The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-18
story Of the President Taking Boxing
Lessons Is said to BE Entirely
Untrue and Without Any
Foundation Whatever.
Mr.. TAFT IS VERY SORE
His Masseur Never Said Anything
Like the Reported Interview Ac.
eodIng to His Statements
Now.

u
on the gloves and deliver .'sleep
tablet because the President suspects
him as responsible for the recent
stories of Presidential boxing. Secre-
tary Carpenter is desperate under an
avalanche of queries. THE President
Is not taking boxing lessons and prob
ably never will" declared Carpenter
today. "All the truth in the story lies
in the fact that Taft is taking regular
exercise with weights, dumbells. etc" !"
II never said the President was taking
boxing lessons" declared Barber, the
antifat specialist. Il never said he
would make good prize fighter or
wrestler with a little more training.
The stories are a shame. No wonder
the President is sore"
The Story.
The story which has aroused Taft's
anger, is as follows:
BEVERLY, Mass, Aug. 1s.-The
secret Of how to keep a president in
good physical condition has been re-
yealed at last by the hitherto unap-
proachaEle doctor who has charge of
the patient.
For months this doctor has been
throughout the land, but he always has
throughout the and, but he always has
eluded them. Strange reports have
appeared concerning him, all of them
untrue. he says. for never has he
spoken on the subject. Today, how
ever, Dr. Charles Barker, for that Is
his name, consented to talk.
Il am not massage artist, as most
Of the reports have claimed, any more
than am manicurist," said DR.. Bar
ker Il am physical culture special
list and dietician, with degrees from
the University of Chicago and other
colleges. Contrary to the general
opinion, do not massage President
Taft, except to keep the abdomen from
wrinkling under the loss of flesh.
HE always has been heavy man,
and he continually had put on weight
until three years ago. When first
met him he weighed close to $50
POUNDS, although he Is sensitive about
having this known.
Il took him in hand, anda together
we went to work with might and main,
until his weight was reduced almost
eighty pounds-to about 270. When
! left Washington left careful in
structions for him to fellow in regard
to exercise and diet. might say
that l am practically responsible for
the PRESIDENT devotii.r to golf. He
had played the game once or twice
before took him in hand, but never
to any extent. | urged him to play
regularly, and he has done SO.
But about the first of June of this
year he was obliged to send for me
again. A large room in the garage
of the presidents cottage has been
fitted UP as a gymnasium. Every
morning before breakfast the automo-
bile takes me to the Evans cottage,
Where the president is waiting in the
gymnasium. Then, for one hour, the
TWO or us go through regular sys-
TEN OF exercise.
The first part of the hour is de-
voted to exercises, which are scien-
u1cally planned to strengthen all the
muscles of the body and develop cir
culation. These are followed by more
strenuous exercises, such as wrestling,
boxing. throwing the medicine ball,
and things of similar nature
The president is strong, let me tell
you, and any one who gets him on
MS back in a wrestling bout has got
70 go some, It's the same in our spar
ring matches. We pound each other
on the lungs for the most part. and
uon't try for other parts of the body.
mere are no light taps, though, and
) make every effort to get a good
punch over on the president whenever
! can; and when we get through
mere J, is never any doubt In my mind
mat he has been pounding me.
He has developed SO rapidly and
70 such pronounced extent that even
now 1t is safe to say that there are
'sw men anywhere who are in better
physical condition"