The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-20
GOSSIP OF NEW YORK.
Colonel COckerill Laments the
Interest in Pugilism.
STILL. HE ADMIREs SULLIVAN.
Jay Gould's Subscription to the Prssbv-
terrain Church-Ed ucating the
Metropolitan Police.

New YORK, March 14.-TSpecial Core
spondence. II was very much surprised
the other day when l received telegram
from John L. Sullivan's manager inform
ing me that John l.. has issued from st.
Paul sort of onlniuul gGtherum challenge
to the professional fighters in America.
and had expressed a desire that should
act as stakeholder in the event of a combat
taking place. While l have always felt
an interest in athletics and manly sports
of all kinds l have never been able to work
up any enthusiasm over prize-fghting.
certainly have never done anything to pro-
mote that species of human amusement.
beyond recording and commenting on
ring events. I very promptly declined to
act as stakeholder, but must say that
rather like the way in which Sullivan 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 os
gate money.
l am specially anxious to see Mr. Sulli-
van administer good thrashing to that
insolent stabilized English prig, Mr. Charles
Mitchell, who under pretense OF being
prize-fighter, has used this country as
sort of happy hunting ground for the past
ten or fifteen years. When in this coun-
try, in search of silver dollars, Mr.. Mitch
ell affects to have great admiration for
American institutions. When he gets
back home with a handsome 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 intelli-
gent than the average professor of Fistiana,
and he is better able to write and talk
than most of them. But he is carpet
knight of the first quality, from all &C.
counts.
Whatever else may be said of Sullivan,
he has stout heart along with his giants
strength, and he is not afraid of anybody
who makes fighting business. I hope
that with little kindly assistance on the
part of the American public, Mr.. Mitchell
may be induced to meet Mr. Sullivan
somewhere on this soil, and that Mr. Sui
livan will administer to him the most COM
plete and scientific drubbing that has been
melted out to a supercilious Englishman
since the days of Bunker Hill. While on
this subject of prizefighting and stake
holding may remark that the New York
World is now acting in that capacity for
the proposed match between Sullivan and
Corbett.
The business of promoting and encour-
aging prizefighting and stake-holding
for that pastime used to be pretty we'll
monopolized by Richard K. Fox, but now
conspicuous newspapers, which claim to
nd Loo ;,
it seems, to engage in this felonious bust
ness. How newspaper which pretends
to be seeking for character, and which
assumes to exert some NOR al and political
influence, can openly violate the statutes
of this state by acting as stakeholder for
prizetight is something which l cannot
understand.
That a newspaper which pretends to be
the 'handmaiden of justice" can lend it.
self to this sort of thing is Incompetent
sible, but journalism is rapidly advancing
in these parts, and while the lofty editors
discuss the ethics of things with great
gravity, and lay down morals for the
guidance of the general public, the boys IN
charge of the news downstairs are devising
ways and means to sell few more papers.
While they are pdrticeps criminis in viola
tons of the statutory and moral codes.
they accept with due humility the painful
rebukes administered to the corrupters of
youth and the promoters of immortality
by the able editors in the altitudinous
towers.
Speaking of professional boxers and
sham fighters. l naturally recall some of
the recent exhibitions in this city in the
istic line. which go far to establi sh the
fact that there are more fools in New York
who are willing to part with their money
on slight provocation than in any CITY in
the world. There is. perhaps, more money
and less intellectually in this town than
any city on the Western Hemisphere.
Theaters which present 'hoss" plays and
variety acts are packed and crowded every
night, while the sweet, intellectual PLAYS,
such as Alabama" wither and stale in
about eight weeks.
The newspaper press which see ms to ap-
peal least to the intellectual part of man
meets with the greatest favor, and alto
gether We seem to be passing into that pc
Rod which distinguished Rome when it
exalted stomachs and muscles and left
brains to take care of themselves. In the
Madison Square amphitheater few weeks
ago Mr.. James Corbett, of California, a
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 he
would thump and pound platoon of the
same kind of people, as they were all en-
gagged by him for that special purpose. A
crowd of at least 1900 or 5000 people as
sembled to see the performance.
The crush was so great that people were
trampled upon and had their ribs fractured
in efforts to get at the box office. As mat
ter of fact, there was about as much fight
ing and bone-breaking in the vast crowd
of fools rs there was in the exhibition on
the stage. The following night in the
same place g dozen or two vulgar, COM
monplace negroes of both sexes clad in
tawdry habiliments. gave an exhibition of
what is known in select plantation circles
as cake walk" This drew another
magnificent audience of cultivated New
Iorkers, and the willy agent who en-
glneered this catch-penny scheme pocketed
something like $500 and smiled at the
gullibility of this great metropolitan
center.
The following week the negroes de-
scended upon Boston with their vulgar
exhibition, and although Boston is push
ing New York very hard for the first place
as a sucker" town. the management
cleared only about 81, so. So We still hold
the championship belt for idiOcy. and Sir
Edwin Arnold can read his sweet and ce-
lestiai poems TO cold and unappreciative
theater benches whenever he chooses to
visit US.
Paxton and His Parishioner.
Ny esteemed friend. the Rev. DR.. John
4. Paxton, who breaches Presbyterianism
TO Jay Gould, Russell Sage and number
of extremely wealthy people in what is
known as the West Presbyterian church
i'll West Forty-second street, has been
getting himself in trouble on account of
his recent exalation of his patron, Mr. jay