The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-07-05
SULLivAN'S ODDITIES.
Some True Stories About the Champion.
Never Before Seen In Print.
lCoPYRIGuT 1901

| mlttee from Icltlc society waited or
me and offered three hundred dollars u
me II / would simply sit on a platform
at their annual picnic to be held in q
neighboring grove in few days.
| thought il was a dead cinch and agreed
to show up on the festive occasion.
Along in the afternoon on tho appoint.
ed day made my appearance at the
grove. As soon as the crowd recognized
me they swooped down on me in body
| with a welcome that almost smothcrod
me. ] was pulled, dragged and finally
| hustled 10 the platform In the most
lively manner,
IL felt as though had passed through
cyclone and | believe my clothes
looked as though they had. Then for
three OF the longest hours OF my life,
| they pounded me on the back, hit mo
good, hard punches In the stomach, rung
my hands almost Off me, stepped all
over my feet, poured beer wine, liquor
and lemonade down my neck. OF course
they were all good fellowship best
in the world Strong, honest farmers
and miners good-naturcd and full OF
fun, but IL was the toughest struggle OF
my life. ] would rather fight two or
three ring fights than go through an
other such experience. Why, when ]
pulled off my shirt that night my body
was covered with black and blue spots
from the poundings received from the
wholc-souled crowd that wanted to lot
me know | was welcome that afternoon"
When the big champion was training
really very hard last summer on Null
doon's farm at Belfast \. Y, for his
great battle with Kilrain he found his
every day rural life rather tiresome.
This quiet country SPOT had very few
charms for Sullivan; he loves exotic
mont, and therefore much prefers to
live right In the heart of a big city.
Muldoons house stands in an exceed
ingly lonely corner OF tho pretty town
directly opposite fat-looking grave
yard, that made the big follow feel sick
every time he looked across tho road.
He told me he thought he would go
crazy the first few nights no was up
there, for there was nobody around no
knew except Muldoon, and he went to
bed with the chickens. But after Mike
Cleary and his friend and business man
nger, Jack Barnitt, got located with him
he became much more contented.
"What do you do to amuse yourself up
here, john" asked, one afternoon, after
he had got through exercising for the day
and was seated in tho barn resting.
"Well, | have gotta now fad. am kind
OF stuck on chccse-maling, and 90 over
to the factory and fool about the place
for an hour or so most every day. Walk
over with me and I'll show you how to
make cheese" So sauntcrcd over along
with him. Charley Johnston, Clcary
and Barnitt accompanied us. On our
arrival ut tho factory Sullivan do
scribcd to us in detail tho process OF
cheese making with all the dIase OF an
old hand at tho business He went
around in very confidential manner
examining the temperature of the milk
in the largo wooden watts, the cheese
presses, etc, closely criticising any lit
Ito defect.
Taste this" he said to Johnston and
myself, producing IA sample of new
cheese. That's my own manufacture.
What do you think of IT." We both
pronounced it very fine, except that 1t
needed Hre.
This side OF Sullivan's character was
certainly now to me at the time, and l
found he had gained full knowledge OF
tho art Of cheese making by his close OBJ
servation from day to day derived by
dropping into the factory for tho want
perhaps, of better amusement 1.-THE
fact is" said John L., whom we werc
leaving tho factory, 81 can make as
good cheese as most any body, and If
give up fighting may be I'll go into the
business myself some of these flno
days How would John l.. Sullivan
champion cheese go on tho market?"
ut might knock out the English
cheese" | answered. why don't you
try it?'
There are few men who care less for
the value OF money than John L. Sulli-
van, although he often has to fight for
~" iit hhS ulboubuculy MAUI HloTe
money and made it easier than any
other pugilist that has ever lived, and
spent IT with a very liberal hand. TO
say that he has fairly thrown away
fifty or sixty thousand dollars In year
to his friends and followers would be
no eXnggeration. | remember an Incl
dent that happened in q swell uptown
cafe in New York shortly after the big
fellows sickness He was about tlnan-
cially wrecked at the time.
A wealthy young clubman who was a
great admirer of the champion knew OF
this fact and hunted him up in the cafe.
John l.. for somo strange reason did not
fancy his admiring wealthy friend, for
noticed he treated him in very indif-
ferent manner. This, however, did not
seem to have any effect ON the young
sport, for the first chance he got he
rather surprised me by pulling forth
five hundred dollars in flfty-dollar bills
and Offering them to sullivan, saying:
Here, John, is the dust; want you to
have it."
mo, | don't want IT. thank vou."
"But insist, John you must Why,
bless your soul, you can't go broke while