Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-23
TRAINS MODESTLY
FOR BATTAL|NO CO
BiIIy's Foe, However, Needs
Best of Service as He
Points for Bout.
BY WILBUR WOOD.

Nj 0C1ANAJ yOO11S 11d11
4 Y with piercing dark eyes
carrying a small leather
bag, comes swinging along West
Forty-fourth street. He looks
familiar. Why, sure, it's Billy
Petrolle, the Fargo Express, who
is slated to box Bat Battalino ii
Madison Square Garden tomorrow
night. He turns in at the Pioneer
gymnasium.
Petrolle heads straight for q cubby
hole Of a dressing room. He walks in,
puts down his bag, takes out his
gymnasium toys. a skipping rope, a
pair of big boxing gloves and few
other knickknacks that a fighter in
training finds useful
No Need for Trainer.
He sits down and starts to take of
his shoes. In comes Artie Rose. who
passes for Petrolle's trainer, though
really the Fargo Express needs no
trainers.
Got somebody for me to work within"
asks Billy, by this time half undressed.
Sure, I got a couple guys for you"
els Hurley around2" Billy is referring
70 his manager, Jack Hurley.
well. 20 on out and tell him I'll be
out in a couple Of minutes"
want me to help you bandage your
hands?" says Rose.
mo, I'll do it myself"
By this time Petrolle Is slipping into
his trunks.
Wraps Hands Himself.
Dressed in his fighting toys, he pro-
simple process. Billy takes a strip Of
old bandage and winds it around his
left hand, putting a sponge under the
roll to act as a shock abSorber. linen
he bandages the other hand. In hve
or six minutes after arriving he steps
out, ready for the days work, his gloves
slung around his neck, his rope In his
hands.
After boxing, Billy slips his hands
into punching bag nittens and whales
away at the big baylor couple OF
rounds. Then he does some floor work
and skips back to the dressing room,
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and lies down to cool out.
Want a rub?" queries Rose, produc-
ing bottle of rubbing mixture.
You know I never get rubbed,
chides Petrolle. That's all baby stuff.
You can skip along"
After he cools out Petrolle takes on
his gymnasium toys, hangs them up and
goes for a shower. In two minutes ne
is back. In three minutes he is dressed
and on his way out. Ten minutes later
he is in a Broadway movie theater.
That's the way the old Fargo Express
does it. No fussing, no frtlls.
What Contrast.
A little while after Petrolle checks out
OF the gymnasium couple OF cars roll
I'D. Out get six or seven men. One
OF them is a swarthy young fellow. 1t
is Bat Battalino.
The crowd moves into the gymnasium
fighter managers, trainers and q couple
of master minds. They go to Bats
quarters, the trainers Juggling In a
couple of large bags. loaded with enough
baggage for the Chinese army.
The bags are opened and the stuff Is
laid out Bat starts to get ready for
his workout There is great activity.
He strips of and is rubbed with va
rious lotions. Finally he is ready to get
dressed Then comes the business OF
bandaging his hands.
It is quite Job. One fellow lays out
the bandages. Another cuts up strips
of adhesive tape. They start to fix up
Bats hands. Half an hour later the
job Is nearly done.
This must be done just right, you
know" explains one of the troupe.
Cant afford to take a chance on Bat
busting a hand in training" So it
seems.
Finally, an hour after arriving, they
have him ready. Surrounded by his
troupe, the Hartford TarZan makes his
appearance on the gymnasium floor.
He, too. does some shadow boxing and
rope skipping. Then he goes in to box.
One Of the trainers smears his face
plentifully with vaseline.
Gets Every Attention.
Back In the dressing room after the
workout Bat is wrapped as carefully in
blankets as ever an Egyptian Pharaoh
was swathed for his last long sleep.
Bat is escorted to the showers by two
of the troupe, who make sure that he
does not slip on = stray cake Of soap.
Then back to the dressing room for a
long rub. Finally it is all over Bat
gets dressed, the handlers reassemble
the training gear and the troupe
marches out
Battalino is big Lacquer. He rates
plenty Of attention.
Quite a contrast there, don't you
think?
What's the moral? Maybe none
But II you must have one, watch that
night tomorrow night.