Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-09-02
SullIvan's Autobiography.

The publisher Of John l.. SullivAn's book
has at last issued it, and to say that 1t will be
a surprise 10 the reading public, is putting il
mildly. The big >lugSer, although possessing
brutal instincts to large degree, is not the
illiteratc person most people have credited
him with being and his ancestry is one Of
which this country hiss reason to be proud,
according TO his story.
His account begins with his birth in Bos
ton, Oct. II, ISIS, in house Oh Harrison
avenue. nearly opposite Boston College.
The site is very near that Of the present
Homeopathic Hospital.
Ills ancestry is traced back TO antecrdcnts
from the county Kerry in iceland, whence
great crowd OF >uliivans have rmgrated tC
this country in the past hundred years oI
more. One Of them, John sullivan, was ;
member Of the first general congress in Ia
He took part in the sackinr Of a British fort
near Portsmouth in December OF that year,
capturing 100 barrels OF powder that did ser
vice later at Bunker Hill Another one,
James sullivan, brother OF John, Wa
Governor OF Massachusetts,. and one OF the
commissioners appointed by Washington tc
settle the boundary between the United
States aud the provinces.
John l.. Sui ivan. son OF the last named,
was famous engineer. constructing, among
other things, the great Midde>ex canal
once the only big line Of communication be.
tween Boston and New Hampshire. All
these, the champion claims, were from the
same old stock from which he sprang. As
contributorv proof he relates family anec.
dotc. The mother of the two goyernop
paid visit TO James when he had John. the
governor OF New Hampshire, IS guest.
The servant at the door did not know her,
and a~ked her to wait, rs the governor was
engaged
Tell him" said she, sweeping out OF the
hal, that the mother Of the two greatest
men in America will not wait in anybody :
anteroom.'
The governor, on hearing the report Of
the servant, recognized the true sullivan
esqne ring in the lady's answer, and 4aid to
Ms DI'lheI lNl uh run hlteT h'l IL
mother. for certain
Suivan's school days are rapidly passed
over. lie first went to the primary school
ON Concord street, taught by Miss Blanch-
ard. who, We are given to understand, stood
no nonsense from the boys. He WAS gradu-
atcd at the Dwight grammar school, and
went for season 10 night school in the
o,d bathhousc on Cabot street, now used as
I a wardroOm.
While at the grammar school Miss Jones
the tcucher condemned him TO a licking
and sent him for lis medicine" as John
puts it, TO the head master, who figures IN
the chron icle as Jimmy Page. John l.. was
duly licked, so that Mr.. Page alone enjoys
the unique distinction Of downing the sub
sequcnt champion OF the world.
A year in q commercial college and lC
months In Boston College followed. He was
destined for the priesthood. 1t seems. but had
different ambitions for himself, and wa
subsequently apumber, brick mason and
tinsmith.
In concluding his work as an autobiogrA.
pher, Sullivan says "he trusts that the book
will prove its own apology for challenging
public attention, and that the fighter and
writer will not be thought to have forsaker
his colors, for eapng over the ropes, just
this once from the ring Of the athletes into
/ that of the authors"