San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-06-26


tell an interesting story out of his life
experience. "When was boy, 1 could
outrun and outleap any youngster of my
age in the district. My father was
strong man before me and was the only
man in that district who could put a
barrel of -four up ON his shoulder. l
come from a district which has produced
more athletes than any other district in
the country John l.. Sullivan came
from that district, and George Dixon
and Jake Kilrain were born near there.
George Winship, the celebrated strong
man, also came from the same district.
When 1 was l6 years old, was good
boxer and wrestler, and when was 81
years old could easily put up 12s pound
bell became professional pedestrian
so as to get money to go to college.
This was only sport for me, but paid
well, as at that time it was very re-
munerative profession. went out of
the business because my sister exacted
from me a dying pledge that / would
abandon athletics as profession. Dur
ing the time was engaged in profess
sional pedestrianism was never beaten
in contest, and although thousands of
dollars changed hands on contests in
which took part l never put dollar
in my pocket won in wager, 1 never
drank drop of intoxicating liquor and
perhaps did more to elevate the tone of
athletics in those days than any other
man. Twas born and brought up in the
district and was well known as a men,
Der of respectable family, and conse-
quently respectable ladies who had new
er been in the habit of attending ath-
letic performances attended contests in
which took part. I met some Of the
best pedestrians of that day, among
them Haydock, Robinson and Curley,
and beat them in 100 mile walks, the
time being about 10 hours
Training for athletes was different
then from that of today. 1t was very
crude. Athletes preparing for contests
went through course like this: They
were first given black draft n
powerful purgative, and were then diet
ed ON almost raw meats and black tea
without milk or sugar and put through
terrible sweating process. used to
grow weak and feverish from it. The
trainer refused me water when the fur
on my tongue could have been scraped
off with knife, but / sneaked off and
drank quart. was one of the first to
point out the defects of this old method
of training and advise in its stead
healthy, nutritious, palatable foods,
proper degree of exercise governed by
circumstances and adapted to individ-
ual cases, plenty of sleep and proper
bathing, all under the direction of a
skillful and experienced trainer. / also
suggested that the exercise taken should
be adapted to the particular kind of con-
test to be entered, whether prize fight
ing, walking, rowing or sprinting. In
short, / pointed out that the training
should be based ON common sense
cit used to be considered that a
small, round, bullet shaped head was
best in all athletics. But take 20 men,
general conformation and other things
being equal, and of the 90 the man with |
a large, well shaped head will win in !
any kind of contest. The reason for this |
is that the head is the center of the |
nervous organization, and strength is a |
of nerves and muscles and !
does not depend ON muscle alone. Great |
care should be taken against training |