The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-23

ring as some other instructors 1 know
of. A person must have some ring ex-
perience to make a successful teacher.
The ring is an excellent school for
endurance and gives you a chance to
study training methods and develop
spe@d.
Van Stacks age has stiffened his
joints, especially his wrists In some
ways this. has made his guard all the
more impenetrable.
You see in an ordinary person the
wrists are flexible. They must be, be-
cause the wrists and forearm are a.
fighters stock in trade when it comes
to guarding properly. They tell me
that Van Slack can stop a pretty hard
blow by Just holding up his hand and
allowing the punch to meet the hollow
of his palm.
But it wouldn't do for an ordinary
man who is constantly exercising, to
have such stiff joints. The chances
are that before long one of the bones
in the wrist would snap and become
useless.
There is no harm in repeating that
boxing is the greatest indoor exercise
in the world 1t develops the lungs
heart, eyesight and every muscle in
the body. 1t makes a person manly
and strong.
Il instruct on an average of from
thirty to thirty-five pupils daily dur
ing the regular season. OF course,
have an assistant, Dan Hickey who
used to be Bob Fitzsimmons' trainer
and sparring partner. Hickey knows
his business, too. And you can readily
see that we are kept pretty busy.
'One of the reasons why an instructor
is able to hold out against his pupils
is that he never wastes any blows and
is careful to nurse his energy. In this
way he does not spend any unnecessary
strength, and being in fine trim from
constant exercise is able to stave off
the most rugged man.
Il have a number of clever pupils
In fact many are capable of holding
their own against any amateur or pro-
fessional fighter in the country"
About seven years ago DonOvan's
powers of endurance received a genu-
lie test At that time his best pupil
was Fred Winthrop
Winthrop, according to Donovan, was
a perfect specimen of manhood. He
stood six feet and weighed in condi-
ton lI5 pounds. He was an ideal ath-
lete and had won the middleweight
and heavyweight championships of
Harvard.
Donovan is popular with the pro-
fessional pugilists and many seek his
e1hNlNC ItSdIuiilS training anu the
proper delivery of effective blows. One
day Joe Choynski of California came
to see Donovan at the old building of
the club, in Sixth avenue, and asked
for the privilege of putting on the mits
with Donovan's best pupil
Winthrop was in the room at the
time and Mike introduced him to Cho-
ynski The latter had match on with
Jim Hall at Maspeth L. l., and said
hg hA mt al ~, ~
Winthrop and ChoynSki came to-
gether for four rounds. The Californian
evidently thought he had novice be-
fore him, and began to play with his
man.
But he soon realized that Winthrop
was no neophyte, for the latter cleverly
blocked all his punches and retaliated
with some stiff ones himself.
After the bout Choynski complain
ed of a pain in his side. He gave it
no further thought until he returned
to his training quarters. Then the pain
became so intense that a physician
had to be summoned
The doctor diagnosed the injury as Il
broken rib and Choynski had to lay off
training for a week. He entered the
ring with the rib still broken, but man
aged to whip Hall by sheer grit and
courage.
Winthrop broke Choynskis rib with
right hand drive. Two days after
Winthrop met Choynski Jim Corbett
spared with Donovan's pupil, and the
eX-champion had to hustle to keep him
self from being punished. After the
Set-to Corbett was enthusiastic over
Winthrops cleverness and wondered
why he did not become a profess
sional.
When Corbett had departed Mike and
Winthrop crossed arms. Donovan had
done a. hard days work instructing
dozen pupils and was pretty tired.
Winthrop too, was weary, but seemed
to be fresher than Donovan.
Nevertheless the elder man managed
to keep the youngster in cheek al
though the going was as lively as one
would care to see. The bout was as
fine test as anything the professor
ever had.
Another well known boxing instruct
or who Donovan thinks is worthy of
mention is Prof. Judd Judd is near
ly 60 and has been giving instructions
in the manly art for forty years. He
is well developed and as robust as
man of 30.
He has not lost any of his clever
ness. as some of the best boxers in the
business who have had the gloves on
with him will testify. Judd says thai
he owes his preservation to good hah-
its, constant exercise and strict at
tention to diet. etc.
Walter Watson, formerly boxing in
structor Of the Olympic Athletic Club
of San Francisco who is nearly 50.
was, up to few years ago, active
in giving boxing lessons. He has since
retired and is now in the saloon BUSH
ness. Jim Corbett was one of Wat
sons pupils and learned from him
almost all he knows about the manly
art.
Billy Edwards, the former light
weight champion. still gives boxing in
structions Edwards is over 55 and is
able to handle himself capably. Barney
Aaron of England, who fiourished in
the early los and is now, at the age
of 20, hale and hearty, has a number