Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-04-04
THE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FIGHT.

THE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FIGHT.
HEENAN AND SAVERS CoMpARED.-The an
ticipated fight for the championship, between
Sayers, of England, and Heenan, of America,
is now and will be for some time to come, the
principal topic of interest among that class
known as the sporting fraternity, or ssfancy 80
and, whatever may be said of prize fighting in
the abstract, it is undeniably that the great
mass of the reading public demand that they
shall not be kept altogether in the dark in ref
erence to these contests, or ssmills''' as they
are very significantly termed. Hence, the
present match, by far the most exciting ever
made, has been discussed by nearly all the
leading papers in London and Liverpool, and,
since the arrival of Heenan in England, small
items OF gossip are given in the mos trespecta-
BILE journals, with as much particularly as
though they related to the court of st James.
Immense sums of money will be staked upon
the issue, and, no doubt, thousands will risk
all their ready cash, just in accordance with
their national prejudices, and not from any
understanding they may have in regard to the
relative merits Of the combatants. The Lon
don Globe says, in reference to the matter:
ss"he great prize fight, of which all sporting
men are talking, is to take place on the 10th
of April, aud will be fought privately, though
not perhaps confidentialIy, not very far from
Middenhall, little village town in Suffolk, on
the Eastern Counties line of railway. Mr..
Smiles, the secretary of the southeastern
railway was applied to for special train along
his line, but the concession has been refused.
The assailants in the forthcoming battle are
Tom Sayers, sthe Champion of England and
a young fellow who is called sthe Benicia Boy
an American, who recently arrived in this
country for the purpose of fighting any body
who wishes to distinguish himself pugiistical-
ly, especially sthe Champion of England, from
whom he wants to get sthe belt,' in order to
take it across the Atlantic. Tom Sayers, the
present champion, is, according to common
rumor, small man, at the somewhat mature
age of thirty EIGHT. He may, therefore, ex-
peet some rough treatment from youngster
of twenty-five, who fought the American
Champion, but without success. Mr.. Sayers,
it appears, followed the honorable occupation
of bricklayer, until he got taste for fight
ing, and when he got little sup in the world
had the presumption to challenge Ben Cannt,
who had sthe belt The magistrates of Mid
dlesex, with a propriety of conduct which
cannot be too highly commended, told sBen'
that he might do one of two things: 1st, That
he might fight, and not get his license for Lis
public house in st. Martins lane; and I'd.
that he might not fight, and have his license
continued. The valiant man of pugilistic
fame preferred his license to his fists, and Tom
Sayers became champion of England without
fight. Now a veritable Yankee challe nges
him, and the bets are in favor of sour Cousin
There is rumor in sporting circles that the
sroughs' will not allow the American to win,
and that If he should get the advantage there
will be a wrangle, with view to deprive him
of his honors. Without caring much for the
result-which, it will be admitted, without
much doubt, will not affect our national in
terests--it may be hoped that Tom Sayers and
young "Benicia' will have fair play"
The above, from an English point of obser
walton, is certainly not very f1attering to Hee-
nan. We turn now to an American view of
81, ftD ;o1 &c n,,
aging. The editor of the Mobile, Ala. Herald
has estimated Heenan's lungs, and reports -
s.In our examination of Heenan, while in Mo-
bile. we saw that he lacked chest, or in other
words, wind and generally he looked any
thing but hardy, although big. And it was
this defect of lungs which secured his defeat
in the fight with Morrissey who is bull-head-
ed fellow, with lungs as large as forge bel
lows. He can stand and be beaten all day.
Heenan has to do his work in srounds' of a
few minutes. After that he becomes weak.
Sayers, the English champion, is little fell
low, but has pluck and plenty of swind = and
added to these two qualities Of endurance, he
has great SCIENCE and soon knows the man
he has to splay,' with. The probabilities are,
therefore, that Heenan will not get the Eng
lish sbelt.' Sayers will take pains to wear him
out and fog him at his leisure.''
In connection with the above, we may ap-
pend the following stanzans, in which the
Benicia boy is represented as replying to the
poetical wailing of Adah Isaac Menken, who
claims to be his bride:
''Why so early in life didst thou leave me,
In our heaven-grand life of love-"
-Adah Isaac Menkem.
And ask st thou why left thy side
While yet the dawn flush ed loves young day
All, well thy song born soul might guess
Twas not my heart that strayed away.
o! seek not thou to call me back,
Nor melt my will with loving prayers
Twill soon be o'er-I left thee, sweet,
To have smill' with Thomas Sayers.