Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12

II. NJ johnson is not correct by any
means. They were present on theloccasion. of
for comparatively small amount of money.
They took an important part in the affair, and
in 1888 met Mr.. kettleman at Detroit He
fully explained to me how and why johnson
was credited with breaking the record The truth |
is, according to Mr.. Kettleman, he interested |
himself in the event in such way that John |
son convinced every body that he had performed |
the feat. Now Peter Priddy has told me the
same story dozen times over, and is willing to |
swear that johnson did not run 100 yards in |
4-5 seconds. Even when man is in the best |
possible condition the time is remarkable, if |
run on the best track-cinder track-in the |
world. But there were no such conditions at |
the Cleveland affair. OF course / am aware |
that the question has been argued and rear
gued, but only mention iJ at present to show |
that if an eye witness of the Seward race can |
nave his alleged record knocked into oblivion, |
there is no reason why eye witnesses of the |
johnson effort should not be listened to.
RRS
The Attack on Vaudeville.
Charles Mitchell, sometimes called the cul- |
tured pugilistic champion of England, has to |
some extent immortalized himself during the |
week, He has left fstic impressions the |
face and body of one of England's noblemen,
known to the world as Viscount Vaudeville. |
His lordship had already gained considerable |
fame-some people would call it notoriety-in |
walks of life other than pugilistic; but to be |
thumped and battered about a fashionable |
restaurant by the artistic bruiser who bothered |
the great John l. Sullivan ought to give his |
lordship all the fame or notoriety he wants. |
Doubtless it is great lad" for Mitchell, and |
he will be greater than ever in the eyes of the |
patrons of his Battersea music hall. But the |
little affair between Mitchell and his lordship |
suggests one or two things. First, it points out
how low titled citizens of England and Great |
Britain can become and they can never get |
so low as to lose their titles. 1 don't deem it |
degrading feature to find Viscount Vaudeville |
or any other titled aristocrat il restaurant |
with Charley Mitchell, the prize fighter, but 1 |
do deem it low and degrading for a man in any |
class of life to stoop to the questionable ac- |
nons that have characterized Lord Vaudeville |
and his pal" Mr.. Baird, during the recent |
SlaviD-Smith battle. There was time when |
the cultured and titled classes of Great Britain |
hOnored pugilism. In JackSon's time and In
Belcher's time and also the time of other old |
timers, such noblemen as Lord Palmerston, the |
Duke of Westminster, Lord Byron and hun
dreds Of Others were the faithful and honora-
BILE patrons of the ''maniy art" But with the
patronage OF such characters as Vaudeville it
is no wonder that modern pugilism is daily be-
coming more disreputable.
Local Pedesrriauism.
The local pedestrians are making an honest
effort to revive that class of sport in this city.
We all know that 1t has been in disrepute in
and about Pttsburg for a very long time, and
whether or not it is pUssibls to re-establish it
are some excellent foot-runners in this. city
there is no doubt and it is just as certain that
there would be as many more if foot-racing
were again TO become anything like popular.
1 very steadfastly hold the notion that foot :
racing is just as fine and as healthy sport as
one need see or indulge in, and think that the
public held this opinion for long time 1t
was the public's opinion until a very question:
able system of toot-raclng took the place of
what was recognized as a very honest sport.
Wen, see no reason wig younger generation
of pedestrians should not 'reintroduce the old
state of things There is no reason whatever
to think footracing will not interest very
large part of the public if it is rightly con-
Quoted. But there has been one similar feature
among Pittsbutg pedestrians of recent years.
They never talk earnestly about running race
until midwinteT. This has been SO for several
seasons and it is the case now. During the |
last few days there has been considerable talk
about races between local men and others for
big stakes. Now this, at best, is very foolish,
because there is not at present, and won't be
for long time. any certainty at all of a
very foolish for backcrs to put a
man into training in midwinter, when he must
necessarily do his work out of doors. II all this
talk about match making would be transferred |
to seasonable weather 1t would certainly be
better for the popularity of the sport. To say
the least of it, there is a very great degree of
foolishness about making match for foot
race at this timc of year. Pedestrianism is an
outdoor sport, goas-you-please excepted, and
as such it oug6s to be carrie on at time of
year that is comfortable to the public.
About the Manly Art.
There amt nothin' in this yer fghtin' big
mess now" said a well-known patron of the
manly art to ma the other day, and there GER
tainly was much truth in his remark There
is. indeed, very little. comparatively speaking,
in the business now, and the prospect is of the
ing as business has gone to what some people
would call the bOw-wows ana at present man
is very lucky indeed if he can get a profitable
engag ament with the gloves. When the law
pounced upon Sullivan. Kilrain and Others
ventured the opinion that the glory, if any
there was, of the prize ring in America had
almost entirely departed. Events since then
have borne my statement out and now we find
the Southern authorities fully determined to
impose the penalty of the law on the principals
of the SulliVan-Kllrain battle. This example
will undoubtedly cause the authorities of other
States to do likewise, so that we may safely
come to the conclusion that it will be a
very long time indeed before we have
another prominent prize fight on the turf. We
can, therefore, make up our minds to the effect
that in the future glove fighting, and that only
in private clubs. will be the order of the day.
Personally am not sorry for this, because in
this age of intellectual progress there ought to
be some moral improvement even in pugilism.
/ am thoroughly convinced that public senti-
ment is, generally speaking, opposed to the old
time method Of prize-fghting There was in
deed. much to admire in the old-time battles,
and I'm sure there is Ruch to interest any
body who admires pluck and honesty in read
ing the lives of such men as John Gully and
those who figured in his day. But times have
changed, and glove contests in this country at
least have taken the place of old-time fighting.
CLUBS are springing up like mushrooms all over
the country, and these clubs are promoting
glove contests Well, there ought really to be
little opposition to system of that kind, but
what is and what ought to be are two different
things. 1t certainly is surprising to find
such strong and unreasonable opposition
will turn out and witness baseball
game or a football match, where fingers or
limbs are injured; or eyes blackened and heads
cut and think everything all right; but we re-
fuse to tolerate pubic exhibition of sparring
where two men do not harm each other at ali.
There is deal of inconsistency in that, not to
say hypocrisy. would like somebody to try
and reconcile the position. am informed that
efforts are being made to establish an athletic
club in this city on large scale. hope such
may be the case, as Pittsburg is in need Of
frst-class club of the kind.
The Law and the PueilIstH.
If the programme of the Mississippi police
authorities is carried out as intended there
will be no battle between Sullivan and Jack
son this year. A sentence of one years i'm
prisonment is overhanging Sullivans head and
he and his friends think that it will have to be
appeal amounting to anything. Mr.. Bray, who
is intimately acquainted with Sullivan, told me
the other day that the latter is thoroughly sat
is1ied that he must 90 and carry out his
sentence. This is to very great extent
a big disappointment to the sporting public.
1t has generally been believed that the fine
would be all that the Southern authorities
would exact from the champion. However it
may not be as bad as Mr.. Bray and others ex-
pect have a notion that the imprisonment |
part of the sentence will be rescinded. Well, |
if the worst comes to the worst, and Sullivan
has to leave his friends and pursuits for II
months, there will be fine opportunity for
battle between Jackson and Slavin. These two
Australians must come together sooner or
later, and it would certainly be better II they
would meet before either of them meets Sulli-
van; indeed, whether the latter is imprisoned
OF not. the two strangers ought to fight first. Z
All being well, don't expect that either of
them would hold out long against the cham
pion. and this probability makes it all the more
necessary for them to settle the question of
their respective merits before tackling the big
man.