The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-15
MEN WHO FIGHT FOR MONEY.
Their Business Hard One-A Champion
Says There II No Fun In Ii.
WASHINGTON Star


Their Business Hard One-A Champion
Says There II No Fun I'm 1t.
Washington STAR
"How does one get to be aprize-fghter ~
said the pugilist, quoting the reporters
question. why, it's very simple. You
see, boy whois natural 6ghter-aud one
has to be born to the business-gets into
scraps with other boys at school; he finds
that he has taste for that sort of thing
and he learns to box little. After awhile
he is invited to spar with another young
man at somebody's benefit. if he has be-
come known among his acquaintance as
promising fellow. Next, supposing he
does well, some sporting friends make up q
purse for him to box for with
rival, and from that to fighting for
prize is only one step. But it is hard
trade to succeed at. So long as you are at
the top of the heap you can make plenty
OF money, but the minute You are beaten
you cease to be q drawing card and your
very friends desert you. At the close of
prize-fght you will see the people rush up
TO the winner, thr ow their arms about his
neck, hug him and shout their congratula-
tons, but the unfortunate loser, who needs
consolation so much, is left alone. He has
not only been whipped, bnt hes lost his
means OF support; his prestige being gone,
his very hackers are angry and disguised
with him because, though he tried his best
to win, he has lost their money. No won
der that kiiraln burst into tears at the ring
side aud declared that he seemed to have
lost not only the battle but his friends
as well. One time not very long ago
| myself was worsted by man whom
afterward beat, and the day
after my defeat walked from one end of
Nne - -. L
ticed by any one. though two days before
being then champion-I could not travel
block without meeting somebody who
wanted to shake hands with me- He used
to be able TO fight. people aid when I had
lost. but he can't any more. Now am
champion again and have lots of friends
for the time / remain such. Such is prize.
fghting-a poor business, / say; in other
trades man who does his best is
pretty sure to get along, but not necessarily
SO in mine. The moment meet fighter
who shows himself better man in the ring
than am my occupation is gone and there
is little for me to do but retire. Prize-ight-
ing is hard work, too. -
Rough on the physique, eh?"
don't mean that. A prize-fghter
doesn't get as much damaged in the ring
as is commonly supposed. You see he is
in such perfect ply steal condition, thanks
to his training, that the injuries he re-
CclrcS 10 uOt OOt0cF uiIn nearly SO mUcl
as they would person in ordinary health.
For instance, a big bruise that closes his
eye, instead of remaining pulled up and
bad-looking for tive or six days, maybe, as
it would with another man, will have
nearly disappeared at the end of forty
eight hours, owing to the vigorous circula-
ton of the blood. In the same way with
person in this ideal health nature &C
composites any sort of repairs such as the
healing of cuts and so forth with wonder
full quickness. Besides, when q man goes
into fight he is thoroughly hardened as
to bis whole body. His stomach is as hard
as his chest, and SO throughout. 1t is diff
not often badly hurt in the ring. The
hardship Twas referring to is the training
itself. 1t is so severe that man can not
well endure it more than twice in year,
and no one should attempt to fight oftener
than that. Six weeks of training are
necessary each time before battle. /
have to get rid of thirty pounds in that
weight"
"What is your recipe for getting thin?
Many people would be glad to know it."
THAT is only one OF the objects of train
ing, which is very elaborate performance;
but any one can get thin who will drink
nothing but water and tea, not sleep too
long, feed on chops, steaks and toasts, with
light vegetables-no potatoes or cabbage
forswear soups, pastry and sweets, and take
plenty OF exercise. Speaking of weight re-
minds me that the hardest fghting-as all
experts in fistic circles KNOWS done by
men who weigh from 40 to 160 pounds.
and not by the heavy-weights, and yetit is
the heavy.weights in this country who get
the big money, though in England it is diff
ferent. Men of British blood are the only
ones in the world who have taste or ability
for prize-fighting, with the exception of the
Hebrews. 1t is wonderful how many
fighters OF Hebrew extraction have won re-
Collier one OF his hard st battles; Ike Wier,
the Belfast spider; Wolf Bendoff. who put
up his fists recently in South Africa for the
largest prize ever fought for-$20 .000-are
of Hebrew blood. Perhaps the best typical
fighter on earth is an Anglo-Saxon English
man with dash of Irish blood in him.
As for French men, they will not fight with
their fists; the boys at school kick and
scratch instead of hitting out, and they
prefer the 'savate' to boxing when they
are grown up"
"Are hackers difficult to find usually?"
Not for man who has reputation as
fighter. There are always rich sporting
men around who believe in such a clever
hand at the business, and are willing to put
up money to back him. In many cases
they do so simply for the sake of sport, and
others for glory or gain. 1t pays a man
sometimes, who keeps saloon, to back
prize-fghter in contest OF Importance, for
the sake of the fame incidentally reflected
upon himself. Charley Johnson wasn't
M UGH known until he put up a few thou
sands for Sullivan in the fight with Kilrain;
but since then thousands have gone into
his gin mill for the sake of saying after
ward that they have shaken hands with
the Boston boys hacker. That means bust
ness profit. The glory is something, too.
yohnson's picture looked very fine in the
Police Gazette, and now he is a popular
character OF national fame. A hacker is
thought grasping if he expects, in case of
win, TO receive 80 per cent. of the prize
fought for; he ought to give the bulk of.the
money to his winning fighter. and make
his own profit by outside bets. It's funny
thing. by the way. that people who don't
know imagine that q prize-fghter is neces-
sarily a tough. It's not SO. as l trust You
are aware; but the most awkward feature
of the notion is that the toughs them
selves suppose We want to associate with
them and they are offended when we ex-
hibit Discrimination to do so."