The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-04
John L Sullivan Has Shown That
He Hides ! Very Tender
Heart .s.
Touched BY the Story Of An Irish
Girl Who Claimed kim
ship
The Mig Fellow Gave Hts "Csusin' q
Pair Of Fias sheer and Prom
issd Nor More.

~ = SSAN
NJ in the character OF John l.. Sail,
ellS van, the champion heavyweight
r~ucilist. are very fatty illustrated in tn
following stanzs of = Bowery song:
He's al right when you know him, though he
spelling for a fight.
Hen black your eye one minute. then he'll hni
you with delight;
He wouldn't hurt = baby, he's = pal That 20
can trust,
He's AL right when you know him. but yonS
got to know him fust,
John [. Sullivan has never been accused
Of being q s~entimsntalist and Probabl!
never will be, but toward young people d
exhibits the almost kindness and consider
alton, During tho time thas he has spen'
in the old fashioned inn he has repeatedl,
shown this weakness-if it esn be called 9
weaknsss-and has excited surprise among
those who know him by exhibitions OF sh'
tsndsrsst feeling. Reference 10 made par
tieularly to his kindness toward the numer-
Gus boys who have come to visit him from
the surrounding country. A crowd OF
thirty little fellows came to see the great
puRilist = few days since. He was ousiiy
engaged rehearsing his new play. But wnen
he heard that the boys had come to see MIN
he dropped his work and went dow stairs
to shake hands with the boys and to invite
them into his homely gymnasium. Here
he put on his sweaters. banged the pendant
ball, lifted heavy weights, boxed with JACK
Ashton and did everything he could think
Of in . physical way to entertain his little
visitors. Then he took them all with him
when he went down to Psconlo Bay Ter ms
daily bath. 1t was a very pleasing scene
to witness this herculean fellow. whose
name is the synonym the world over Tor
brute force and strength, showing tho pig
mics how to swim and lifting them over his
head ~ a mother lifts her babe.
But = moro striking instance still OF
Sullivan's willingness to please occurred
recently. He was seated on the wide, old
fashioned We anda, Sitting the upper por-
ton of 4 pair of twelve dollar shoes with a
iaekknife to ease his feet. There was the
freedom Of a large nature in this act, as
very few men, even were they mllllonalres,
would deliberately ruin = pair of twelve
dollar shoes simply because they caused
him . little temporary annoyance. While
he was engaged in this destructive business
Q man approached, who said:
"Ar. Sullivan, l have a message for you
from Ireland"
Zip! went the knife through the soft calf
skin. Thsn, a. he viewed his work with
evident satisfaction, he called to his Japan
sss valet and told him TO put his Shoes ON
for him. Turning to the visitor Sullivan
exclaimed with almost painful abruptness:-
'Well, sir, what is ysur message. Do
they want me to knock the boobies into the
sea-" p
mo, SIR replied the stranger with a
smile. INV message is from a pretty
young Irish peasant girl, eighteen years
old.
Here the bio fellow became interested.
Looking thu stranger full in the eye. he
asked il . deep bssso profundo voice which
made the windows rattle:-
'What the devil does a pretty young Irish
girl want of me?"
"sho wants to know if you will send her
a pair Of shoes, No. rs" was the reply.
swell, she has feet big enough, anyhow.
''What is her name?"
"Manon O'Sullivan. She lives in the
hamlet OF Ssok-a-beR, in the county Of
cousin"
THAT may be-" said John L.. with quick
that part OF the country. But let's have
the whole story. man. How did the girl
happen to send such q request by you"
ut happened" said the stranger, that
about q year ago l was travelling through
Kerry, and knowing that your ancestors
came from that portion OF the country,
made some inquiries concerning the birth
place of your father. In the course of my
Investigations / found that nearly every
OSullivan in kerry-and there are thou
sands Of them-claimed some relationship
to you. l started my search in Tralee and
got on what l thought WAS the right trail
when l arrived at Sack-a.bee, which is a
small hamlet about four miles from lralee
in the lower Kerry mountains. The father
Of the family which 1 visited was named
John Owen Ouge, which means John
Owen, Jr. He lived in an ordinary peas
ants cottage with u matched roof and
an earthen flooring made hard by mix
ing clay and lime together. There were
ten child Ell in the family, all Of whom are
as rugged and hearty as any | haye ever
seen. Ny appearance in the hamlet created
the most intense excitement, especially
when the object of nv visit was made
known. | remained there for three days.
and every evening the cottage was filled
with men and women who came to see the
Yankee glntleInan' that was looking for
the relatives Of John l.. Sullivan. Strong
llmbed. sturdy young men sat upon suggaun
chairs and bodies of trees and listened to
the tales OF YOUR Drowess. John Owen
Osuillvan was deeply Interested i'll my
talk. He interrupted me frequently BY
making such remarks az 'Arrah. man, but
I'd like to see him! And | OF his own flesh
and blood! Dye think will he ever fight
the nagurT
"No. never will" INTERRUPTED John L..
who was deeply Interested in the story Of
the admiration of his KIN in Ireland for
him. Bat how did John Oven explain his
Relationship to mr|'
he said continued the stranger, that
many Years ago. probably fifty-thrc L.,
OSullivans Michael, John and LawrunCo
built the house We were sitting III. Then
came the femme of lS4S, anu Mlchae! and
John went to America, leaving Lawrence to
work the plnce. lie was positive thut YOU
were the son Of Michael or John, be didn't
know which, and then he arrived at the
conclusion that you were his cousin, which
would make hls chlldreh YOU second cDus-
lns. Was he light in his conclusious?'
well. l don't know ANYTHING about nv
relatives in lreland.' replied john J.. INV
fathers name was Michael, and 1t Is possl-
BILE that John Owen Is my cousin. ANYHOW
] am willing he should be. But how about
the elRhteen-year-old grip
she WAS the eldest daughter of John
Owen. \ stout, healthy lass, with a beuuti-
fui complexion and bright blue Owes, She
baked the lovely bread over tho turf fire.
and regarded you in the same light as We
regard Sampson"
This delicate t~lattery made John l.. laugh
and blush like Il schoolboy.
she wore no shoes, sven in winter-it
was February when ! visited them-nud
when l asked her why she went baretoo,
she blushed and replied that sue did not
have the money to buy shoes. And when |
was coming away she took me aside and
whispered in a f1uttering, shamefaced man
ner, az il ashamed OF what she was going ia
say:-'Whin you're goin' back to Americn,
cir wnnlf v0u n Y Inhn | tho frat ti,,1 ,.,