Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-18
COW OLD FIGHTERS TRAINED
Blk Months Of the Most Gruelling
Work Not Unusual.
DEAD TOUGH MUGS IN VERY FACT
After "BIa-k Draught" Il was the
Practice 20 Harden Hands, Faces
and Bodies for Bare
KnuckIe Escounters.

B"
NEW YORK. April lit was nothing
Unusual for prizefighters OF the old school
to train hard for three months In prepara-
ton for a battle said an old New York
sport at a training camp in weschester
fhe other day. Nowadays you boys think
you're doing a pile OF work II you train
for three weeks.
Some Of the old fighters took six months
even to get into condition., putting them
selves through a severe gruelling that
would make the present day pugilists Ill
am weary. The first thing an old timer
did was to take that awfu physic known
as the black draught,' composed Of SIENNA
leaves. bruised ginger and licorice root.
This was put In a half pint Of water and
allowed 10 stand by a fire for three hours,
then strained. and when cooled the follow
ing morning, sal volatile, tincture OF SIENNA
and tincture Of cardamom were added.
Then Il was corked up tight and put
in a cool place. after which a fighter took
a winegiass Of the stuff every morning
and evening. II was a horrible thing to
take and hardly fit for a mule.
The old fellows used to have to harden
their hands. faces and bodies when they
fought with the raw 'uns in order TO make
the skin as tough as a rhinoceros hide
to withstand the blows from bare knuckles.
This was a long, tedious job. Many fight
ers used a mixture Of rocksalt, lemon juice,
vinegar, horseradlsh and whiskey. 1t took
two months Of rubbing with this stuff be-
fore the skin got good and hard for a Sc
we're mill.
There was no lively bag to punch in
those days. Instead they used a big
heavy bag Weighing about 200 pounds,
filled with sand. which hung within a foot
OF the ground on the end of a long rope.
Punching this u~ngsinly bag was slow, hard
work, yet a fighter kept at it for a couple
OF hours until he was exhausted in body
and limbs.
Daily Round in Training.
The road work in the old days also
was the limit. The fighter often went
from thirty to fifty miles a day in the
broiling sun with his tongue hanging out
for the want of a drink. He usually ran
five miles, then walked five, and so or
until he wound up at his training quarters
completely tagged out. Here is a days
training Schedule in olden times:
IS a. m.-Got up and took a smart rur
for three or four miles
IS a. m.-Rubbed down with alcohol and
drank a glass of sherry and egg.
= a. m.-Rested for one hour.
"S a. m.-Breakfast, generally consisting
of two mutton chops or a small steak, to-
mstoes OF celery and tea
80 to 10 a. m--Dumbbells and clubs fo
half an hour.
II a. Mon the road for a ten-mile wall
and run.
81 p. might rub down.
'1:30 p. m.-Dinner. Soup, chicken o.
roast beef or boiled leg OF mutton will
boiled onions. green peas, corn. bottle o
Bass ale or glass OF sherry, fruit, but nj
pies or buildings.
$50 p. m.-Sparring with trainer ans
punching sand bag for one or two hours.
$50 D. m.-Twenty-mile trot on the roa'
until 6 OF Z p. m. Then a rub down.
- D. m~.-Supper. Cold lamb or fish
celery or water vress, and tea; a very ligh
meal.
IS p. m.-short stroll for a mile or two
then a light rub down.
20 D. INTO bed for eight hours rest.
This was about the way Heenan, Nor
rissey, sayers. Yankeer Sullivan, Jem Mace
Tom King. Hyer, Coburn, McCool, AaroI
Jones, Jim Doane. Ned .o'Baldwin, Ton
Allen and a bunch of the old fellows go
into condition in the days of hard fis
battles when fighters we're not afraid o
tough work.
Dan DOnneHy a Dancer
THE great Irish fistic hero. Dan Don
nelly. who whipped Cooper and other Eng
lish fighters on the Curragh Of Kildare