The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-03

came pretty near turning back
when saw the house that hal
been engaged as training quarters
Tor Dempsey on Maumee bay. The
house was built on piles with the
water on the lake seeping under
meath and thanked on the land side
by rocky hill that was a veritable
watershed and almost made the cot
tage a thing af1oat.
There was no shower bath and no
gymnasium paraphernalia. To
battle and rub Dempsey. I had To
organize bucket brigade composed
OF Bill Tate, Jamaica Kid, One
Round Davis and the other sparring
partners and stand Jack up in an
0ld-fashioned, round wooden wash.
tub.
However, within three days, I had
things shipshape. / had the wrist
machine, pulley ropes for chest de-
veIopment. and the small punching
bag erected in the cottage and the
big bag set up on a platform inside
q tent put up within 100 feet of the
house, where the public was to come
and watch Dempsey in his afternoon
tryouts.
In condition, Dempsey had soft
ened considerably due to the ir-
regular living that theatrical en-.
gagements bring about. He had
not been dissipatilg, but late re-
firing hours and the unwhOlesOme
diet of small hotels had thrown
him off form largely In the matter
Of wind. / then set him a pro
gram Of getting up at . o'clock I'm
the morning, giving him three
miles roadwork, running and
walking, Internationally. finishing
the last half-niile on q hot sprint.
After the run, of course, came the
shower. which consisted of buckets
Of water thrown on him by half a
dozen sparring partners, and then q
oDaf until noon.
In the first two weeks Dempsey
took to the lake for swimming, of
which he is very fond, but was
forced to stop it because swimming
Is weakening to a man in training.
The resistance Of cold that his body
Is put to by the water is not good
for a mans heart or his endurance.
Twice a week is as much as any
body should go In for swim.
Then In the afternoons ] would
put him on with his sparring part
ners. Bill Tate we used great deal
because he was of the same size as
Willard and with practically the
same reach and method Of fighting.
Jamaica Kid was our most valuable
ally because he was fast and could
hit and could take ii. With him
could let Dempsey go at full pace.
Terry Keller would come next be-
cause of his fast footwork, and then
would give him a final rough and
tumble three rounds with Jack Ross,
q big heavy Of no skill but great
willingness to carry battle on.
Jack Dempsey is the best-natured
great fighter have ever dealt with.
He never sulked at any time DUR
ing his training, and took every.
thing cheerfully, and my only
trouble with him came first when
/ cut off his swimming, but he re-
signed himself to that, and second
when ] cut out his rowing, and
third when insisted he 60 to bed
1T $50 o'clock.
Ny objection to the rowing was
simply that had scientific exer-
cises for him to do and the rowing
served no purpose, while at the same
time 1t might take up too much Of
his stamina. I spoke to him about
giving it up and he didn't like the
idea, so that night ! went out and
set the oars adrift.
He raised Cain about that and I
sympathized with him, told him
would find out who did it, and he
could kick the fellow out Of camp.
Ii n knIA ank
the boat adrift and sympathized
with him again at breakfast. This
time he was wise and slapped me
on the jaw and burst out laughing.
was worried about the wind
Q nthe lake. 1t would strike up
1ercely In the early hours OF the
morning, and in spite Of the fact
that 1t was late In May the wind
was damp and chilly.
slept in the room Immediately
adjoining Dempsey's, and at least
three times at night made it my
business to get up and see that his
arms and shoulders remained Gov
cred, because for them to have be-
come chilled would have meant
that / would have to begin all
over again training and easing, or
as we trainers say, 'oiling his
ainews."
My main effort I'm the first
three weeks Of training was to
increase the strength Of his wrist
and foreaFIns by the use of the
wrist-machine. have already
described this machine as a solid
piece Of wood shaped as an open
telescope. In six weeks of this
exercise i increased the dimen-
siOns Of Dempsey's wrist One-half
inch and the biceps of the fore
arms one inch and q half.
I installed a special chef, whC
cooked strictly by my orders
Dempsey's breakfast consisted o
q cup of hot water Immediately OF
arising, apple sauce, soft scrambled
eggs, bacon and one cup of coffee
His heaviest meal was taken a
midday. No fried foods or stew
were permitted.
Within four weeks after started
TO train I had brought him up Il
condition to enter a ring for rea
battle, and I planned that he shoulC
have one. On this day, with non'
present but myself and his spar
ring partners, / made him take OIL
five men for the distance Of twelve