Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-02-13
AND HIS sANDBAa
Just How tho Distinguished John Lyeur.
gus Keeps Els Muscle Up.

Just How tho Distinguished John Lyeur.
gus Keeps His Muscle Up.
From the Boston Herald
One feature of the daily devotions o.
the worlds pugilistic champion is al
present religiously performed at "The
Abbey" on 9, Harrison avenue, near
Beach street, where the officiating alb
bot is Patsey Shepherd. In a square
room of the second story, devoid of the
ordinary furnishings, an oval shaped
ball Of leather inflated by means of q
bladder which it incloses, hangs sus-
pended from mid-ceiling attached to Z
cord watch passes through ring above
and, running across the ceiling and
down the wall, is held in cleat, which
enables the ball to be elevated or low
cred at pleasure.
"Hello,-! How are you? Come
up stairs. I'm going to have little
EXERCISE" said the champion, as he
reached the stoop of "The Abbey" 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 enter ed the
apartment, from the ceiling of which
hung the motion]ess ball. "This is a
pretty good place. T come here once
q day some times twice, and find can
get as much work in half of three-quar-
tiers of an hour as anyone who works
hard would care for. I'm not very
heavy-only few pounds over 900
and I intend to get down to 1876 in the
next ten days."
BY this time Sullivan had Invested
himself of his clothing, and, straighten
ing himself out, he looked an ideal
model for the artist. Covering the cap
of his right knee with silk protector:
and standing without stockings in
his shoes, he adjusted the leath.
er oval to the proper height,
then shielding his knuckles with glove
kid, he struck the ball with his
right hand and it flew upward
striking the ceiling with a loud
noise. Then it was noticed that the
ceiling had been covered with half
inch boards in the form of a circle,
which measured seven or eight feet in
diameter,
"Draw your watch on mo while I
work." quoth the champion, and his re.
quest was complied with.
"Whack Event powerful fist against
the oval and "crash /" went the object of
attack against the circle of wood.
Again and again it mounted upward
and rebounded like boomerang; yet,
unlike the boomerang, was met with en-
other and another blow, first with the
dexter and then with the sinister "bunch
of fves." The matched boards yielded
twice Sullivan looked up as if to see
whether he had done any damage.
The ball moved in every d.
rection and the utmost agility
was required to meet it with blow as
it swung to and fro. Whack! bang
whack! bang! it went without inter-
mission for four minutes, and the per-
SEPARATION was oozi,g from the pores of
Sullivan's neck and shoulders, while
healthy glow covered his face and body
to the hips. Once only dill he lose di-
rection in striking, but the next blow
was heavy enough to compensate for
what was lost.
Six minutes 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 tif-
teen minutes had elapsed. Then he
took a chair, rested minute and gave
an extra four minutes to the ball, after
which he ceased play, saying he would
try it again in the afternoon. He was
then rubbed down, took shower bath
and ''swim," and proceeded to get in
to his clothes.