New-York tribune., 1910-11-13
By James Hay, Jr,


state of affairs when a man
can't even call his gizzard his own"
In this somewhat cOllOquial but impress
i've language he referred to the rigid physical
training he undergOeS every daV in order to
keep his body in good shape and his mind
keen for the best possible discharge of his
official duties. As he is President, he feels
that it is his duty to take every precaution
| to preserve his health. Wherefore, although
he is pointed out as the most powerful man
politically in this country, he cannot eat
| what he chooses, and he has a morning
workout that would keep a prize fighter in
| trim
Dr. Charles E. Barker is boss of the preSi-
Dental body and the presidential appetite,
1t is the doctors Job to keep the presidential
weight under three hundred pounds; for, aS
long as this is done, Mr.. Taft is in fine ply
scal condition.
Every morning the ruler of the country,
whether ne is in Beverly or Washington, gets
up at a quarter past seven o'clock and puts
in an hour exercising with Barker, the phys
ical instructor Dressed in sweater, light
gray trousers, and tennis shoes. the Presi-
dent wrestlcs and boxes with Barker 1t is
real wrestling and boxing, and the bouts go
until red faced and breathlesS, the President
| is allowed to pause for a few moments of
| rest. He goes about the thing in dead ear
| nest. When it comes to wrestling, he knows
all about the half Nelson" the hip lock,
and the toe hold" He can roll and squirm
with surprising agility, and he puts up per
| tormance that justifes the story that at ale
| he was champion wrestler of the university.
When he boxes he goes the regulation
round His footwork is his best asset in this
line of sport. Anybody who has seen him
waltz knows that he is phcnomcnally light
on his feet, and this gift stands him in good
stead when he puts on the gloves. Incl
dentally, it affords him great opportunity
| tor exercise, because, being good on his feet,
he uses the talent all the time he is standing
up against Barker.
After wrestling and boxing, the two men
toss the medicine ball. This is followed by
dumbbell work, and few minutes of bend
ing and jumping exercises.
| a story got out not long ago that in the
wrestling match MIR. Taft had fallen on Bar
ler and broken two of the instructors ribs
1t was easy to believe the report; for Barker
although we'll muscled and a trained athlete
IS small and wiry, and the presidential
weight might we'll crush some of his bones
The story, however WAS denied, and Barker
allowed people to feel his ribs to prove that
| they were whole
During the summer vacation in Beverly,
Mr.. Taft supplements his hours workout in
CiC lIiOll llllS Will 4 game OF SOt after break
fast every day except Sundays In the
afternoon he goes for an automobile ride or
a sail in his yacht, the Sylph. In Washing
ton, in the winter, whenever he can take time
OF, he plays golf in the afternoon.
His treatment of himself to keep in good
condition is practically a science 1t does
not stop with exercise. 1t extends To the
table at breakfast, luncheon, and dinner
Barker tells him what to eat and he eats it,
Also he does not eat what Barker forbids.
Sometimes he eats three meals day, and
SOMETIMES only two 1t is a safe bet that
MIR. Taft weighs himself oftener than any
man IN the United States.
1t does not necessarily follow that the
President likes all this work. As a matter of
tact, he gets tired OF it often; but realizing
that ne can't call his gizzard his own, and
that he owes 1t to the people to preserve his
health, he goes through with it.
At Beverly he has a gymnasium over his
garage and in the White House at Wash
Ington ne uses the same room Theodore
Roosevelt had fitted up for gymnastic exer-