The Portland daily press., 1892-07-27

UllSlS 10 NlOh NlC lNdllOudl NOiiNSAieiS-4o
are held in June and the politicians take
their vacations before the detailed work
of the campaign. The local Conventions
in New York city are now the sign that
the campaign is going to be red hot from
then until election day. They are held
only long enough before the first day of
registration for the candidates to get
their friends out to swell the registry
lists.
Few of the politicians follow the ex--
ample of Senator George f. Roesch and
take the regular athletes course of train
ing; but almost all of them go off in the
country and take exercise which makes
their flesh firm and strengthens their di-
gestion. 1t tmay be that this autumn
more of them will follow the example OF
Senator Roesch and take the regular
course When the Steckler break came
last fall on the east side Senator Roesch
was picked out as the new district leader
to succeed Judge Steckler, and he at
once saw that he had hard fight before
him which would need his best efforts
When this was clear and before the NOM
nations were made, he went to Muldoon
at Belfast, Allegheny county, and took
the regular athletes training. When he
went he was fat, fabby, and his stomach
was not in good working order. He
stayed for several weeks, and when he
came back he went through an east side
campaign and Muldoon had got him to
practising such good habits that during
the busy session of the Legislature at
Albany he used regularly to get up at
O. clock in the morning and exercise.
He usually took long walks or trots be-
fore breakfast, with alternating horse
back rides, and he was SO enthusiastic
over this system that he got Assembly
man Sohmer of his district, enthusiastic,
too and both of them now keep up their
exercise. Muldoon got him up at
o'clock in the morning and made him
run before breakfast with sweater and
heavy wool clothes on. After break
fast he would walk up hills and around
through the country, at times trotting
up hill, and always at fast pace. This
practice, with punching bag and light
dumb bell exercise, brought his weight
down about twenty pounds in a few
weeks. 1t made his skin clear, his eyes
bright, and his digestion good. There
is no telling how much the bag punching
and hill trotting increased his majority
in the fall.
Mayor Grant, Mr. Croker, Chairman
Murphy of the State Committee, Mr..
Whitney, and the other big politicians
have been in the habit for some years of
going through what is equivalent to mild
training before the active work of the
campaign. Every one has system of
his own which he has found best by ex-
perience. Such course of training as
Senator Roesch took would not be best
for all, because the training has to be adj
justed to every man according to his age,
the condition of his stomach, his weight,
l.. 81 ,,1,xciao1 oarditinr
The important things are to have plenty
of sleep, freedom from care of all kinds,
and regular exercise, with careful
regard to the diet
The Mayor usually goes to the Adiron-
dacks, where he has friends, and then
gets far enough away from their place to
keep from being disturbed. HE believes in
the efficacy Of walking with a light
weight, such as a rifle or shotgun. Carry
ing the weight exercises the arms and
shoulders, while the walking is good for
the digestion and the general health.
The Mayor can walk twenty miles day
through the Adirondack woods without
its unduly firing him. With this he
takes an almost entire change of diet.
He lives on the products of the woods
and the surrounding farms, trout, birds,
and game, with berries and the simple
vegetables which the few Adirondack
farmers raise. He thinks that it is
good thing for the system to have a
total change of hours and diet for several
weeks during the year.
Mr.. Croker and Chairman Murphy have
a farm near Richfield, where they go to
prepare for the campaign. They have
the farm stocked with cattle and horses
in order that they may have subject
foreign to politics to occupy their minds
while they are there. Mr.. Croker would
much rather talk about his COWS than
the tariff or the silver question, and
Chairman Murphy has a pair of coach
horses over sixteen hands high, which he
would rather show to visitors than dis
cuss the details of the Democratic Or
ganization through the State. Mr..
Croker and Chairman Murphy are older
men than the Mayor, ssand the pleasures
of carrying gun on one shoulder and a
fishing rod on the other through the Adj
rondack woods do not appeal to them so
much as walks around the farm and
drives behind the dark bay coach pair.
Mr. Murphy has not been in the best Of
health for some time, and he spends
good part of his time on the stock farm,
free from cares except about the success
of his experiments in breeding.
Mr.. Whitney exercises tile year round,
but before the campaign he leaves New
York to get himself into special trim.
He uses light dumbells and Indian clubs
for indoor exercise and horseback riding
for out of doors. He is good horseman
and he believes in the old saying that
the back of horse is the best thing for
the stomach Of a man. He usually rides
at, rough trot, which jolts him and
brings out profuse perspiration. On
returning to the house he is rubbed
down and rests awhile. Mr.. Whitney
has not tendance to take on flesh, and
it is not necessary for him to take vio-
lent exercise. His health is usually
good, and a few weeks at Newport get
him in shape to go through hard
campaign. Then he has an easy way
of taking things, and the knack of letting
cares slide off him.
Almost all the district leaders follow
the example of the bigger politicians and
prepare their bodies in one way or other
for the work of the campaign, Some of