The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-07
TILE DAILY AmGUs.
gomahal1 to Knock Down

1OLuau9uY 10 Au0ekD0Wns
The rage for the art defensive has
taken possession of number of young
men in this city. and one of its worst
victims is Il young man employed ia the
Dffice of certain mining company. He
bought a pair of boxing gloves and
practiced ON the Office boy and telegraph
messenger boys with such success that
he felt certain he had mastered the
manly art. and began TO express him
self as wondering how much Sullivan
would give him to stand up to him
eight or ten rounds. SO confident was
he that he could .aSnoc. OUT any man
OF his inches, and SO persistent was he
IN obtruding invitations to 4 s,1arrfno.
bout on every small boy that entered
the office, that his fellow clerks deter
mined TO put up little Job on him, A
professional hruiser-known as one OF
the best light weights in the country
was interviewed and the arrangements
perfected.
In order to make the thing work
smoothly. it was necessary to have a
sacrifice, and one of the would-be box
ef fellow clerks-a young man of about
hls own size and age, whom he had fire.
quentiy knocked about with the gloves
consented to assume the somewhat
disagreeable role. At the time appoint
ed the professional appeared at the of
fee and inquired for the secretary.
Not in; anything l can do for youp''
asked the boxer
The professional had his neck swathed
in handkerchief, spoke with great eff
fort as if suffering from a severe cold,
and looked so meek and innocent gen
orally that he was about the last man a
novice would have taken for prize
fighter.
No" he said, in answer to the cues
ton, Il jest come down from Virginny,
and I've got a letter to Mr.,
and if he won't be long, | guess Pn
wait"
''Oh, he'll be in in few moments.
Sit down and make yourself at home''
In few moments the secretary re-
turned and was soon followed by a
select few who had been invited who
dropped in to chat for half an hour, it
being after business hours Of course
the conversation was soon TURNED on
the subject of boxing. and the boxer i'm
mediately brought out his gloves and
challenged any man in the room TO a
bout
keep quiet about your boxing said
the secretary. There's that little fell
low over there, only a Comstock miner,
and | suppose he never had the gloves
on in his life, and I'd gamble that he
could get away with you.''
He could, could hep Here, young
fellow, just take these gloves, and put
up Your props"
No. said the professional; Pm
afraid of you, but I'll tackle that other
young fellow, pointing to the gentle
man who had been selected as the sacri-
flee.
Il don't care if | do go you a round,n
said the sacrifice, and at it they went.
and the professional went to the fio0r
every round. ami allowed himself to be
Knocked around like football; but oc-
casionally he would get in an apparently
accidental sidewiper on the ribs that
would make the sacrifice snort like a
porpoise and wish he had not accepted
the JOB of being a sacrifice. The round
being finished, the professional dropped
into a chair apparently completely ex-
hausted. coughing as if in the last stages
of consumption, and declared that the
doctor up at Virginia City had pro-
nounced his ailment desperate case of |
pneumonia. The wouId-be boxer. how |
ever, had no computations about knock |
ing out dying man. All he wanted |
was somebody to knock out; so he said |
% the professional: Young Teller. /
when you get your wind. IN go YOU
some myself.
''Oh, L m afraid you make a corpse
Of me- was the reply.
''Oh, come ON said the boxer, Il |
won't hurt you; I'll Just tap you light
At last, and with much seeming re-
uctance, the professional consented.
and the boxing proceeded. Every little
while the professional would send in on
5he boxers ribs a whaeking blow. which,
o the inexperienced eye and to the box
II himself, was the result of sheer awk- |
yardness The boxer confined his
pairing to attempts to hit his antagon-
SITS face, and he was occasionally al |
owed to get in a light tsp, Just
0 give him confidence; but the whacks
"A his ribs soon began TO tell. and sore
nd painting he sank into a chair and |
ecIared that there was no use in put
ing science against mere strength.
The pugilis0 then gave few illustra-
ions OF his art, and showed how he
'orked it to get in those side-winding
ody blows He had not proceeded far,
owever, before The would-he- boxer
tumbled," SO to speak.
Il see how it is beysr' he exclaimed,
you played cold deck on me-all