Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
TOMMY BURNS IS
BEACH HERO NOW
BIG CROWD WATCHES DAILY
WORK
introduces Some New Steps That Ap.
peal to onlookers-Wlnd oeems i
to Be In Practically
Perfect Trim

Tommy Burns is certainly working
as though he had thoroughly made up
his mind to attain perfect condition
for his battle with OBrien. Down at
Long Beach one of the skating Kinks
has been placed at his disposal A
ring has been erected in the middle
of the floor and at o'clock the skaters
leave, the band stops playing with a
final flourish and the Long Beach
favorite stalks into the ring followed
by Frank Lewis carrying the training
phernalia, Billy Woods looking
lean and 1.-THE and Jimmy Burns car
rying the water jug.
Tompy's first stunt is to spread his
dressing gown on the floor of the ring
like a Moslem's prayer carpet. He
then lies down on his back upon the
gown with his feet projecting a short
way over the edge. Then he places his
arms above his head and raises himself
to a sitting posture about a dozen
times.
Crowd Laughs
After that he goes through some very
funny looking but probably very use
full exercises. He. raises his right arm
UP and down with q quick motion, at
the same time moving his left leg in
the same manner. The effect is quite
lily yesterday when they saw this stunt
for the first time. But Tommy is very
far from being self-conscious and he
continued his work as though not a
soul were watching him.
After the physical culture exercises
Tommy goes for the bag, and the leath-
er does well to be new and strong, for
he hits it with sledge hammer blows
and keepsei it up in a tireless manner.
frnr II =, Nr1r 1,A
skipping rope and skips for about ten
minutes without stopping. Here is a
surprise. To look at Tommy one
would never think that he could be
graceful, yet his skipping work is a
revelation.
He has perfected himself in a num-
Der of new steps and to watch him
one would think it was Jack Twin
Sullivan pattering the floor with a Sc
ries' of rhythmic steps. First one foot,
then the other both feet alternately
forward and backward goes the heavy
weight fighter at times merely jump
ing high enough to allow the rope to
pass and at others working in little
shuffles and clog steps that ring
musically on the solid floor of the
ring.
After the skipping comes the White
ly exerciser, and then Billy Woods
IOr Inree ROUNDS or Sparrlng.
This last is, of course, the piece de
resistance and there is a gentle flut-
ter of excitement in the watching
crowd, especially among the members
of the fair sex of Long Beach who are
very loyal to their champion and take
keen pleasure in watching him work.
Mikes with Woods
Billy Woods is a hard hitter and
quick as a flash. Both men wear very
heavily padded gloves and Woods has
reason to be thankful for it. They go
after each other as though trying for
knockout, and when they clinch, re-
markab1e as it may sound, the heavier
man seems to have the better of the
exchange of short arm jolts.
Burns wind is apparently in splendid
condition. He breathes quite easily all
the time in spite of the hard work he
does. He goes through all his training
stunts with a vim and determination
as though he were doing 1t for his
life, and the ten days to elapse before
the fight should be plenty of time in
which to gain the tiptop Of condition.
A small fee is charged for admit
ance to the rink, but this does not de-
ter people from going to watch, as
they feel it is well worth the price.
Yesterday there were more than 200
present, and the crowd seemed to thor
oughly enjoy the afternoons enter
tainment.