Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-20

deemed foul" So runs the law, but while
the letter of it is obeyed it's spirit is disre-
garded a pocketful of powdered resin is
part of the equipment of a second, who now
and then dusts his principals hands with the
stuff. 1t may be mentioned in passing that
some days before the day of battle the hands
of the bruisers are soaked in pickle for the
purpose of making them hard. So much for
knuckles; now for gloves.
Under Lord Queensberrys rules competi-
tors are to box in twenty -four foot ring in
light boots and shoes without spikes, or in
socks with knickerbockers, breeches or trous-
ers, and to wear jerseys. The number of
rounds shall be three: the duration of the
first two rounds shall be respectively three
minutes, and the third four minutes, the in
terval between each round one minute. The
spirit of fair play dominates these regula-
tions. Note for example these: 'The refe-
rec shall have power to stop the contest in
either the second or third round in the event
of its being very one-sided," and he may
'fdisqualify competitor who is boxing un-
fairly by fieking Or hitting with the open
gloves, or by hitting with the inside or butt
of the hand, the wrist or elbow, or by wrest-
ling roughing at the ropes" In glove
contests for endurance, in point Of fact glove
fights, we have the nearest approach to the
severity of knuokle fights The rounds are
of three minutes duration and one minute
time. No wrestling or hugging allowed.
knocked out"
From this rough reckoning up of the diff
ference between the two modes it will be
gathered that the spirit of determined fight
obtains equally in each. Now glove fight
er, brilliant two-handed hitter, master of
every move in the game, is not therefore e
capable and enduring bruiser of the Tom
Sayers type. Sayers for that matter rather
condoned performing with the gloves, know
ing how much better he was without them.
Kilrain on the other hand declares for them,
and yet his one ungloved achievement was
brilliant enough. The great John L. Sulli-
van, if one may judge from his record, has
found the achievement of distinction with
the gloves more to his liking than winning it
by means OF "setting about" his opponent in
the naked, natural way. It is not improba-
BILE that sound critics of the two schools of
pugilisra, for they are separate, have given
heed to this in their forecast of the eloquent
bruise1's immediate future. However, this
is not the place to discuss J. l.. S. If I mis-
take not the Young Mems Christian associa-
tion practice athletics, pursuing in the main
the plan adopted and made popular by the
German gymnasium at Kings Cross some
twenty-five years. Are they as catholic in
their exercises, wonder, as were the Teu
tons of that rather remote period! The
Kings Cross prototype of Professors Null
lens and DonnelIey was a Professor Jones,
who taught the young idea how to box in a
manner that would nave enclanG6Q Suen q
muscular Christian as "Tom Brown" or
Charles Kingsley. Those, however, were not
the days of the Queensberry rules or of box
ing bouts for endurance. These are.
Whether or not we have improved on the old
system I leave it to the experts to determine.
One thing is certain, and that is that those
who condemn prizs fighting with naked fists
and uphold boxing with gloves, on the
ground that the former is fighting and the
latter is not, will have to reconsider their