Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-08
The Luck of Prize-Fig hters.

The Luck of PrtZe-t1ghter
The great interest which centers in the
Sullivan X ilrain fight is one of the least
encouraging signs of the times. No man,
however illustrious in the line of thought,
art or science, could hope to inspire any
thing like the universally of the interest
which attaches to two men who repre-
sent nothing either reputable or bene
fetal, and who ought to be put at hard
work by the State until they make up
their minds to become law-abid
ing citizens. Prize-fghting has really
in theory followed the duello to the
limbo of things no longer tolerated on
it in every civilized community, and yet
tens of thousands of people expect to see
the fight today, so confident are they that
tie laws will be evaded.
A great prizs-fghter nowadays, by a
judicious employment of the hippodreme
tactics, can make an income in single
year, which no college professor, how
ever distinguished, could hope to equal
in five. John L. Sullivan is said to have
made and to have wasted $500 900 dur
ing the past ten years. There are few
lawyers or physicians in the United
States who can say as much and, as to
poets and professors of the belles-let ers,
it is doubtful if the whole tribe put
together could duplicate that sum. What
the peculiar fascination to the average
citizen is in seeing two men, who have
first been brought to high state of
physical perfection, maui and batter
themselves out of all resemblance to a
human being, passes the ordinary COM
prehension. Prize-fghting belongs to
the same category as keel hauling in the
navy and fogging in the army.
Yet to-day, judging from the past, one
of these brutal exhibitions will be car
ried out in spite of the authorities.
There seems to be an unusual earnest
ness on the part of the Governor OF
Mississippi to stop the fight, and it would
be great triumph of law and order if
the effort should be successful.
Unusual interest attaches to the event
on account of it's determining for aye
whether or no Sullivan is the man he
was some years ago. The general opin-
ion has been that long course of dissi.
patton has shattered his once unrivaled
physical powers. If he should fail to
win the day, there will be an
end of a great bully and braggsrt as
drawing attraction. Both of the cham
pions as they approach the scene OF
battle have INDUCED in unlimited blus
ter, each avowing his ability to knock
the other into the middle of next week,
and fight to a finish will end the pre-
tensions of one of them forever.
At the beginning of the present GEN.
tury prize-fghting was quite fashionable
in England. On the occasion OF the
visit of the Emperor Alexander of Russia
to London George ". arranged mill
for his entertainment on the most ap
proved plan. George himself was no
mean pugilist, and before he aecended
the throne he had had many bout as
Prince of Wales with the burly fighters
of the English metropolis, asking no
odds and not standing on rank, and
nearly always coming off victorious.
The present Prince of Wales is also said
mot to be averse to seeing prize-fght,
and he was very gracious to Sullivan on
that worthy's late visit to England; but
the day of the bruiser is past in civilized
countries, to the contrary notwithstand.
ing.
THERE is grand chance for some en-
thusiast to immortalize himself today, as