The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-04
BAG PUNCHING
BY Dick Garvin.


Every sport has it's utility. Swim
| ming, rowing, track athletics, football,
baseball and boxing have their unques-
toned advantages, and each contributes
in different forms benefit to the hu-
man physique. But while these sports
devslop the muscle and fnvigorate those
that indulge in them, the accidents
and mishaps attendant on them partly
counterbalance the good to be derived
But the exercise in which are con-
stituted, all the promulgated benefits of
field sports. aquatics and boxing, with
out mourning any of their dangerous
features, is the simple calisthenle CT
Punching the Bag. This pastime con-
sists in hitting an inflated leatiltr bag
about the size of an Association foot
ball with the naked fists or with gloves
manufactured for the purpose. To such
a pitch of popularity has the exercise
now reached that it has become rec
ognized necessity among professional
boxers, and the indulgence in the exer-
cise too among people in general who
want an appliance for home training
is gaining general favor and making
rapid advances.
Like most of its contemporaneous
relatives, the early history of this
pastime is shrouded in mystery and its
real originator will never be known.
The English boxers of a few genera
lions ago were familiar with the bag,
an article about the size of man.
This affair was usually swung from the
crossbeam of barn or other roomy
edifice. It generally weighed about
sixty pounds-a horseskin wallet filled
with bricks, old horse shoes and the
like.
The Americans used a modified form.
During the fighting days OF Arthur
Chambers, Billy Edwards and Billy
Madden. Arthur Chambers had one IN
his Philadelphia gymnasium but, IKE
his British predecessors, the workman
ship was crude and the exercise attain
ed did not cause any amount OF COM
nlent or lead any one to believe that II
would one day become the peer of all
indoor exercises Inns was uui ms 1iiO
Centennial of 1876.
In 1876 Donovan was training for his
fight with McClelland for the middle
weight championship of America at San
Francisco, and as part of his exercise
used the punching bag. There were no
India rubber bladders in those days and
Mike kept his trainers busy securing
COW bladders from the slaughter houses
in the vicinity of Frisco.
Cook made bags of calf and sheep
skin. round and pear shaped He used
rubber bIadders and his bags became
popular.
manufactured a double end bag. 1t was
obIong in shape, made of fancy canvas
and attached to the floor and ceiling.
The attachment from floor to bag was
of rubber and from bag to ceiling COM
mon rope so that the bag could be
lowered or raised to suit the user.
of course, there have been a%great
many improvements in the composltlon
of the ball The contrast ana result
of the heavy bag of the old days anu
the late improved style is great Inc
new one makes man quick, Whlie Tue
old one made a man SLOW II you o'
,,ot -e11ard or duck with the one of to
day you are ildpie " s. A.
they are quicker than nine-Ieh'hs % 'iAe
men of the present day. -,
There is a secret in bag making IKE IKE
svarvthing else, ard out of the number
who have tried but very few have oeen
s,,ocassfuI. only selected skins can De
used and only the choicest part Inc
leather is cut on forms, AFTER oeihs
thoroughly stretched. and the gram %
- ,aa+bar should all run one way
10 Iii ensure a uniform roundness
- .ba stitches will draw out evenly
otter the bladder g inflated :.
AZ an exercise, punching the Dag
foscinating. There is wonder
f,,l temptation even in the very aP-
naarance of the ball. as 1t hangs sus-
nended in the air. NO matrer nov
-. -.t,,,s;o,,e or barren the magma ton.
tba most puisne cannot fail for mo-
ment to fancy himself facing an antag-