The morning call., 1892-09-11
A Rambler's Observations on
Things in General.
PUGILISTIC CHAMPIONSHIP
Banking and Five-Cent Piecss--Y achting.
On Wearing Tall Hats-Family Crests.
A Beauty Show.
Written for THE MORNING CALL.

hours In the memory Of magnetic people
like Americans. Caifornans have their
share OF this happy gift of forgetfulness.
The expectation of an event Is much MOI 9
interesting or fascinating than its actual per-
formance. One event occurred on Wednes-
day last which stirred the heart Of this con-
tinent In profound if not elevated manner.
A national Republican or Democratic con-
vention could not surpass it in the hold it
mad on the average mind OF the public. Not
even the Pinkerton war at Homestead or
the struggle at Ceur d'Aleue aroused so
much attention. Yet after all IL was only
test Of boxing skill and endurance between
two physical giants. Except as peg for
betting what did it matter TO any spectator
which man won? The world would
nave been not one whit the worse
or better had the combat ended in
draw or In favor of Sullivan.
Yet there is a satisfaction, il we must have
been deposed. His conduct on drunken
tears, his wife-beating, his knock-down
blows rained upon people who incurred his
enmity, his senseless personal expressions
on the character Of other pugilsts because
they ventured to oppose him. all contrib
uted to place him at the very antippdes Of
where gentleman should stand. He only
Dragged about being the strongest hitter
with his right knuckles on earth, and as
long as he was believed to be supreme he
found many gentlemen OF means to bet
upon him and back him.
The whole journey to New Orleans was
a triumph for Sullivan. C0rbett's journey
could only be called an ovation. II was be-
leved that the tall young stripping was
presumptuOus. and would be felled with
just one tremendous blow early in the
rounds. Then Sullivan was to retire never
to fight again. He had visions OF the
stakes already in his pockets; he had
Visions OF thousands OF dollars coming To
him rs boxer-actor-for actor he is not
And now these dreams are all dissipa,ed,
and so Is Sullivan himself. Corbett now
enjoys the triumph, and be shows decent
qualities OF moderation in his victory. He
does not rave or rant in bitterness Of feeling
at his opponent, but offers TO help him in
friendly sparring exhibition. lie speaks
modestly of himself, and just explains that
lie trained as hard as he could for the con-
test. and acted with cool prudence during
the rounds, never losing either temper or
onfldeDce. Indeed, the battle might have
been over much sooner than ii was. What
spectacle IL was to see the huge. heavy
man who was an hour before believed to be
invincible lying there in the sawdust. a dis
gushing mass of bruised and bleeding flesh.
And what amaZement was on every face
among the 9OC0 spectators to see this over
throw accomplished without a single scratch
on the body of the conqueror, who might
almost have gone on fighting with fresh
man Of formidable caliber.
The real stimulus of these fstic encount-
ers is the passion for betting There is also
passion for boxing. but its professional
form has always been supported by the
speculation of the pools Every man among
thousands who travelled from Chicago,
Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia
aud San Francisco had a stake more or less
great on the result. The odds were to
on the Boston champion, and when the
knockout blows came there must have been
unmitigated CONSERVATION on the faces of
thousands who had lost heavily and could
i'll afford 1t. In popular parlance many of
these sports are "broke," and will have
difficulty to get away from New Orleans.
Curiously enough the Chicago men placed
their money on Corbett, and SO In
as it usually does. The result of this fight
is vindication Of the value Of temperance
in athletics. COrbGtt was all hard bone and
muscle, and as strong and 1.-THE in the legs
as a trotter A ten-mie run or a series of
high jumps were nothing to him. His lung
power seemed to be inexhaustble. 1t shows
how specifically Sullivan was examined
by his admirers. He was puffy; he per-
spired; he was weak in the legs and not
half so agile as his opponent; neither was
he so quick in hitting, and when he did hit
generally missed ana did himself harm. So
there is much more in pugilism than the
ability to make rushes. 1t is a case Of the
bull and the matador.
Corbett might have made small fortune
for the sports of his native town had they
only known in what condition he was. As
1t happened, very large proportion indeed
laid their bets on Sullivan. They, however,
lost their money good naturedIy, and
eheered just as heartily as il they had won
when the news of the finish came over the
wires. In one large bOarding-hou every
man but one favored the ex-champon. A
good deal OF sympathy WAS felt for that
solitary exception until about o'clock.
The sympathizers came around to
feel his bumps and express wonder
whether there wasn't anything soft in
his Uranium. but eventually they all
took 20 feeling their own soft spots.
In huNbers Of large commercial houses
~Siere was good deal OF betting, mostly on
Sullivan. The amount OF betting rampant
IL truly demoralizing. To win or lose hat
on the Presidential election Is of little mo-
ment, but when 1t comes to systematic
betting on everything good deal of money
takes flight that can i'll be afforded. One
fool OF q man in Pennsylvania has lost
everything over this fight, and so he has
blown out such brains as he had. 1t Is OBJ
servable that there never Is any betting on
the occultation OF Mars or of Jupiter.
These events are too certain for speculation.
The bankers who have been holding a
convention in San Francisco haG under dis
cussion fair average Of mighty subjects.
but no attention was bestowed upon
the curious fluctuations in the purchase of
commodities due to California having 8
cents as the lowest coin. Yet how momen-
t0us this 5-cent pieca may be in great
flow OF business has recently been shown in
the SS00,000, or possibly million, absorbed
every year out Of the mercantile CON-
munity Tor no services rendered. The rail-
road company obligingly collects the full
toll On fractions Of ton and hands over
tenth or an eighth to the Harbor Board.
1t Is doubtful whether any such system
could have grown up where money was
properly reduced to the lowest unit of de-
nomination. In Eastern States which are
much weather. than ours. The 0ne-cent.
the tw0-cent and three-cent piece is not
Ignored as coin. and boy or girl may be
brought up to understand economy to the
veriest shaving. But under the tve-csnt
system 1t seems to be matter OF indiffer-
ence to receive or give nickel. as II it were
OF no importance. As matter of fact it Is
not a triflinR affair. There are many people
who study how to get the turn of the ex-
change oD these nIckels. Some of the news
boys understand the advantage admirably.
Not long ago when the dynamite explosion
occurred at Berkeley one lad selling news
papers earnad SIG in one day. and another
boy made S12. When these youths grow UP
they may be puzzled how to improve their
means of livelihood.
Admission day was as perfect as any that
occurs in the year around San Francisco
Bay and especially In San Francisco. So
the bankers hal delightful excursion over
the sunlit waters, and opened their eyes at
the possibilities which may be achieved in
this climate. The warm brown and even
red Of the hills edd to the impressiveDess
Of the scenery when the sky is serene ard
the bay flashes back the blue In sympathy.