Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-01
Exercise With Boxing Gloves,
New York Mail

New York Mail.
MANY persons who never witnessed
a glove contest, and who read in the
papers that Smith or Jones had been
Knocked out by Brown or Robinson,
lump at once to the conclusion that
something brutal and revolving to the
better instincts ofhuman nature took
place. As every lover of athletic exer
cIses well knows, this is not neces-
sarily the case nor indeed can it be
truly said that in one instance out of
twenty are brutal exhibitions witness
ed at glove contests-n y-=----.---.,,---
These observations fell from the lips
OF prominent member of the New
York bar, as he noted the points made
by the amateur boxers in Tammany
Hall, where the young men were con-
tending for championship honors, I'M
der the auspices of the New York Ath-
letic Club. The lawyer, who is him
self a member OF the club, and an en-
thusiastic advocate of boxing in a
moderate way as healthful exercise,
drew quite O little audience around
him by his earnest comments between
the bouts, and was listened to with
respectful attention, for it was evil
dent that he felt and meant all he
said. As two members of the Star
and Pastime Athletic Clubs shook
hands after three pretty rounds,
which made the perspiration flow free
ly, the lawyer proceeded:
"These young fellows will need no
medicine as long as they continue to
take their exercise with the zest they
have exhibited here tonight. The
gloves bring out the muscles OF the
arms and chest far better than the
oars or dumb bells, and while their
abuse must be condemned, their prop
er use should be applauded and en-
couraged. This peculiar exercise gives
a young man a manly spirit, and
sends his whole frame aglow in a style
no other athletic pastime can"
would you maintain these doc
trines in the presence ofyour famiiy?"
inquired young man who joined the
circle.
Decidedly so; my boys have few
rounds every morning before break
fast, and their appetites don't suffer
in consequence. In this hall tonight
we have lawyers, doctors, merchants
and editors, and none of them
are i'll disguise, and none think
they violate any precept of proprIety
in being here. The New York Athletic
Club has done a merItorious work in
establishing boxing among it's
regular exercises and thus removing
the unfounded prejudice against it.
speak, OF course, of boxing as conduct
ed by gentlemen IN a friendly and gen.
tlemanly way"
You do not consider it dangerous
exercise?" queried Sheriff Grant, who
by this time had become one OF the
little audience.
Theories are of no consequence
when we can have facts, and the fact
is that no man was ever killed or dis
abled for life in contest with boxing
| gloves"
Possibly because men are deterior-
ating in our day land have fallen away
form the old standard ofphysical ex-
cellence."
Nonsense, we are not deteriorating.
| Blows have been struck quite recently
! with gloved hands which, il admins
| tered with the naked clenched fist,
would have brought instant death. |
| could give many instances but will
| confine myself to one, in which Mr.. III.
E. Buermeyer, of our club, who is
officiating here as referee, was con-
testant against George Lee, of the
Union Club OF Boston. Lee was
| knocked out of time by blow on the
| jugular vein, and his neck would have
been broken had Buermeyer not worn
gloves"
HAS the general use of gloves been
beneficial or otherwise as far as physi,
cal development is concerned?"
at has been beneficial in more way:
than one, by making the exercise more
general and by doing away with its
brutal features. Professionals who
box for money and do great deal o
loud talking to make people think
] they are superior beings, are fast reap
ing the contempt they deserve. Tn,
great mass of them are frauds on the
| public, and the general introduction
! OF glove bouts as gentlemanly exer
else will send the professionals into
obscurity. The so-called prize fight:
in recent days have been nothingmort
or less than exhibitions to max.
money, and the number of fools who
have faith in these self-styled fighters
is daily growing less. The last fata
prize fight that / remember in thi.
country was between Charles Dram
of San Francisco, and George Emer