Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-08-24
AFTER THE BATTLE.

Ualiagner MIL Win tue lOllOWihR rhcy
description
AFTER THE BATTLE.
A visit to Tom Aliens saloon at eight
o'clock revealed an interesting state OF
affairs to those who are fond of examin.
ing the shady side of human nature. For
square on either side of the place the
sidewalks were jammed with an eager
multitude of all sizes, shapes, colors and
sexes. Women, who, like the lamented
Mrs. Rogers, had mine small children
and one at the breast" pushed and pulled
through the sweltering, swearing mass,
and strained their eyes in the vain at
tempt to see the champion. Infants
screamed in chorus, and maturer- juve-
niles swelled the din with their frantic
yells, while broad-shouldered, sharp.
elbowed men marched forward, over and
through all obstacles, as though they
were striving to catch glimpse of resur-
rected Julius Caesar.
The vicinity of the saloon itself was
packed entirely across the street from
wall to wall. Policemen pstroled in
front to keep the pathway open, and
the cars were Obliged to pause and ring
their bells in order to clear the track.
The high and the low, the rich and the
poor, were here, mixed in q delightful
and suggestive conglomeration. Gentle
men from Chouteau avenue and Lucas
Place stood cheek by jowl with the ca
naile of the city, and had their dainty
linens smrched by unclean hands. Boys
who ought to have been in bed pulled
villainous cigars in the faces of elderly
respectables, and bawied their noisy
hurrah for Allen with the vim and venom
of veteran blackguards. Inside the at
tendance was not remarkable; the heat
literally melting everybody out of doors
Our friend of the auburn hair still pre-
sided at the instrument, and ratified
the keys in q wild, triumphal march,
which sounded like the concentrated
war-whoops of q dozen Indians. He
played with every energy, if not with
skill, and the streams OF perspiration
poured down and mingled with the music,
lending delicious dampness to per-
former and performance. Allen was not
visible. Several carriages drove up to
the door during our stay, and at each ar
rival the mob rushed forward to see their
idol, and then turned away disappointed,
to drown their sorrows in rum and lager.
1t appeared to US that enough liquids
were poured down the popular throat in
the space of an hour to float an ordinary
sized steamboat. Here and there groups
gathered around some individual who
had been there" and who described the
rounds in that style of racy English
which would make Worcester and Walker
willing to burn their dictionaries and
hang them selves. The atmosphere fairly
reeked with smoke and foul odors, and if
the gas did not burn blue it certainly
ought to have done so.
Gallsgher's was only second edition
of Allen s-the same sort of crowd, the
same oaths, the same diaboical smells,
the same curiosity to see the Celtic lion
of the evening. But he came not while
we we're there. The piano and violin
were on hand as usual, but the cat gut
and ivory had melancholy information
which reminded the listeners that the re-
suit of the battle had not been altogether,
satisfactory to the proprietor OF the instr
tuition.
McCoole's was as tame as the night
preyious-Allen and Gallagher having,
for the time, put the quondam champion
under total eclipse.
Billy CAROLS was likewise quiet,
though Allen had shown himself there
early in the evening and made little
speech to his friends, the substance of
which was not Of sufficient Importance to
chronicle.
What relief it was to get out of and
away from them all, to breathe the fresh
air and look up into the unclouded blue
where ''the sweet regent of the skies
walked in serene majesty among her re-
tinue of shining stars, and seemed to
gaze down With plying love upon the
planet which God intended for paradise
and man converts into hell
To the above the Democrat. of the
18Th inst, adds q resume of the talk the
The saloons of Car..oll, McCOOle, Gal
laober and Allen were crowGcca WITH peo-
nile. and the only subject of converse
tom was the mlll. The opinion generally
EXPRESSED was that gallagher va, tairly
defeated, and ought to give mp the stakes
Quite number OF respectable citizens
who witnessed the fight declare positive
" that Kelley tkrag mp the sponge. How
he referee failed to Sue tho SyHbol OF de-
feat tossed in the air is q mystery 10
many, and 0 subject of indignant cen
meut BY not few.
One pugilist at CAROLS declared that
he had witnessed as mary noted prize
FIGHTS as any man in this country, and he
had never before heard of dispute about
the result Of battle after the sponge had
been thrown up-it is equivalent to the
precipitata retreat OF an army without
the order of tho pommanderin-chlef.
Many expressed the opinion that 1t
was useless for Allen to expect fair play
in this city; that the national prejudice
against his countrymen will not admit OF
the possibility Of an Englishman getting
the better of an Irishmau 10 pngilistic
encounter. This, we think, is a mistake,
because Allen was backed principally by
Irishmsn, and the decision Of the referee,
in the face Of . pslpable fact, is not gen.
orally Endorsed.
Allen, on his return, made short call
at the Ivy Green, and was loudly cheered,
and honored as 9 victor. His injuries
are said to be slight, although his face is
badly cut up in two or three places.
Gallagher went home and retired early
TO bed. His friends claim that Allen was
whipped, and that Charley was good for
a dozen rounds at least when Allen left
the ring. 1t is agreed on all sides that
he made a gallant fight, and is one OF
the best men in America.
1t is evident that the unsatisfactory
result of this fight has added to the gloom
previously cast upon prize-hghting by
he rnvdrism at the mill between Nc