Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-24

EVERY incident In the lives Of great men
becomes important. OF the early history Of
Tom Sayers, now holding the proud position
of Champion of England, but little is known
The researches of the biographer have as yet
reached only to that era of his life when he
first developed a talent for the 6stic arena;
but it is probable that he was born of poor
but honest parents, and had but few "advan-
tages" in his youth. He is emphatically q
self-made man, as so many Of our own dis
tinguished public men are, and is an encour-
aging example to the children of honest pow
erty and muscle.
The following account of the manner in
which he first felt call to his mission was
told by his own lips to the editor of the Lon
don Field, who recently passed day with
the Champion at Brighton, where he was un-
dergoing preparatory discipline for the
meeting in which he is to maintain the honor
I of his country:
/ He said that some eighteen or nineteen
years ago he was working at his trade as a
bricklayer, at the new prison, at Wandsworth,
which was then building. The overlooker,
or superintendent, or whatever he was, OF
the men with whom Sayers worked, was q
a great big bully of a fellow, standing up
ward of six feet high, and who, presuming
upon his strength and size, tyrannized over
the men in the most despotic manner. He
seldom expostulated with workman that
he did not enforce his argument by knocking
the man down, and hence he was both feared
and detested. One day it came to Tom
Sayers's turn to receive the attention of this
individual, and upon Toms offering some
remonstrance, the usual blow followed, which
was instantly returned. A slight inter-
change of this kind of compliment followed,
and then it was arranged that the two should
fight the dispute out during the dinner hour,
and accordingly when that hour arrived, the
party proceeded to the adjoining common,
among the furze bushes, and q tremendous
set-to took place. For the first half hour
everything appeared in favor of the big one.
In every round Tom was knocked into the
furze bushes, and, said he with kind of
twist, as though he felt their stings them
"Do you know that felt those prickles all
over me for weeks afterward."
After the first half hour the aspect of af-
fairs turned. The combatants fought with
tremendous effect for upward of two hours,
when the big one was knocked clean out of
time, and the victory was given to Sayers.
From that moment Tom was a great charac-
Ter among tne men working at tne w anus
worth building, and whenever they had any
disputes to settle, he was generally the arbi-
ter. I asked him what was the bearing of
his big antagonist afterward, and he informed
me with seriousness of manner which
slightly affected his voice, that two years af-
ter the man, when on his death-bed, sent for
him. Tom Immediately obeyed the summons,
and in that solemn moment his old antago-
mist asked for Toms forgiveness. He acknow-
lodged his error, and added, that he had never
got over the effects of the fearful contest on
Wandsworth Common. "He then said Tom,
his voice faltering as he spoke, asked me to
shake hands with him, and give him my for
piycnessn