The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-06
THE MAKING OF MUSCLE.
John L. Sullivan Smuggling a Ball for Train
ing-His Daily Programme.


ing-His Daily Programme.
Boston Herald.
One feature of the daily devotions of the
worlds pugilistic champion is at present relig1-
ously performed at The Abbey" on Harrison
avenue, near Beach street, where the officiating
abbot is Patsey Sheppard. In q square room of
the second story, devoid of the ordinary furnish
lngs, an oval-shaped ball of leather, inflated by
means of a bladder which it ~incloses, hangs sus-
pended from md-ceiling attached to q cord which
passes through a ring above, and running across
the ceiling and down the wall, is held in a cleat,
which enables the ball to elevated or lowered at
pleasure. Two pairs of well-worn boxing gloves
on the mantel, q single glove of the same de-
s~cription 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 tine large closet on
the right of the entrance and sees a number of
canvass mats which may possibly suggest to
him the paraphernalia OF a gymnast or wrestler.
Hello -! How are yous Come up stairs.
Pm going to have a little exercise said the
champion as he reached the stoop of The Alb
hey" and shook hands with the writer. After
the customary passing of the time of day the
man of peace and John l.. Sullivan mounted the
stairs and entered the apartment. from the cell
ing of which hung the mOtionless ball. Yes, /
did intend to go to Scituate and finish training. y
said the champion. proceeding to divest himself
of his clothing: ''bnt after all l concluded that
could do better here in Boston for a while and
y Fuu 81 HiuCu danger III TAKING COlu. lulS 10
a pretty good place. / come here once a day,
sometimes twice, and | find that l can get as
much work in half or three-quarters of an hour
as any one who works would care for. I'm not
very heavy-only a few pounds over 2G0-and l
intend to get down TO 1875 in the next ten days.
Latin. whom / am to meet next, is always in
condition, i hear, and he is ready to box at any
hour" By this time Sullivan had di-
vested himself of his clothing, and
Strengthening himself out, he looked
an ideal model for the artist. Covering
the cap of his right knee with a silk protector,
and standing without stockings in his shoes, ne
adjusted the leather oval to the proper hight,
then shielding his knuckles with glove kid, he
struck the ball with his right hand and it few
upward, striking the ceiling viii q loud noise.
Then it was noticed that the ceiling had been
covered with half-inch matched boards in the
form of "a circle, which measured seven to eight
feet in diameter. Draw your watch on me
while | work, " Gnoth the champion, and his re-
quest was complied with. "Whack!' went a
powerful fist against the oval, and Hcrash!'
went the object of attack against the circle of
wood. Again and again it mounted upward and
rebounded like a boomerang; yet, unlike the
boomerang, was met with another and another
blow, first with the dexter and then with the
sinister bunch of fves." The matched boards
yielded as the ball struck them, and once or
twice Sullivan looked up as if to see whether he
had done any damage. The ball moved in every
direction, and the utmost agility was required to
meet it with a blow as it swung to and
Ito. " Udck! UduS! WHdck! DstDSl 4 VEIN Wilt
out intermission for four minutes and the per
SEPARATION was oozing from the pores Of Sulli-
vans neck and shoulders, while q 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 to compensate for
what was lost. Sometimes the champion would
hit more vieiously than others, as if striking at
some aspirant for honors who had offended him;
and if the blows struck had fallen on the man
instead of on the leather oval, ''knocking out
must inevitably have followed, ITS a wonder
he doesn't have curiosity enough himself to get
in the best fix just to see how powerful he is, y
said one of two friends in the room. Six min
utes and fifteen seconds had expired, and the
champion had fought the bag much harder than
any one is called on to fight in a glove contest.
So fast and hard had he continued the work that
he supposed fourteen or fifteen minutes had
elapsed Then he took a chair, rested a minute
and gave an extra four mint 'ss to the ball, after
which he ceased play, saying he would try it
again in the afternoon. He was then rubbed
down took a shower bath and a swim" and
proceeded to get into his clothes.