The Portland daily press., 1892-03-21
new YORK LETTER.
A Spicy Revelation Of Metropolitan
Life.
Ffstians-suIIfvan and Erftcheli-A News
paper Rebuked-New York aud tho
Championship Belt for ld;ocy-Jay
Gould as q Philanthropist.
fcopYnrenr. 1891

lCCPf6f3hT, lcSS.
I was very much surprised the other
day when received a telegram from
John L. Sullivan's manager informing
me that John Z. has issued from ST.
Paul sort Of omnium gatherum chal-
lenge to the professional fighters In
America, and had expressed a desire
that should act as stakeholder in the
event OF combat taking place. While
] have always felt an interest in athiet-
les and manly sports Of all kinds have
never been able to work up any enthu-
siasm over prize fighting. certainly
have never done anything to promote
that species of human amusement be-
vond recording and commenting on
ring events. very promptly declined
to act as stakeholder, but must say
that rather like the way in which Sui
Ivan has served notice on the assumed
fighters of the country that they must
step up and do some fighting before
they can longer claim championships
or large shares of gate-money.
I am specially anxious to see Mr.. Sui
Ivan administer a good thrashing to that
insolent, stabilized English prig, Mr..
Charles Mitchell, who under pretense of
being prizehghter has used this coun-
try as sort of happy hunting ground
for the past ten or fifteen years When
in this country, in search of silver dol
lars, Mr.. Mitchell affects to have great
admiration for American Institutions.
When he gets back home, with hand
some addition to his bank account, he
makes himself especially offensive to
Americans, and does not hesitate to cast
reflections upon us as people. He is
a little more intelligent than the aver
age professor of Fistiana, and he is bet
ter able to write and talk than most of
them. But he is carpet knight of the
first quality, from all accounts.
Whatever else may be said of Sulli-
van, he has a stout heart along with
his giants strength, and he is not
afraid of anybody who makes fighting
business. hope that with little
kindly assistance on the part of the
American public, Mr.. Mitchell may be
induced to meet Mr.. Sullivan some
where on this soil, and that Mr.. Sullivan
will administer to him the most COM
plete and scientific drubbing that has
been meted out to a >snpercilious Eng
lishman since the days of Bunker Hill.
While on this subject Of prize-fghting
and stake-holding l may remark that
the New York World is now acting in
that capacity for the proposed match be-
tween Sullivan and Corbett
The business of promoting and en-
couraging prize-fghting and stske-hold-
ing for that pastime used to be pretty
well monopolized by Richard K. Fox,
but now conspicuous newspapers, which
claim to educate and lead the masses,
are anxious, it seems, to engage in this
felonious business. How a newspaper
which pretends to be seeking for char
acter, and which assumes to exert some
moral and political influence, can open
" violate the statutes Of this state by
acting as stakeholder for a prize-fght
is something which cannot under
stand
That newspaper which pretends to
be the .sHandmaiden of Justice" can
lend itself to this sort of thing is incom-
prehensible; but journalism is very rap
idly advancing in these parts, and while
lofty editors discuss the ethics Of things
with great gravity, and lay down NOR
ais for the guidance of the general pub
lie, the boys in charge Of the news
downstairs are devising ways and means
to sell a few more papers. While they
are particeps criminis in violations of
the statutory and moral codes, they ac-
eept with due humility the painful re-
Dukes administered to the corrupters Of
immortality by the able editors in the
altitudinous towers.
Speaking of the professional boxers
and sham fighters, naturally recall
some OF the regent exhibitions in this
city in the fistic line, which go far to
establish the fact that there are more
fools in New York who are willing to
part with their money on slight provo
cation than any city in the world.
There is, perhaps. more money and less
intellectually in this town than any
city on the western hemisphere. Thea
tiers which present ''hoss" plays and
variety acts are packed and crowded
e every night while the sweet, intellect
ual plays, such as Alabama" wither
and stale in about eight weeks.
The newspaper press which seems to
appeal least to the intellectual part OF
man meets with the greatest favor, and
altogether we seem to be passing into
that period which distinguished Rome
when it exalted stomachs and muscles
and left brains to take care of them
selves. In the Madison Square amphi-
theater few weeks ago Mr.. james
Corbett, of California, professional
fighter, essayed to knock out three OF
his partners according to the rules OF
the Marquis of Queensberry. He could
Just as easily have advertised that be
would thunp and pound platoon OF
the same kind of people, as they were
all engaged by him for that special
nnrpose. A crowd of at least 1000 or
5000 people assembled to see the per-
Torrance.
The crush was SO great that people
were trampled upon and had their ribs
fractured in efforts to get at the box
Office. AS matter of fact, ere was
about as much fighting and bone-break-
ing in the vast crowd of fools as