Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-04-02
THE PRIZE RING.



the animal man commence course OF scientific
preparation for contest that, some time du-
ring the Spring, is to prove which OF them is
sooner able TO beat the other into state of in
sensibility For two months no expense nor
trouble will be spared to bring them TO the high
est point of physical perfection. Their whole
time will be devoted to the attainment of health
and strength. No indulgence that could, for
moment, ereryate the mind or body, will be per-
mi,ted them, and no treatment will be neglect
ed that can tend to brace the nerve, harden the
muscles and clear the brain.
Every morning each man will rise with the
sun. He will he energetically rubbed from head
to foot with dry warm flannel. Then, quickly
being clothed in flannel garments, he will start
forth into the fresh, invigorating air, and walk
at moderate speed some three miles out and
home again-running, however, through the
last few hundred yards, so as to arrive in pro-
fuse perspiraton. Instantly so that he shall
have no chance to chill, his trainers strip him
in close room, rub him down again with fan
mel, and put him between the blankets for the
space of half an hour then up and into another
wel-aired flannel suit then breakfast. To this
meal he will bring the best of appetites-.-the APP
petite which requires for its satisfaction q large
amount of nourshing food. He will eat a
pound or so Of thickly cut and deicately broied
beef steak, or a outlet carved from the middle of
leg of mutton; with it little salt, few sill
ces of stale wheat bread, and single cup of
rather weak back tea. Rising from table-the
time will be about o'clock-at the exact point
where he is conscious of having eaten just
enough, he almost Immediately commences a
varied curriculum of exercises. For an hour
he will apply himselft to steady course ofdumb-
bell evolutions; not with bells of half humid
red weight, but with small ones, such as ANA
teurs are apt to laugh at, Of from three to six
pounds each For half an hour he will "pound
the bag"-that is punch suspended sack stut-
fed to the fighting weight of his prospective an
tagonist. An hour more he WIFI spar with one
of his trainers, swing Indian clubs, and practice
leaping backward and forwards after which,
having come again TO freely perspire, there is
further rubbing down, and clothing with clean
fannels.
All this will occupy till noon, when dinner is
announced. Dinner will be of beef, mutton or
poultry, roasted in front Of the fire, not ruined
in an oven, or occasionally, in the case of the
mutton and fowls, judiciousy boiled, but never
sodden. Salt and bread he eats with this meat
also, and liberal minded trainers now-a- days
allow a medium-sized potato, baked in the skin
to extreme mealiness. He drinks solitary
glass of old brown sherry or older ale-the lat
ter being always drawn and put TO stand fifteen
or twenty minutes before he is suffered to take
his primal sip of it. A poSt-prandidt rest OF
half an hour facilitates the earlier stages of di-
ges,on. and then he is started of on his big
wak-a brisk stroll of ten or twelve miles,
which he is expected to do in trliie over two
hours The last quarter or half mile Of this, too
he runs in and, as before, is stripped and rub
bed and flanneed.
From the time Of his return--about P. NJ,
q l.. Lon ~, 9TH
way he pleases pass his leisure. He will usual
" pass it in q stretch upon the lounge, and a
glance over some medium of current intelli-
gence-sporting papers naturally being his first
and most appreciative choice. At 6, supper
very temperate repast-nothing but tea and
toast, or cruel. This cruel must not be con-
founded with that which he is liable to receive
from his adversary when they meet for actual
conflict. 1t is porridge made of Scotch oat-
meal, regarded as one of the most excellent
things that can be included in a training diet,
where it is found TO agree with the probationer's
constitution. After supper. at this season of
the year, there will be an hour or two of mis-
cellane Gus practice, like that Of the morning,
though in the long warm Summer evenings a
pull on some convenient piece of water would
be had. Another hour OF reading or CONVERSE
ton winds up the day; and then, with his fac
and repose, he receives a final rubbing down,
and turns into hard and lightly covered bed.
By 8 12 o'cock-his muscles all relaxed, his
mouth well closed his nostrils open, the action
of his lungs SOFT free and reguar-he sleeps
peacefully as any infant.
SIS far as his preparation is concerned, the
professional pugilist may be held up as bright
exemplar to the less belligerent average of his
fellow. citizens. Were all men of every trade
and profession able TO spare six or eight weeks
out of the year to thus recruit the forces Of eX-
hausted nature it is astonishing how many wrin-
kles would disappear from the brows, what films
would pass from the eyes and what disordered
shades of sallowness and depression from the
cheeks OF an absorbed and jaded business COM
muuity. We should scarcely recognize some OF
our most intimate acquaintance on the street.
Smith, when he met Brown, instead of looking
as if he had just come from a funeral, would sa-
lutte him with CHEEKY chuckle and keen and
jovial sparkle Of the eye and Jones, instead OF
putting cold, ilabby fin into Robinson's hand
and leaving it there to settle till he had feebly
produced the inapplicable phrase Good morn
ing would greet him with hearty allow dye
do ?" and push in the chest that would pro-
duce an electrical rapport of friendly sympathy
between them on the instance. We should hear
much less Of millionaire martyrs to dyspepsia
living on Graham bread and toast-water OF
miserable merchants hurrying to the grave in
nervous tevers; of pet preachers passing through
sthe grades Of interesting delicateness to pre-
mature decay. What would not many mar
whose wealth is scarcely calculable give for ar
hour of the exhilarating, joyous elasticity o
spirit with which Joe Coburn will inhale thu
early breeze tomorrow morning? 1t viii in
spire all his senses with an exquisite intoxica
ton, TO which that produced by the Widow
Cllcquotrs choicest brand-purfed though i
were from every faint of subsequent headache
would be fiat as diich-water. He will be on,
OF the happiest men upon Manhattan Island
for he will be in perfect health. And perfec
health in itself is perfect happiness. The ex
cuses manufactured tor pugilism in England ar,
absurd and contemplate. The Ring need no
be fostered TO enable respectable "swes" tc
punish abusive hackmen or to defend them
selves from the assaults of reckless rowdies
For these purposes the police are sufficient
But, il there be an excuse for permitting prize
fights to continue, it is TO be found in the les
son taught by the result OF the piize-fghter'
training. This lesson was accepted and profit
ed by to great extent during the excitemen
caused by the Heenan and Morrissey and Hee
nan and Sayers matches. 1t was brutal, beast
ly, and disgusting TO see.
~ wo young men, proper and tall,
Come together to batter and maui
10 fight till the one or the other shall fall"
Yet. if number of other young men were there
by induced to bring their bodies into contin
ence and subsection, to add some little v;rtuo,,