Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-09
>1uliivan,s Star Again In the
Ascendant.


1t would be far pleasanter thing to
write Of a more elevated topic, but as a
matter of fact the most interesting thing
to the average American yesterday was
the prize fight which occurred at Rich
burg City, Mississippi, between one John
L. Sullivan and one Jake Kilrain. Mil
lions we're up on the result; and it is q
perfectly safe thing to say that every
student at both Yale and Harvard
dropped his Horace and Theocritus to
pore over the details of this pugilistic
battle. OF such perversion of intel
lect and young and ingenious sympathies
all that can be said is, cts true, tits
pity, and pity tits, It's true" No contest
of intellect could have evoked such a
widespread interest. If it had been an.
nounced that trial for poetical and lite
rary honors were to take place
in the most consecrsted spot in
New England, between Holmes and
Whittier, in the realms OF the
athletes of the mind would have been
in danger of being greatly mortified at
the languid interest which would have
been manifested even by the Bostonians
themselves.
The brutal collision which took place
yesterday was made interesting to a great
many students OF physiology by the fact
that, for many years. Sullivan has been
perhaps the most dissipated man in
America-dissipated to a degree which
would, in the period of week, have de-
,stroyed the vitality Of an ordinary man.
Many Angeleflos will remember when
he spared in Turnverein Hall, in this
city. When he left San Francisco for
the Angelic City he was 80 drunk that he
Obliged his friends to carry him bodily
on to vessel OF the Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company. When here, he sat in
front of the Pico House on a chair, with
his hands hanging Imply over the
arms, and with stream
of liquor exuding from both
sides of his mouth. Yet, strange
to say, bis athletic performance
the next night was wonder. He showed
his ability to spring up in the air and
strike q man with both hands and kick
him with both feet before he again
reached the stage. 1t was naturally sup
posed that a man who, for years, had
been guilty of such gross excesses, could
not sustain the exacting requirements
of the prize ring.
All these calculations, however, seem
to have failed. He is generally referred
to as the .'big fellow" but he was in
truth no larger a man than Kilrain, who
has been the pink of sobriety all his life
Kilrain was selected by the enemies OF
this physical wonder as the man most
likely to bring Sullivan's fstic glories to
an end. And doubtless he would have
done 80 if it had not been for the inter
vention of the wrestler Muldoon, Sulli-
vans trainer.
That experienced athlete at once
applied himself to relieving Sullivan
of the last suggestion of the whiskey
and champagne with which for years
the great knocker-out had ener-
waited his system, with the result,
which yesterdays fight shows, of
perfect success. Three months Of
regular and athletic life seems to have
restored to the Boston boy the glories of
his youth. Although the distinction is a
highly questionable one, Sullivan is
again the fistic champion of the world,
Muldoon's success in resurrecting the
giants physical powers is striking tes
timony to the efficiency of good diet,
judicious exercise and exemplary habits
on the human physique. That il will be
of lasting benefit to Sullivan may very
much be doubted. Judging him by the
past, we may confidently expect to see
him plunge into course OF
coarse dissipation which will, in |
q few years, leave his magnificent
frame but a relic of its past glories. |
It is questionable if, after man reaches |
= certain age, very violent physical train
ing benefits him, even if he is temper.
ito in his habits. Wilkie Collins, in |