The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-11-19
MUSCLE MAKING.
The Daily Devotions Of a Pug
ilistic Champion.
How John l.. Sullivan Proceeds to Work
Up a Formidable Torearm-slugglng
Ball for Trainlng-IIis Daily
Programme.
Boston IIerald.l


One feature of the daily devotions of the
worlds pugilistc champion is at present
religiously performed at "The Abbey" on
Harrison avenue, near Beach street, where
the officiating abbot is Patsy Sheppard.
In n square room Of the second story, de-
void of the ordinary furnishings, an oval
shaped ball of leather, inflated by means
of bladder which it incloses, hangs sus-
pended from mid-ceiling attached TO a
cord which passes through ring above,
and running across the ceiling and down
the wall, is held in a cleat, which enables
the ball to be elevated or lowered ut pleas
ure. Two pairs of well-worn boxing
gloves on the mantel, single glove of the
same description, hanging from the door
knob, and used as a pin-cushion, and two
sporting pictures on the walls are all that
give the room the appearance of being
used for any purpose of business or pleas
ure, unless one looks into the large closet
ON the right of the entrance and sees a
number of canvass mats which may possi-
bly, suggest to him the paraphernalia of a
gymnast or wrestler. "Hello -! How
are you? Come up stairs. Pm going to
have little exercise" said the champion
as he reached the stoop of "The Abbey"
and shook hands with the writer. Afte r
the customary 'passing of the time of
day," the man of peace and John l.. Sulli-
van mounted the stairs and entered the
apartment, from the ceiling of which hung
the motionless ball. ayes, | did intend to
20 TO Scituato and finish training,
said the champion, proceeding to
divest himself Of his clothing:
"but after all concluded that
could do better here in Boston for while
and not run so much danger of taking cold.
This is pretty good place. | come here
once day, sometimes twice, and | find
+ that can get as much work In half or
/ three-quarters of an hour as any one who
works would care for. Pm not very heavy
/ only few pounds over 20O-and | intend
to get down to 100 in the next ten days
Lahin, whom | am TO meet next, is always
/ in condition, hear, and he is ready to box
at any hour" BY this time Sullivan had
/ diyested himself of his clothing, and
strengthening himself out, he looGcl al
ideal model for the artist. Covering thC
cap of his right knee with u silk protector
and standing without stockings in his
shoes, he adjusted the leather oval TO tbs
proper height, then shielding his knuckle'
with glove kid, he struck tho ball with his
right hand and 1t flew upward, striking tho
ceiling with loud noise. Then IL was no
ticcd that the ceiling had been covered will
half-inch matched boards in the form of {
circle, which measured seven to eight feel
in diameter. "Draw your watch on me
whilo work." quoth the champion, ant
his requestwas complied with. "Whack?
went powerful fist against the oval, anC
I "crash - went the object OF attack aSains
the circle of wood. Again and again i
mounted upward and rehoundcd like {
boomerang; yet, unlike the boomerang, wa
met with another and another blow, frs
with the dexter and then with the sinister
"bunch Of flves." The matched boards yield
ed as the ball struck them, and once u
twice Sullivan looked up as IL 10 se
whether he had done any damage. Tn
ball moved in every direction, aud the ut
most agility was required to meet II with {
blow as II swung TO and fro. Whack bang
whack! bang! Il went without intermis
sion for four minutes and the persprntioi
was oozing from the pores Of Sullivan
neck and shoulders, while healthy GLOW
covered his face and body TO the hips
Once only did he lose direction in striking
but the next blow was heavy enough /
compensate for what was lost Sometime
the champion would hit more viciousl.
than others, as II striking at some aspiran
for honors who had offended him: and
the blows struck had fallen on the man in
stead Of on the leather oval, "knockin
out" must inevitably have followed. at
a wonder he doesn't have curiosity enoug
himself TO get in the best fix just 10 SO
how powerful he is" said one of tw
friends in the room. Six minutes an | III
teen seconds had expired, and the cham
pion had fought the bag much harder tina
any one is called on to fight in glove con
test. SO fast and hard had ho continue
the work that he supposed fourteen q
fifteen minutes had elapsed. Then he loo
u chair, rested n minute and gave on cstr
four minutes to thr ball, after which
ceased PLAY, saying he would try 1t aga'
in the afternoon. He was then ruhbc
down, took shower bath and "swim,
and proceeded to get into his clothes.