accident. You must understand the laws of gravity, and make your calculations accordingly, and you must be a'ways on the alert.”

“How d<r you exercise, and when, Miss Vulcana ?”

“I take as much outdoor exercise as possible, for 1 think it is the finest thing, otherwise I do very little unless 1 feel a bit stiff, then I go in for light dumbbell work, and that is rhe extent of my physical culture exercises. Naturally, the performance itself is exercise. Yes, the dumbbell is the only form of exercise 1 have adopted in addition to the weightlifting. The great evil about most systems of physical culture is, in my opinion, the fixed rules laid down. You must do half an hour’s exercise first thing in the morning, must have a cold shower, etc. Now, personally I am a great advocate of the latter, but to many it is fatal, and should not be enforced as a part of physical culture. Then you should practise when you feel most fit for it. The greatest strength is attained in the early part of the evening, not in the morning, as you would suppose, after a night’s rest. Instead, the muscles are then all relaxed, and exertion is an effort. During the day they become unconsciously braced,

by evening they reach their maximum strength, then gradually tire and relax again, as the desire for rest comes. This is why I think no set rules should be laid down, when one should take exercise, for the best time for one would be the worst for another. The very simplest exercises are best, and no complicated apparatus is needed. —"Celia” in Melbourne "Table Talk.”