New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-09-28
PORTSM ANS IA
BY
KIT BURN.


Off "a
tbs head he was passonatey fond Of dogs and dogs
spd dogs finally cropped in the establishment of
KITS pit which coon expanded into the present Sport
mans Hall, No. 273 Waterst
Kit a stout, portly, muscular man. with a face as
& P bTos ana eamed BY certain s s scientists S
philosophers that man grows into OF S
The barroom Of "sportsmans Hail." which IS entered
from the street. IN harmony with me ese consist
Viduality especially as To its decorations d nn
Of pictures OF hunting scenes ana OF Rsr o
awhile IN the wilderness OF hth9gIapns % mi, and Of
ineuding the famous Heenan ana Sayres mn, a ,iI
sSo the most noted s srp TO their work
and ia atttudeshat is TO say IN peect P
SS to m RSRfe se SRy within ff Of heir reach
10 hear Kit talk when mellowed by his fayorte pew
az 90 20 an oratorica mood about these pictured prize
fighters, is equal to any treat that ever comes Oh III A'
says as he stands conemplatively before
one OF favOrtes he waS man You couldn't count
self eel 50 tidy Nothing fabby about him And SIGH a
claret Taper lie aus sot the ruby hS GIVING through
pass as easy of defense that OF Thermopyle one
is he sbond he Shot down This is to guard against
surprise by the police when dog ght or 10
should take hre when the amphitheater was crowded
floor to roof with worsnpers at t tbs
audience, whether saints or sinners would DC ALMOST
The dogpit or rapt-fOr it is used both for dogfghts
and rat kngis the center OF the room u Is sur
vous to rats It's oval in form and about long
and six wide at the widest part From THIS PIT the
seats rise circular FORM near 10 the ceDg as te
endurance OF those who occupy the topnost row VIII
permit The room will hold ESQ decent people ana tOO
indecent ones udecency always be packed closer
than decency. ., -. -,
the pit and most of the dogs are chained around beneath
the seats, being taken not TO give them sufclent
their teeth. The choicest dogs are kept in what might be
called canine 5o9doIs, up stars %Tpe Tgy s D
all the decaees Of the season in which the canine
P paSs XII saws ms famous dog Becher has much bet
ter food than he himself Becher has fought twelve
though now getting along years is s good for his
dog" dogs best fighting days are between the age OF
Kit used to have a black bear, which he always
could be set IN the pit AT the time OF my first visit to
this classic the bear occupied reserved seat IN
is his skin, having recently departed this fe after
lingering Illness mOurned by large circle OF admiring
The first time visited Kit Burns establishment; was
escorted there by The Wickedest Man In Eew-York-
john AlleDin company with Mr. arnold OF the howard
Mission; o vino y Ks dSgpS Little did we think on
hat OCCASION that should ever attend religious sery
roacbinS the place Allen informed that Kit was
exceedingly out Of temper about those days by reason Oh
the pit coming down through the skyhght IN the
Xii lost $500 himself by this police raid, and felt sore
about it, and suspicious Of strangers, and mad the
these things made John feel doubtful as to his ability TO
help TO 'much of q show, - - A..
'The gentleman" said John, you are 700
damned geneel Nobody but elergymen and pckpockets
ever Wear sHca eTIS steal the money Of those
who come TO patronze him. and 80 KIT hates DOtn clergy
fetch XII ri Introduce you as my cousins, and then
he'll show everything he's got, from his bear to MS
John introduced us accordingly and we were cordially
received by kt WIN seiies OI naSI s4ms d UI
We went and the dogs, and also the bear, ana
the weasel and the rats Kit on hospitabe thoughts in
tent took rat out of the cage with pair Of iron Ongs
which. when closed, resembled curling IRON and AFTER
opening for rat TO escape and stopping up hole
which he discovered lie put down the rat and called out
Give me the black and tan"
The black and tan compound OF steel ana inda rub
Der worked by electricity, handed 70 Kit who could
scarcely hold the paptating creature so eager was IL TO
tan had selected for the work in hand, which they
all seemed TO understand, became furious and set up
fghtfu bowling and snarling at which Kit sung out to
us, who sitting on one OF the lower seats
Look out for your legsl Go up beyond the reach OF
We ali Tree sprang for the higher seats ana the dogs
eprang AZ as. We Won, however, and escaped uDhmt'
"fhey q a had a steak out er you in mnutei"
ncaton al having saved our several steaks Kit let the
black and tan loose The rat stemRted TO run around
sprsng upon heard click OF Ills teeth and the
ST the 9a P S Oh dSwsra S h
The black and tan did not look to see whether no had
Feeling any sohcitude that point. dog that has
been trained no 70 e8 fa IN Ss bv Ihe as
Kit said when he bites em, that he's done the business
The black and tan having been returned TO his chain
KIT said with such glow Of pride Prof Agassiz some
knows to be a rare specimen Of natural history:
Now gentlemen want TO show you the most curious
thing you ever did in all your lives There
another such thing in this world. IT'S red rat ="
And rusting his tongs into tho cage he drew forth
rat about the color OF red squirrel and admringy held
itup gaze until we ratified his enthusiasm, when
he tenderly restored the curiosity 10 confinement .
The price of rat at Kits 10 20 cents. which sum the
etouete OF the place requires visitors hand him for
every rat killed for their deectaton What the rats cost
Kit he does not say They are caught Tor him by young
man who is reputed to have a gift and mission"
for the work This unusual young man lsad to catch
the rats with his hands in the dark by daylight with
houses for Them and TO other places where rats most
do congregate taking cage with him. In which TO bring
be great secret TO be revealed. "LOts Of
folks have tried to find it out says Kit but faint no
that the acatcher does not share that shrinking horror
which inspire In the human breast but picks
them as uneoncernedy Ss he would PICK up Inks %
sausage. -, -, -, -
seeker can at Kit Burnss his daughter Kitty bran
dishiDg her warelubs. Kitty s small fraglelooking
girl seemingly about lG Old and yet she will take
par Of war cubs Seg H6cS faI as ana bs
appreciated. In sparrng match with friend an I'M
gallant accident allowed the geDtlemans left TO come
down on Kittys nose with force which crushed the
bone and spoiled the beauty Of that but when tho
Elrl becomes animated In whirling her lGpound war.
time makes him forget her broken nose, when she
finally sets down the clubs the masculine behCder finds
himself ny0luntarly thanking Heaven that the
OF land have not hit upon them OF solving
The rleat question OF WOmans Rights" What could
husn do cOrnered OF morning with his triumphant
wifi landing before him gracefully posing ia each hand
sund war-cub and anecuonatey suggesting " the
III ing wretch his programme for the day
ling ON the end OF Kits counter, next 70 Water-st,
ar rouple OF stuffed or prepared" dogs, each OF
vi Is q history. The nearest the front Of the
eor or bar was black and tan named Jack, ia
pot ratkiller When Ia "klnR" trim Jack
" .' twelve pounds, and on one occasion did" his
hat being the best ratkilling time ever
al lin anug.