Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-02-20
MUSCLE MAKING.
The Daily Devotions OF Q Pug
listic Champion.
How John L Sullivan Proceeds 90 ws<A
Up . Formidable Forearm-Siugrins
snAl for TrAinins-Hh Daily
Programme.
programme
fBoston Heralti.l

nsal for TrAinins-Hls Daily
Programme.
(Bosson Herald.l
One feature of the daily devosious Of the
worlds pugilistic champion Is at present
reiigiously performed at "The Abbey on
Harrison avenue, near Beach street, where
the officiating abbot 10 Patsy Sheppard
In q square room OF the second story, de-
void Of the ordinary furnishings, an oval
shaped ball Of leather, inflated by means
Of q bladder which IL incloses, hangs sus.
pended from mid-ceiling attached 20 q
cord which passes through q ring above,
and running across the ceiling and down
the wall. Is held in cleat, which enables
the ball to Be elevated or lowered at pleas
ure- Two pairs Of well-worn boxing
gloves on the mantel, a single glove Of the
same description, hanging from the door
knob, and used 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.
urc, unless one looks into the large closet
on the right of the entrance and sees q
number Of canvass mats which may possi-
bly, suggest to him the paraphernalia OF
gymnast or wrestler. "Hello -! How
are your 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. After
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. "Yes, / did intend TO
go to Scituate and finish training"
said the champion, proceeding to
divest himself Of his clothing:
"but after all concluded that I
could do better here in Boston for q while
and not run so much danger Of taking cold.
This 10 . pretty good place. / come hero
once day, sometimes twice, and l find
that can get as much work in half or
three-quarters of an hour as any one who
works would caro- for. Pm not very heavy
only few pounds over 20O-and intend
to get down to 19S in the next ten days.
Latin, whom l am to meet next, is always
in condition, hear, and he is ready to box
at any hour" By this time Sullivan had
divested himself of his clothing, and
Strengthening himself out, he looksi an
ideal model for tho artist. Covering the
cap of his right knee with a silk protector,
and standing without stockings In his
shoes, he adjusted the leather oval to the
proper height, then shielding his knuckles
with glove kid, he struck the ball with his
right hand and i. few upward, striking the
ceiling with . loud noise. Then it was no.
ticed that the ceiling had been covered with
half-inch matched boards in the form Of q
circle, which measured seven TO eight feet
in diameter. "Draw your watch on me
while work." quoth the champion, and
his request was complied with. "Whackw
went 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 q
boomerang; yet, unlike the boomerang, was
met with another and another bloYrSrst-
with the dexter and then with the sinister
"bunch of fives." Thematched boards yield.
ed as the ball struck them, and once or
twice Sullivan looked up a. IL 10 see
whether he had done any damage. The
ball moved in every direction, and the ut
most agility was required to mcet it with a
blow as IL swung to and fro. Whack bangi
whack! bang! IL went without intermis.
sion for four minutes and the perspiratiou
was oozing from the pores of Suhivan's
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 moro viciously
than others, as IL striking at some aspirant
for honors who had offended him; and IL
the blows struck had fallen on the man in.
stead of on the leather oval, knocking
out" must inevitably have followed. 'It's
q wonder he doesn't have curiosity enough
himself TO get in the best fix Just to see
how powerful he is" said one of two
friends in the room. Six minutes and if
teen seconds had expired, and the cham
pion had fought the bag much harder than
any one Is called on to fight in glove con-
test. So fast and hard had he continued
the work that he supposed fourteen or
fifteen minutes had elapsed. Then he took
. chair, rested a 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 a shower bath and "swim."
and proceeded TO get into his clothes.