Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-04-12
SPORTING WORLD.
A "REMINISCENCES OF THAT VETERAN FIGHTER,
TOM SAVERS,
From the Pen Of Bis Backer-All His Opponents
Were Heavier and Taller Than he Was
Jamestown Gets an Old Wheeling Pitcher.
Gossip Of the Ball Reld-NOtes.

New YORK, April 1.-THE following
extract from a letter written by John
ME Gideon, the veteran hacker of Tom
SayerS, to the Clipper, is exceedingly in
tereSting. Speaking about SayerS, Gid
con says:
Il could 90 on about all SayerS' fights,
but | mention this one rs the cement
ing of our friendship. When he went
into the ring TO fight John Heenan, Tom
weighed l49 pounds-nOt an ounce
more l weighed him on the saturday
before. at four o'clock in the afternoon,
at the racing scales of Sam Rogers, the
celebrated trainer, at his stables. Tom
then weighed, in nudity, l47 pounds,
for be il understood, although the tight
was at catch weight, Tom weighed
every morning. During his career,
weight and height given away by him
were nothing, rs all his records testify.
His best fighting weight was l4O pounds
and when he fought and won his first
battle, March 10, 1919. against Aby
Couch, who weighed los pounds, Tom
weighed but l3S pounds. He gave
weight TO all who met him but one,
That was Bob Brettle, of Birmingham,
who was then the acknowledged middle
weight champion, and Tom fought him
=, 900 10 81, 900.
The weight and height of some Of
Savers antagonists were enormous
when pitted man to man. Couch was
over los pounds, and stood feet l
inches Collins weighed IA pounds and
stood . feet 10 inches. That day Say
ers weighed 13S pounds. Nat Langham
stood > feet II inches and weighed l66
pounds. Sims weighed lS2 pounds and
was 6 feet in height. POulSon weighed
I175 pounds and Savers 40 pounds.
/ Aaron Jones stood 6 feet and weighed
los pounds. The Upton SlaSher weigh
ed l9S pounds and stood feet ,
inches. Bill Benjamin, whom
Tom beat twice, weighed 175 pounds
and stood feet II inches. Tom Pad
dock stood ; feet IL inches and always
weighed in the ring $50 pounds. SayerS
stood > feet s. inches in height, and his
best fighting weight was las pounds.
| He received the belt for the champion
ship of England on June %, 1857, after
/ his victory over the Upton SlaSher,
and would have been his could he have
held it against all corners for three
wears. but he resigned it after his battle
with John C. Heenan, on April Il, 1850,
having held it two years and
ten months. Sayers' first great
salary for sparring was $50
per week. That was In the zenith Of
his popularity, after he had fought Hee-
nan. He engaged himself to Samuel
Lane. at the Brittania Theater, HoXton,
TO appear in the PantOmine. He came
on twice, once as pugilist in the open
ing. and later as a clown in the comic
business, finding his own costumes and
giving in the $50 per week for the use
of his two American educated muller,
Barney and Pete, that he purchased
of MeSSrS. HoweS 4 Cushing
WASHINGTON, PA, April ll.-Robert
| Gibson. who pitched for the Chicago
l League, Pittsburg League, and Wheel
/ ing Tri-State League clubs last year,
has been signed by the jamestown, n.
Y. team, and has been notified to report
/ for duty May /. Gibson made quite "A
record last season, and his friends in
this city think the league he is now in
will not be too speedy for him.