Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-01-23
WAS ONCE A CHAMPION.
BUT NOW HE is OLD AND AN TIN
Grant VENDER OF LEMONS.

lie Was Bred Among Fighters-He Gave
Up the Business When He Married-One
Fight That Made His Fortune but Nearly
Wrecked His Home-He Tells the story.
A little man with face that is scanned
by the experience of three score years, but
with keen, bright eyes, an erect form and
quick, nervous movements that contradict
The story of age told in his countenance
The little man carries a basket of lemons.
and he goes in and out of the many places
of resort in the business part of the city
offering the fruit. He is known by nearly
all the crowd in which he mingles, and
each one has IA kindly word for "Davy."
Not many know his story, but all who have
seen him often, and he is a familiar figure
on the streets of Seattle, recognize him as
one who pursues his business quietly and
respectfully, and deserves fair treatment in
return
Occasionally some quarrelsome individ-
ual, relying on his greater size, attempts
to impose upon Davy, but before the
friends of the lemon peddler have time to
interfere the old man shows that he needs
no protector. The basket goes down. two
ready fists come into position and two eyes
that have not begun to fade CLEAN out
dangerously from under the heavy eye
| brows.
If the piece of impudence was only a
silly bluff matters end Immediately, but if
the foolish meddler still believes he is safe
in stirring up malcously an inoffensive
little old man and continues in his course
there is "a short, sharp conflict. The old
man steps forward quickly, his left
straightens itself, and as the bully before
| him guards off the blow there is another
| from the right that finds its mark some
where about the igurehead of the aggres-
sor Another and another comes so quick
ly that there is no time for anything but
defense, and before he knows it the big
ruiian goes down, dizzy and weak.
FIGHTER BY NATURE.
a reporter, by dint of much persuasion,
gained the story of the old man from his
own lips, and it explained the swift move
ments so mysterious to the casual spectator
of one of his stands for self defense
Il was born on the 18th of March, 1898"
said Davy can if it had been two days
later I'd have been an Irishman Ye're
right, by gum! From the time | was II
years old till l was IS | worked in the
mines in Staffordshire, England, for Pm a
Upton man, an know every bit of the
black country There's where they have
fighters Why, man, there's boys there
who know more of heavy blows in the ring
than half the men that are advertised from
! one end of America to the other as pugilists,
an yet they don't go about talkin of It.
Ie're right, by guml Fightin' comes as
t'rally AS eatin' there. Why, had my
first regular good one when was only 49,
an it was about three ha'p'worth o. oysters.
The officers stopped us, or we heard em
a-comn' an run off an hid ourselves. but
I'd lost my front teeth first, an he had
some marks that | put on him.
YES, I've had seven fights in the ring
for money, an | never was whipped, but
that was years ago, an I'm no good now.
They Gale me the best man o. my weight
in England, an was open to anything /
weighed 40 then, when | trained down,
feather weight, you know, an no chance
10 make great reputation, but was in
some good ones Twice fought over two
hours. Backers in plenty for me always
Ie're right by gum! They knowed I'd
stan it even if ] was beat, but | wasn't
beat.
STORY OF ONE FIGHT.
Il fought Ike Turns twice-the first time
"A draw Tut the second worried him.
fought Joe Wilson three times in all. He
it was STRUCK me first about the three ha
porth o. ys'ers, an there was bad blood
between us till it was settled. The first
time the Ulcers stopped it; thf next time
it vas raw, after an hour an three
quarters put the last tine beat NM
inere d s,or9 Ill tllat hght, an IL was
my l's' one lou see was married then
- was years old-ah our Daby was ID
the cradle. Well, knew my wife wouldn't
hear o. my fightn' then, but when my old
packer come 10 me an says, They're Will"
10 put up TWO pounds TO one agln' we,
DaVy' an the mans Joe wilson, could
no, neip thihkii OF IL. 30 agreed to 90
III .he ring aglh' LOT there was 400 up
asi ,he nity my packer mad, az he said
nan the "lhhin should be Tor me. FIFTY
pouhu was zeal o money IN those days;
IL would Duy a nome ior poor man
>, wen, went 10 traihln' an every night
ia piacK my lace when went home to
make my Wlle thlhk was sui workln' in
the NINE. "hen the day come says to her
me hight before: must be up early i'll the
mornih' There's a hard job before me,
put I've got to do 1t. So J got up afore
| N hA