New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-02
AMONG THE ROUGHS.


NIGHT AT A SrARTING INHIBITION.
Ii is more than probable that very few of the many
thousand readers Of TRIBUNE have ever been present
or assisted at what is technically known spaTing
exhibition" The great city Of NcwYork boasts Of ia
many and divers curious spcctaces and amusemcns, In
teIectnal and brutal and of all these the most eNcep
tona In character and least known TO the general public
the sparring exhibition, holds the first rank The spar
ring exhibition is but mimic representation of the prize
fight TO the unzcfghtcr IL Is what the classic
trunphs would have been with the gadiaOrs and lions
omitted from the programme. spaTing exhibition is
but the prologue to the swelling theme ana enact
ment Of 40 rounds and II knock downs. Hardly
week elapsss IN New-NOrk but the fences ana
dead walls 10 the neighborhoods where whisky
shops and reekiug tenement houses abound,
may be seen Oruamented with huge bill posters and
placards announcing that exhibition" will take
place for the benefit OF Buffer jim" 1.-THE Game
Chicken" The Brummagem Kid" Teddy, the Wrest-
Butt Hogan" Filthy Nick, or some other scientific
sar0n with equally euphonOus and Characteristic title
The posters never fail To in addition that "a
host OF talent will be present for this occasion only ana
that old Bin Tovee will preside by request Master Of
Ceremonies" The top OF the poster il embcshcd gener
ally with highly artistic wood cut that would make the
souls Of CnkshaDk DOre shudder. intended To repre-
sent the twin heroes OF the evenings entertainment,
who are to do battle M the mock arena in the closing
TO-" IL is strange fact THAT all the cuts on these
posters for many years presented in the features Of
the individuals pictured thereon the same identical east
countenance the same prominence OF mighty descoPed
under Jaw, high cheek bone, and nassyencs OF bullet
head fashioned into roundness and anatoical pro
portion from blocks of granite. The bill OF entertainment
never fails to state That me se qua non OF admission
fifty cents. with the occasional reminder that no dead
heads admitted The aid OF the Sulst Is sometimes
invoked where sentence like the following appears:
the mOdus OpeTand of the evenings entertainment Will
he as follows sparing by host OF talent; singing, by
Professor Dixon the Harp Of Erin and Indian club exer
ciscs by Larry Pill" Great attractions truly and all Tor
the moderate Of fifty cents. Now, let MS visit the
but before doing leave your watch and
yOur yaluabes behind, as the boys may I~rchance
nrr bat over ne evs and The rcuovai Of h}s
mepieCe and wallet TO his capaclous pockets bit or
a skyark" The hall generally chosen and rented for
The exhibition Is IN some dark neghOOrhOod where the
lamps bum dmy, where the cutters reek with foul gar
bage and putrid refuse situated over or underneath
oi low anu as laI iIon ,ne W.
withont snT traces Of Lord t1esterfeds teachings in
their manners or appearance hang around the entrance,
blssphene and Gbafng he passcrs.by Ascending the
stairs befoiled with the traces Of dirty aud uncouh feet
whom h dey9id Of any yse nasal feature having lost
ii in cheerful little min" fought in bygono days and
the demand is made IN no gentle tones:
Come, wat are you trying TO play on usi s-aay
InoffeIlsive person" have no ticket sir"
Ven then, plank down yer fifty cents, my dmty al
The nifty cents ais panked down" and iugrcss gained
thereby 10 hall 100 feet Icing by 80 feet In width Tie
dens ly crowded with noisy, laxative, yelling
assemDlage Of rough looking men, with heavy cOwhide
boots great OverCoas muied upin cOniOrters, nearly
every Que Of whom carries pistol, knife, slung
shot on their person. provision for any abstract
ngency that occur The weapons concealed out
of pOteness and proper regard for the feelings Of the
unintiated but In case Of disturbance, in seconds
warning every rOughis prepared FOR the aggressive
defensive; most commonly the former. There IL simil
gTy IN the appearance Of all the present They all
chew tobacco % an unlimited eXtcnt,or smoke bad cigars
rendering the atmosphere of the badly ventilated
thick aud nauseOus as night IN London fog.
The high cheekbOne narrow brutal forehead, OveIhung
with shock Of cOsecrOpped muddy hair, aud battered
facial Developments every where prevalent and notice
able you push through the crowd gently possible
to avoid giving Ofense you are saluted with the
OpprobrOus epithet and hafad0zen professors"
vigorous manner. Getting 10 the Z" front" with these
cheerful peasantftes ringing III your ears the stage
wherein the eOmbatants are 10 meet In mimic
counter 10 visible 10 the eye. The stage is
rough, boarded platform, elevated from the floor
about three feet aud In well regulated spalriny
old gentleman Of co. or Whereabouts, who moves
about with a slouchug gait, keeps amateurs off the
stage and by the attention paid 10 his remarks
made Ia guttera but feeble voice, 20 be man OF note
among the Corinthians who are cOngregated In the
Vicinity Of the stage. This old mans dim eyes, ROW
battle III the ring and indeed he acted principal In not
few Of them In the days when his were more pow
erfl Sud HIS stature more erect In these degenerate
days however lbs 10 usually visible at sparing eXhib
lions Ia the character OF master Of ceremonies and the
younger rOughs pay him the need Of yenerauOn and
Of the Restoration 20 the Oneegged nvalds OF the First
Empire. This character Is faniliary known as Ole
Bin TOvee." The old gentleman carries In greasy
pOeketbOok scraps cut from newspapers during the last
40 years when aud wherever bis has been mentioned
In the Old and hemspheres An unruly and pre-
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