PRESIDENT'S GYMNASTICS.

Mataura Ensign, 24 August 1910, Page 5

PRESIDENT'S GYMNASTICS.

SOME BOXING BOUTS. President Taft is trying to reduce his weight. Every morning, when most persons on their holidays are sleeping peacefully he reluctantly rises, dons athletic costume, and hastens towards his gymnasium. This is at seven o'clock. As if the earliness of the hour were not enough to keep the curious away the Secret Service guards double their vigilance at this time. The President's gymnasium is a large room far removed from his family's sleeping apartments and equipped -with weights, rings, bars and other athletic appurtenances, and afeo with a wrestling mat and two sets of boxing gloves. Mr Taft started recently to reduce himself by 251b. When he left his country home at Beverley last summer he weighed 2651b, which is "fighting weight" for him. During the winter he was so busy that his exercise was omitted and he accumulated a large quantity of additional tissue. Dr Barker, his trainer, has three months in which to bring him back to condition, and started his task the day Mr Taft arrived at Beverley, when the President's weight was about 2851b. His height is 6ft lin and his reach 73in, while Dr Barker's weight is about 1401b, his height sft 9in and his reach 66in. Yet the doctor stands up against the President every morning and bangs away at him with the boxing gloves, while he receives the blows of the Pre--1 sident on his arms.

Mr Taft moves rather slowly, and most of the damage is done to the atmosphere, but even this helps to take off weight. After the boxing ordeal the President walks over to the wrestling mat. Dr Barker wrestles as well as he boxes, and contrives to be on top most of the time. After the President has boxed and wrestled, worked with weights for an hour, and had a shower bath, he is ready for breakfast.