The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-08-24
EXERCISING WITH TAFT
Physical Directors Experience
While Training the President.
LIVELY WORK WITH GLOVES.

EXECUTIVE DSNSiOpS NHty WdIIoP'
Hard Man to Throw In Wrestling
Rout-Gym Work to Reduce From
3o5 Pounds to 2eo For Coming Trip.
DR.. Charles E. Barker of Madison,
Wis. has developed another ''phenom'
in the pugilistic world. The latest ce-
lebrity is President William Howard
Taft Dr.. Barker is President Tafts
physical director. The president has
been put through all of the gymnasium
stunts known to the doctor, who has
qualified as an expert. Now the presi \
dent is teaching his tutor and giving
him the time of his life for an hour
each day at Beverly, Mass.
The new champ" tips the beam at
3O5, is six feet one inch tall and if it
were not for bulge in front would
| have a remarkable reach. His boxing
partner, Dr. Barker, is a middleweight
| of 158 pounds. He stands five feet
| ten and a half inches in his stockinged
feet and wears all elegant mustache
| to be aimed at.
The presidents mustache puts him
| in the erstwhile Champion John L.
Sullivan's GLASS;. The big blond mus
tache of the chief executive is con-
slant banter to DR.. Barker in the daily
morning bout in the Taft gymnasium.
In due regard to social proprietfes, nei-
Their the president nor DR.. Barker goes
for the face, but confines himself to
body blows.
President Has the Punch.
DIR. Barker's experience proves that
| the president has a nifty wallop in his
| right arm and a vicious whip to the
| body with his left. He is not as shifty
on his feet as the younger and lighter
man, but course in shadow boxing
will help some. Barker is quick, and
the president has a busy five minutes
when he puts on the gloves with him.
The president does not desire to pose
as a ring hero, and he is not encourag-
ing any undue talk from the doctor.
Incidentally he is not entertaining any
bids for the moving picture rights on
any of his bouts.
Wrestling is another feature of the
Taft exercise. DIR. Barker says it takes
a pretty good man to put the president
on his back, and tussle with him is
like tug of war with lot of healthy
| sailors.
The little gymnasium over on the
second floor Of the Taft garage is fitted
1 y do Of FFIoopA
are chest weights, a rowing machine
leg weights and platform punching
bag. The president plays the whole
string out when he gets started. and
Robert and harlie use the gymnasium
when their father is not engaged in
his exercises.
The work in the morning with Dr.
Barker is a routine feature of the day
1t begins before breakfast, right after
the president has emerged from his
tub. He walks about $50 yards across
the lawn from his cottage and meets
DR.. Barker, who lives in Beverly and
makes the trip to the garage in a
White House automobile.
/ Trained to Finger Tips.
/ Once at the gymnasium no time is
lost. The physical instructor puts Mr.
Taft through muscle exercises even
down to the fingers. A rundown aud a
thorough kneading follow, and then, to
loosen up, wrestling and boxing are
begun. After this the president takes
his shower and is ready for his
breakfast in the vernacular of the
ring, 'in the pink of condition" Golf
follows the gym work. and it may be
said that all of the presidents waking
time until O'Clock In the afternoon is
devoted to getting his body in good
shape for his western trip
That DR.. Barker is succeeding is
shown by the indicator ON the scales.
A year ago the president bordered on
$50 pounds Hard work at Hot Spring
and Augusta got him down. it is said.
to go. Th campaign and the long
tariff siege sent him up to 326 and
then @. Q. d. message for DR.. Bar
ker called the physical director from
Washington The tramps over the
Essex links, the automobile rides and
the daily work in the gymnasium
have taken off the flesh slowly, but
steadily 1t is the hope of the two
athletes that the president will be
down to $50 before the western trip
begins.
Good Body Builder.
DR.. Barker's reputation as a good
body builder was started by ex-Sena-
tor John 9. Spooner. He prevailed on
Barker to go to Washington from
Madison, Wis President Taft. while
secretary of war. heard of him and
got him to prescribe diet and a
course of exercises After the secIe.
tary of war became a candidate fol
the presidency he sent for Barker
again.
One other doctor will be called in
soon to help the Taft body do its work
to the satisfaction of the president
This is Dr.. j. j. Richardson Of Wash
ington, throat specialist. He accom-
panied Mr. Taft on all of his speech
making tours and kept his throat 50