The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-07-25
AN OLD TIME FIGHT
Witnessed by Bill Arp in Gwinnett Coun-

AN OLD TIME FIGHT
Witnessed by Bill Arp in Gwinnett Coun.
ty.
atlanta Constitution.
didn't bet on Iilrain-I dident man.
ifest any interestin the fight, but tsomehow
I couldn't help taking sides and I would
nave given about FIVE dollars if Fsilrain
had whipped him. Sullivan is brutal,
beastly old braggart, and can't help be.
ing against him on general principles
J. don't take any stock in Kilrain, but I
just want somebody to whip Sullivan and
take the starch out of him. "Major,
have you heard the news" said my friend
Warren Aiken in an excited tone ofvoice,
ga telegram has just gone over the wire
thaG Kilrain broke Sullivan's jaw in the
third round; isn't it glorious 2" I
wonder why it is that we cannot help
taking sides in such contests Even the
women and the preachers confess to
choice. Is it laudible emotion or is the
devil at the bottom of the whole buainesa7
If he is I'm afraid he has got 8 little hold
on me, for I will stop right still in the
street to see 8 dog fight. Nabor Freeman
is kind hearted man and loves his fellow
men, but he used to keep game chickens
and fight them on the sly behind the
barn, and I caught myself looking at them
over the fence more than once; not that
I would do such thing as fight chickens,
but upon the idea that if they we're going
to fight anyhow it was no harm to look
on. a man needn't 60 about with his
eyes shut to keep from seeing things.
Human nature has got pretty good excuse
for admiring courage in man or beast.
Nimlod was mighty hunter before the
Lord, and Daniel Boone and Kit Carson
were not far behind him. David killed o
bear in his youth and afterwards smote
Goliath, and the Lord was on his side
and he had thirty mighty men Of valor
who did wonderful things. Three ofthem.
broke through the whole army Of the
Philistines to get the king some water
when he was about to faint, and one of
them umote lion on a snowy day. But
Sampson eclipsed them all, and if there
was any belt he wore it. He slew his
enemies fore and aft with a mules jaw
bone and found water enough in it to
quench his thirst after he had finished
the job. Who does not admire the
wonderful feats of Sampson? What boy
or girl has not feasted upon the picture
where he is bending over the lion and
tearing his mighty jaws open with his
hands I Human courage and human
strength has always been admired aud
always will I reckon. Moses slew an
Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
Jacob Wrestled with an angel and got his
thigh dislocated. T don't know why it is
but somehow we all love to read about
such thfnga--about fighting and victory
about Captain John Smith killing the
three Tarks in tournament and about
Israel Putnam and Daniel Boone and
Davy Crocket. About Ivanhoe and Rob
Roy and the Roman gladiators and Ben
Hur. 1t is hard to draw the line between
such scenes and the grosser and more
brutal matches of modern pugilists.
The time WAS when We had such matches
in the court house square on every muster
day and nobody tried to stop them. The
governor never ordered out the militia.
In fact, the militia were the spectators,
and some of them we're the fighters. Ais.
Bowles and Jim Robinson and Mic Raw.
lins were officers in the militia, and after
the grand parade was over they stripped to
the waist and each made ring of his own.
Bowles gathered his clan around him and
leaped into the ring and shook his ambro.
brosial locks and gave a wild Indian
whoop ard jumped up and cracked his
heels together three times before he touch.
ed the groupd, and then crowed an unearth.
ly crow and screamed "I'm the best man
in Pinckneyville deestrict," and then he
crowed again, which was the signal that
he had nothin' agin nobody, but vas just
spilin' for fight. Not far away Mic
Rawlins threw ont his tobacco and shuck.
ed his upper clothes and tied his galluses
around bis waist and snapped his teeth
together and said, "Gentlemen-with a
Joe Brown accent on the smen'-I amt
no wild cat, nor bo constructor, but I'll
be dab a mighty dad blamed if I'll take
that from no man. Sally Jane told me
fore I left home to crow three times when
any other fellow crowd twice." and Mic
crowed thrice and slapped his hard arms
around him and screamed, "I'm the best
man in Cates's deestTict, and no man
holds me in fight" In another minute
the heroes met half way and another ring
was formed, and the clans shouted: "No
man touch; hands of, gentlemen fair
fight; FIVE dollars on Bowles; FIVE dollars
on Mic; hurrah for Mic; hur1ah 70,
Bowles," and a thousand confused, excited
remarks, while Mic and Bowles were
knocking and writhing and twisting, and
finally getting closer and struggling with
arms and legs to throw each other to the
ground. Soon they quit the perpondicu.
lar and are upon the ground, first one on
top and then the other, and they knock
aud tear hair and gouge and bite and
struggle, while the clans shout "Give il
to him Mic, 20 it Bowles." In due time
Mic whipped him and Bowlea cried
| enough and thew shook hands and cd