Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-02-08

of water on the other side, and pugiliStS
have before now lost their reputation
hy neglecting 20 polish of an antagonist
when the opportunity offered itself. In
the past legionS of wicked fighters
existed. but with the advent of boxing
with gloves men OF this class have all
but died out OF the few existing, per
hadS Jem Carney is as good an example
as any. He was never known to give a
chance away throughout his unbeaten
record. Ted Pritchard, the celebrated
English middleweight. is another Of
this breed Through taking advantage
of every opportunity this pugi.iSt has
won all his fights I'm a short time and IL
remains 10 be seen how he will acquit
himself in a long contest. Slavin is
another good specimen of fighter who
does not believe I'm letting down his
man too easily and is a wicked lighter
of the most pronounced type.
Notwithstanding the intense interest
taken I'm the doingS OF to-day pUgiliStic
champions few people outside the circle
of old ring-goerS look back 10 times
when what may be termed the fathers
of the noble art" laid the foundation of
puriliSm. Americans have lately been
So taken up with John l.. Sullivan, Jake
Kilrain. Peter jackson, Joe McAulihe'
Jack Dempsey. Bob FitzSimmons, Jack
NcAuliffe and Dickson, that champions
of she past have been almost forgotten.
Yet how few pugiliStS OF the present
generation can compare with those that
fouriShed AT the beginning of the cen
turvi What a revolution they would
cause I'm the order Of things,
could such giants of the magic
circle as Jem Belcher "Hen" Pearce.
MolineauX. Jem Wharton tthe "Moroc-
GO Prince Tom Crib, Hickman tthe
Terrible Gasman"), Tom Spring, Jem
Ward. Bendigo, Tom SayerS. Heenan
and others that fouriShed before the
sixties" be brought 10 life again.
Real champions were in those days
content, nay anxious, 70 do bat
tle with uncovered hands for Tar
less than the amount now put NJ
for ten or twelve-r0und contest
with siN-onnce gloves Truly things
haVa undergone a revolution in puglliSm
AS I'm other sports, and especially IN Nm
gland Is this more pronounced. There
We find their boxers, with few eN-
.ceptions. unable to hold their own
with invaders from America and Austria
lia. We want no more palpable proof
of the truth Of what we assert. wheh
man of the class of Jem Smith IS per-
mitted % adopt the once proud title OF
champion OF England. On the strength
of his victory over Jack Davis in De
cember. 1856. this man was taken on
trust bya certain section Of SportSmen
for future events. which. alas, for their
expectations, failed TO come OF, as Wit
ness his miserable show with Peter
jackson and Frank Slavin.
The cause OF the degeneracy OF the
prize ring was not 50 much the fault of
the uugiliStS themselves n the black
guardlv conduct of their following No
sooner was the rcRUc OF fight known
than the ruliianS of the large towns
near which 10 would be decided, deter
mined TO make the occasion a medium
az proft 10 themselves and loss to the
respectable members of society that
might be present. In other words rob-
berry was committed wholesale.
If the art Of prizefghting in the ola
style has degenerated, that Of boxing