The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-01
CITY INTEL LL4GEN NOE
THE FISTICS.

An Exhibition of the 'sIanly Art' ut Washing.
ton HaII-Tesiimoniai TO the Pugiiists O'sald-
win and ReardOn-A Reeking Assemblage of
the Nasties.
washington Hall, at the corner of Eighth and
Spring Garden streets, has become famous. The
triumph of its renown sounds far and near. Its
murky walls and straight-lined windows look upon
various and singular spectacles Upon its benches,
nj times sit the advocates of universal peace-the
members of the Peace Society met in friendly tea
party its floors yield and lift to the tripping OF the
light fantastic toe ; its ceiling echoes te cadence OF
prayer and hymn; the painted pictures on its walls
behold the nomination of Democratic once seekers;
and at irregular intervals, to wind up list the items
Enucks, and rowdies of the town crowd its door
ways and strip upon its platform to pummel ana be
pummeled in turn or so with the gloves.
There were these latter last night To them was
devoted the Hail from p. NJ. till midnight. In
force, TOO, were they present, In no contemplate
gathering-so far as numbers are concerned, DO
they allow themselves to participate And what
took them there? Upon the dead walls fences, Zen ana
for the few past days giant poster, announcing
that "a Grand Testimonial Benefit to Ned OBald-
win and Patsy ReardOn' had been arranged and
furnishing the time and place Tor the little lnlll?
Well, this poster was the herald TO the exhibition
which came OFF at Washington Hall last evening.
or COURSE the brace of beauties whose names
were black-ettered upon it were present
They came to pocket the "dough' kneaded by the
benefit. From the east, west, north, and south of
the town; from the alleys, biind courts, and dark
iots from the rat-pits, cockpts, and diyes;' from
every place irreputable and Questionable came also
their admirers to pat their brawn and toss hats and
as The m hall all aS Sas ABSOLUTELY a am4 the
s's9uare-heads" wedged themselves into the smallest
possible compass piled upon the benches and win
dow-sils, and blocked the very d0Orways. Not one
in the room but either smoked or chewed.
The floor ran slippery with eXpectoraed nastiness.
palpitated with Oaths Not one in the room but
talked. The place was a Bedlam-a worse. Like
apples in dung heap, few-a very lew-lOlks OF
respectable men were hemmed in here and there.
Curiosity, we imagine, and desire TO ''see life" had
as possible had they endeavored to the make-up"
of froughs, and in some Instances had they admi-
rably succeeded. one old chap we noticed present
who drives tiger team Ia DtOde, suns himself in
the windows OF club house, wakes his moustache,
and INDUCES in the cOstliest of perfumes. Would
his wife recognize him? He pulled out clay pipe,
set his arms akimbo, twisted his nose towards
his left ear, trod reckessly on his neigh
grace, and spat in the coat-tail pocket OF the man
next before him. Hadn't we penetrated his disguise
we'd have SHE'D away from him as a dog from tim
pail attachment Buthe was only a type OF the other
respectabes present. or all the crowd each had to
pay an entrance fee-filty cents for admission, a
dollar for a reserved seat. They who invested the
latter sum were far in the minority. The great mass
wouldn't stand such a tax, but nevertheless insisted
seats were lost among the common" The MOgul
Of the exhibitlonTthe Maior-domo1--was fellow
familiarly called by the audience "Oyster Jack"
Upon him devolYed the duty OF arranging
things, procuring champions to "toe
introducing the contestants getting Off little Jokes,
keeping everybody in a good humor, and in fine
everything else Twas not the hrst time he had
0ilciated IN such a capacity and he bore his part
well. There was considerable delay after the doors
mad been opened and the hall nled, before anybody
in the guse of 'hghtst' appeared on the stage.
AS Oyster Jack announced, this was owing to the
reason that the parties named on the pacards had
not put in an appearance. The room growing i'm
patient, and making boisteTOus apd ungentle calls
for i'fun" Jack jumped from the stage, and in lieu
of others seized couple OF lndiYiduals-abOut the
hrst he reached in the crowd-and pulled them into
small room boxed OF from the platform. Thence
they shortly issued, stripped to the waist and after
having shaken hands TO the names OF McGranigan
and Bigley, got to work For some five minutes
they pitched into each other heroically to the de-
light OF the spectators and the reddening of their
own noses. They issued from the fray with faces
like beets They were succeeded by nameless Others
and for two hours the performance was unchanged ;
one continual appearance and disappearance of men
in couples, who went through divers passages with
the gloves, imagined themselves bona Hde pugists
and smiled grimly when they elected any applause
by their play Everybody had grown tired, and a
general murmer growing anger at the non
appearance Of the heroes OF the time was begin
ming to make itself heard, when at length
O'Baldwn and Reardon stepped upon the boards.
The former, the Irish Giant" as he Is called, Is a
mighty man indeed, about six feet nine inches in
perpendicular, and broad in proportion. His move
ments, however. are heavy and slow. and in the
Judgment OF the majority of the critical ookers-on
mis- boxing was by no means scientific He and his
"tagonlst went through few passes with the
es, when the farce ended, and the crowd ske-
As they Issued from the door into the street,
'ueli curses OF what they termed "a -.--