The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-11-23

L
yesterday in some apartments on the
second floor of rs Crosby street, mar
lied to a wise little housewife, who
keeps their rooms as neat as pin. Ben
was seated by table, thoughfully
munching an apple and poring over
well-worn Bible He is a large man,
with broad, square shoulders, muscular
limbs, and a broad, good-natured face,
not much impaired in expression by the
sears of many ring and bar-room fights.
81 was going up town one Sunday
night" he said, ''hunting for some sort
of amusement. You see, had always
spent Sunday nights in variety halls,
and when | saw the lights in front of
the Park Theatre | went in to see what
was going on. lnstaed of dancing and
variety business, | saw Brother Sawyer
preaching to good house, and telling
them how he had been drunkard and
gambler, and how contented and com
| Portable he was after he had reformed.
Somehow Sawyers story interested me.
| was all of a shake with wine drinking
and, although | had come East with
$4,000, had drank and gambled it all
away. 1t interested me to know that
a man could get out of such slough.
| On my way home | determined to give
up drinking. When [ got home | told
her Gerking his head toward his wife)
SO, and she could hardly sleep for anxi-
ETY. to have me take the pledge, She
persuaded me unit, early next morning,
when we went up to Il place on the Bow
cry, and signed the pledge. 1t was no
easy thing to keep, l can tell you. My
nerves were all gone | walked the
floor that day in agony. Every muscle
was in a quiver, and | could not sleep.
Late that evening, for the first time in
my life, / prayed to God to help me. l
don't know how long it was; but after
some time it seemed like flash came
over me, and l felt easy and relieved. /
sent her out for Bible. One was
never in the house before. She gave
75 cents for this one Qifting the worn
volume that he had been reading), and
soon afterward | went to bed and slept
easy through the night. We went to
see Brother Sawyer, and every night
since we 60 to meetings somewhere"
'When did your prize-ighting life be-
gin 2 the reporter asked.
"When the war broke out | was in
Nashville" Hogan answered. 81 began
by following the army-not as soldier,
for | don't think I'd have been much of
a fighter that way-always looking out
for myself always. Well, | made lots
of money, but some way had to spend
it in getting myself out Of trouble |
never fought much on my own account,
and never bar-room fight unless | tYas
in liquor. Well, | followed the army
down to Port Royal and Hilton Head,
and from there l went to the Dry Tor
tugas. played cards of all sorts from
New Orleans up the river to Cincinnati
and Pittsburg. Why, | had plenty of
money when | was in Pittsburg. had
a span of horses and S27, 900 to the
good in the bank. At that time made
up my mind to quit drinking and gam
bling, for I had plenty to keep me the
rest of my life. That did not last long,
though. My money dwindled away in
loans and other ways until | landed in
Saratoga, at the beginning of Sum
mer, with only $4,000 Ill my pocket.
I left there with S15, and that bor-
rowed"
"Was that about the time of your
fight with Tom Allen ?" the reported en-
quired.
ooh, about that fight, Hogan replied,
somewhat irresponsibly. but with in
creased interest. "That came about in
this way / had been living around in
the oil regions, making plenty of money
and drinking heavily. My stomach was
all gone. The skin of my hands was
shriveled and cracked, and the doctors
told Inc that the Hot Springs water was
all that could cure ME. Me and my
partner started right off and stopped in
St Louis. There we met Tom Allen,
who was spelling to fight some one. l
was willing to accommodate him, but
my friends urged me to cure myself
first. / would not wait, but planked
the money right down. You see al
ways back myself" Hogan said, with
manifest professional pride. every
thing was fixed, but when | got to
the Hot Springs the doctors said they
could do nothing for me. They advised
me to 90 over into the Choctaw Nation
and drink the fresh blood of game for
awhile. Ny partner and l took nine
| gallons of whisky and lot of ammuni-
ton and started off We had glorious
time for nine weeks, and | was all right
after that, and Allen and myself had
our fight. The set-to was tough one;
it came out a draw"
'You had other ring fights, had you
not p
ooh, yes, and | never lost one of
them" he ans swered. ''There was Ryan
and Holiday, both of them easy jobs.
The fight with Donnelly was the hardest
| ever had. | was roped into that.
They thought they had put up a job to
have me well licked. | had gone over to-
Canada on gambling tour, and they
brought me against Donnelly n bar
room. Growing soon resulted in
match to be fought within two. weeks.
We fought SO minutes, and he knocked
me down l l times. I gave him good
one in the side that broke three of his
ribs for him and won the fight"
"Have you met many of your sport
ing friends since your reformation :" the
reporter asked.
"Yes; they have called on me from all
sides. What are you going to do,
Ben they ask; 'all you know is gam
bling, prize-fghting and saloon keeping.
My answer is that | have broad shoul-
ders, strong hands and a stout heart.
Since my reformation she and find
IS week is enough to pay our rent and
give us all we want | used to make