The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-16
Somebody to Touchdown.

<a.----
Somebody to Touchdown.
The rage for the art defensive has
taken possession of a number of young
men in this city, and one of its worst
victims is young man employed in the
Office of certain mining company. He
bought 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 ''knock OUT any man
of his inches, and SD persistent was he
in obtruding invitations to II sparring
bout on every small boy that entered
the office, that his fellow clerks deter
mined to put up q little Job on him, A
professional bruiser-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 q
sacrifice, and one of the would-be box
er's fellow clerks-a young man of about
his own size and age, whom he had fire.
quently Knocked about with the gloves
consented to assume the somewhat
disagreeable role. AT the time appoint
ed the professional appeared at the Of
flee and inquired for the secretary.
mot in; anything can do for you?"
asked the boxer.
The professional had his neck swathed
in handkerchief, spoke with great eff
fort, as if suffering from q severe cold,
and looked so meek and innocent gen.
orally that he was about the last man a
novice would have taken for q prize
fighter.
NO." he said, in answer to the ques-
ton, II jest come down from Virginny,
and I've got y letter to Mr.,
and if he wont be long, / guess I'll
wait"
"Oh, he'll be in in q few moments
Sit down and make yourself at home"
In few moments the secretary re-
turned and was soon followed by q
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 tuvned 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 Comstock miner,
and l suppose he never had the glo res
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"
mo" said the professional; "I'm
afraid of you, but II tackle that other
young fellow" pointing to the gentle
man who had been selected as the sacri-
flee.
III don't care if do 60 you around"
said the sacrifice, and at it they went.
and the professional went to the floor
every round, and 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 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 would-bc boxer, how
ever, had no computations about knock
ing out dying man. All he wanted
was somebody to knock out; so he said
to the professionals: young teller,
when you get your wind, I'll go you
some myself"
''Oh. Tn afraid you'd make corpse
of me-" was the reply.
"Oh, come on" said the boxer, 81
won't hurt you; I'll just tap you light. :"
At last, and with much seeming re-
luctance, the professional consented,
and the boxing proceeded. Every little
while the professional would send in on
the boxers ribs a whacking blow, which,
10 the inexperienced eye and to the box
er himself, was the result of sheer awk-
wardness. The boxer confined his
sparring To attempts to hit his antagon-
lists face, and he was occasionally al
lowed to get in light tap, just
to give him confidence; but the whacks
on his ribs soon began TO tell, and sore
and painting he sank into chair and
declared that there was no use i'm put
ting science against mere strength.
The pugilist then gave n few illustra-
fiou1 of his arf nud sbnuod l,,,, Io