WRESTLERS' LONG CAREERS.

Simple Life Aids Longevity.

•Probably no class of athletes have a longer votrue than wrestlers. Unlike some prize-fighters, their careers are measured by a span of years usually from 25 to 50. This is more ; or less due to the fact tnat they are pretty abstemious when out of training as well as when m. In order to last on the mat a srrappler must lead a far more careful life than a pugilist if he hopes to make a name and livelihood m his business, , For at least nine months m the year he must keep m the best of condition. In fact, he must be m training all the time. It-^ is different, though, with the scrapper. The fighter who is on top of-: tne heap or who is striving for a title is not required to take as much| exercise as the grappler. A pugiH.stf at best engages m a half-dozen, .matches a year, whereas some wrestlers figure m a"3 many contests m a month. Tom Cannon, the dean o£ wrestlers, who is close to his 60th year, said recently that he did not. begin to realise the fine points o£ his profession until he was nearly 40. .At this age prize-fighters arc invariably on the down grade. Farmer , 'Bums took up 'the sport on tlic mat! '•at 35. To-day, past" 50, he is oap^ jaible of- holding his own with wrestlers who have not yet reached 30. Xiike»good wine, .he seems to improve with age,. ! JENKINS'S ABSTINENCE, .Tom Jenkins, is 10, and may be said to be so many years young. Jenkins has no intention of retiring from the mat. At present he is instructing amateurs m the act of* wrestling. Every day Jenkins isv called upon to have a tussle with strong and ambitious youngster. Sometimes he meets as many as 20 •pupils a day, yet he finds his occupation congenial as well as profitable.Harvey Parker, for a long time the champion welter-weight of the world, is 42. Parker is still up and doing. Parker is no laggard for work. In the various cities where wrestling is popular he is usually seen m matches with men much younger than himself, yet he is able to hold his own and defeat his rivals m quick and decisive style. Parker is ,an athlete who neither drinks nor. .smokes. H6 is always m fettle and revels ' in' plpnty of indoor and outdoor exercise. Take another wrestler George Bothner, for instance. At 38 Bothner is the recognised lightweirfit champion of the world. Meeting Bothner m a casual way no one would take him for a. man. of his< years. He has the appearance of a ' boy of 21. Bothner is never out of shape. He likes exercise and plenty of it. Bothner always is on the. alert for matches and invariably increases, his record by at least 10 or 12 contests each year,' not counting, of course, arduous labor as instructor at Princeton University. HACKENSCHMIDT SUPERSTITIOUS. One of the most careful wrestlers m the world as to his mode of living is probably George Hackenschmidt, the Russian Lion. He is a most superstitious man, and believes that as soon as he quits his present mode of life his great strength will desert him. His observations of the demoralisitte: effects of "wine, woman, and song" are interesting. He practises as he preaches, and does not advise anything that, he does not practise himself, For instance, he likes candy. He says' that sweets of the best quality will make some persons strong. Itjhas succeeded m his case. He is an early riser, and an early retirer. The simplest of foods are good enough for him each day throughout the year. At lonjr intervals he indulges m a glass of beer. This is taken with his meals, and used more as a stimulant than anything else,.

He believes ioa hard work. He says that this is the best means as well j as bodily exercise he knows of. He.; likes to be active most of the time.'! : When he is not training he finds plenty to occupy his mind > with theatrical engagements or investments. Hackenschmidt is a frugal man. He saves his money, and al-, ways is' looking; forward to the pro- j verbial rainy day. Good books /are his companions m his spare moments. He expects to be at his business when all the present champion prizefighters have become "dead to the ring" from excesses. Hackenschmidt .is 29. At 20 he started wrestling. To-day he is regarded as the youngest champion of champions. the carpet ■has known for. some time. Hackei* schmidst is probably the richest, wrestler m the world, He acfcnow- . ; ledges being worth £50,000. and, with an earning capacity of £240 a,, week the Russian, ought to reach the ■ mark m wealth before he •retires. : CLEAN LIVING MEN. j Another wrestler who . attributes -«| • his preservation to the simple life iS i 'Hughy Leonard, instructor m the art j ;.at the New York Athletic Club, j ■ Leonard admits that he is almost at i 1 the r forty-year mark, but he does not J -look it. He is a trim-set young j man, with broad shoulders and 1 a j clear complexion. And \Leonard!s duiW routine at the club , ji.s not a,-. •, bed of roses. He has a large class of strong young men, proficient under his instruction, and they are told to e:o at him for all they are worth. ' The-r do it. This sort of work would ! wreck an ordinary man, but Leonard seems, to thrive on it; and it is all due to the fact that he is 'abstemious. Bill Brown, for 11 .[ years i wrestling partner of George 'Bothner, neyer drinks. Brown has ! Jiot changed much m appearance m s the past ten years, and says lie owes ' -his present health to careful liviing. ■ Billy Muldoon who was. the champion . Graeco-Roman expert for years, is m his 50th year. Muldoon is a physical■culturist, and has a place where he shows the indolent wealthy how to keep good health. Although Muldoon has not done any public wrestling for more than a decade, there are not many flies on him, so to speak* when it, comes to wrestling .m earnest. Muldoon is as muscular and' strong as ever. His clear eye and ruddy complexion is indication that regular, methodical habits, m life pay, and -when Muldoon left the mat 'he retired unbeaten. . .TURKS. TOO FOND- DP COFFEE -. ■• AND STIMULANTS. Turkish wrestlers 'fgo to the dogs" quicker than grapplers of other. nat- ; tonalities. This is mainly because.; they are too fond of coffee and stimulants. The Turks believe m super- < ', ifluous flesh to carry them to victory * on the mat. Most of them are naturally strong and vigorous, andimagine that obesity is their vitality. In some cases this has proved to be 'a fact. The late Youssuf and Nouralah were noted for their bulk and' avoirdupois. Youssuf never bothered his head about training on modern lines. He neglected the road and dumbbells for cigarettes, potatoes, and plenty of cofiee , and wines. The diet increased his strength, and he. no trouble m defeating his rivals easily. It was the same with Nouralah, but as the latter advanced m years he found his excess weight was a handicap instead of an aid, and was forced to retire. Very few wresl tiers who leave the game go into the publichouse business. Even those who do, despite the demoralising atmosphere, nearly always cling to the abstemious life. There is a story that is told of a wrestler who opened a cafe after he got through with the mat. This wrestler never drank j m his career, and thought it would bo a good thing to preach on this . .subject to his customers. Many of these did not side with him, and went ,to other places to auench their thirst. Consequently it was not Ion? before he lost all his trade, and went into bankruptcy.

and