The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-27
A CHAT WITH a PRIZE FIGHTER.
How the Champion of England Looks and
Talks When Not in Training.

Talks When Not in Training.
New York Tribune.
Three young men sat at table in Delmonico's
lew evenings ago enjoying a good dinner
Having disposed of this and lighted cigars, the
chairs were pushed back from the table and thin
circles of smoke curled toward the ceiling One
OF the trio seemed the centre of attraction to a
majority of those in the room His face was
smooth as boys and looked almost too youthful
for the well-built frame it sumounted. He was
dressed fashlonably, though the diamond that
glttered i'll his shirt-front may have been a
carat or SO too large. He was to all appearances,
the life of the party, and his conversation was
often broken in upon by strangers who asked for
the pleasure of hand-shake. The few who did
not recognize him were surprised to hear that
the young man, who might be easily mistaken
for an athletic CITRATE, was Charles Mitchell, the
champion pugiist of England One Of his
companions was formerly champion swimmer,
who gave up the water when beaten by
Captain Webb in ten-mile race the Thames.
lie was with Webb when the latter was killed
In trying to swim the Niagara rapids, and had
warned Webb against the venture The swim
mer and the pugilist were INDUCING in reminis-
censes The former made the remark
You look too heavy for fine work now,
Charlie"
Il am" replied Mitchell. 81 weigh 1874 pounds,
and that's within two pounds of my heaviest
weight. For fine work I'd bring myself down to
154 pounds, though the first time l met Sullivan
was way under loo No, l didn't feel a bit
nervous when l stood up before Sullivan. l
never felt nervous in my life before fight, and
promise you when do I'll go out of business"
Warming to his work he continued: "a winner
never feels doubtful about the result He gets
himself in condition for his event. Then he
thinks nothing further about it or else he thinks
that he is going to win. When man has been
beaten he always lays it to some mistake he has
made IN training perhaps, or during the event.
At any rate, he always thinks that he could
have bettered himself and determines to be more
careful in future"
Name the best man you've stood up against"
said the third man at the table.
We'll, Sullivan is the best man I've met" re-
piled Mitchell. 1.-THE next Cleary, should say.
and the next Kilrain. They say, you know"
with a smile, shat he got the best of me-"
But where does Burke come in, inquired the
last speaker.
'Oh," said Mitchell, "I consider Burke the
cleverest Of the lot. Do like the lifel Well, |
may say yes to that. If the average man knew
how well man in condition feels, all sorts of
athletic exercises would be in high favor. Elk
ercise pays RUM Yes, Myers couldn't give
me ten yards in a hundred, and l could beat him
out in ten miles. Not long ago / walked six
mics In forty eight minutes and thirty seconds
on a mile track. Yes see I've been exercising
my legs and arms since left school and was al
ways fond of horizontal and parallel bars"
Atthis point new conner an old sporting man.
came up and remarked: ''Old chappe, don't you
think you pitched into that macaroni too strong
tonight"
Don't you know" was the reply, that when
man isn't in training he ought to eat everything
He wants to get fat so that he will have some
thing to work off when he goes in for hard
work"
But aren't you tired of doing nothing, Char
lieT put in the newcomer, who had taken
chair and a cigar, and had already made himself
comfortable.
Philadelphia on Sunday night, and will have
some work every night for while at John
Clarks place there. / want to get on a fight
with some good man with the knuckles. Fight
ing and sparring knocked out here for
while and I'm thinking Of going to New Orleans
They tell me that's the best sporting town in
the country now"
Eyes, replied one of the Others" they treated
Ryan and Sullivan right down there BY the
way, boys did you ever hear where John L. Sui
livan halls fromP
"Why, he was born in this country" said the
others in chorus.
"Oh, yes l know that" was the reply. 81 re-
fer to his father. You know Sullivans father
is supposed to hail from the south of Ireland
from Kerry. An Irishman who doesn't come
from the south anywhere but the north of
Ireland won't draw, you know, as pugilist
The sympathy of the bhoys' won't be with
him."
Let me tell you a good one When Billy
Madden took Sullivan in hand he asked John
where his father was born. John said he was
born in the north of ireland. Billy is good
MANAGER you KNOW. he at once SAD: Well
you'll have to keep that mighty quiet. He can't
come from the North of Ireland He got map
of Ireland and spread it out before Sullivan. He
ran his finger down Ireland until he got as far
south as County Kerry. His finger stopped
there. THAT will do he said. John, your
father came from Kerry, and don't you forget
it," When the laugh which followed his story
ended, the narrator added, land John didn't
forget it, so far as l know"
The rest of the party began INVITING Mitchell
about some of the newspaper criticisms on his
match with Captain" James c. DAILY. Mitchell
laughed good naturally at the sailies and re-
torted that "men who know thing or two saw
that Daily was scared before he put on the
gloves" The others conceded this point and ex-
pressed good deal Of contempt for Daily, who
is big enough to eat his competitor and was so
badly frightened as to handle himself like a
tyro. Before the evening closed Mitchell gave a
specimen of his power as vocalist accompany
ing himself on the piano. He sang several
English and Irish ballads in good Style