Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-22
IS MAHER GAME ?
An Intelligent Pugilist Talks About
Hard Knocks.

k1dlu TuOCkSs
| The question as to Peter Maher'
gameness is a matter of public concern
says the New York Sun, and today the
Irish champion is not such favorite il
his match with Bob Fitzsimmons as ht
was week ago. An incident goes tC
prove this. On Monday last when {
prominent better heard that another
man wanted to lay $1,000 on Fitzsim
mons against $4,000 on Maher, the form
er made up his mind that he would
take that chance. On coming together
this conversation took place:
81 hear you will bet $4,000 on Maher
against $12O0 on Fitzsimmons. Is that
right?" a.-,s
"Well, 1 was thinking of it, but,
really, it ought to be even money"
"Humph! You've changed your
mind. Well, I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll bet you $500 against $2000."
'No; l want even money"
There was more haggling, but the bet
at even was finally made for $1,000. Men
who want to put out their money,
though they like Maher's style, cannot
see that the Irishman has done any
thing to prove himself a slayer, and
they believe that Fitzsimmons can hit
as hard as most men new in the ring.
If he lands time or two Maher will
feel something that will call out the
pluck of the pluckiest, and there is no.
body to say that Peter has shown that
he belongs in the gamecock class.
After the above bet was made. Jack
Quinn, the Scotch lightweight cham
x,ia 6o
that is worth noting. Quinn is an OBJ
generally speaks sensibly.
1.-The fact that man trains hard,'
said he, sis no evidence that he is game.
He may be naturally energetic. His
mind may be of the kind that requires
physical action to counteract its work.
ings. l mean that man may be
nervous and excitable-his blood may
have feverish tendency-and such a
person, when of an athletic disposition,
naturally wants to 60 and do something
to expend his surplus energy. That sort
OF display has nothing to do with
courage under punching. The man
may be young, strong, hearty, but blow
landed in the right spot by an ex-
perienced and powerful opponent will
knock good deal OF that vigor out of
him, and two or three blows may do
him up completely unless he possesses
something more than the characteristic
which | may describe as restless activity.
| have known men to take terrible lot
OF punching before yielding victory.
don't mean lazy men. | mean men whose
life and activity are brought out only
under stress of circumstances, such as
a good humping. Under these condi-
tlons L have seen men who take plenty
OF time to do everything they under
take, brighten up in an astonishing way
and fight like tigers. The stuff was in
them, but it was latent. 1t required an
unusual occasion to bring it out.
'On the other hand, there are men
who, while in training, as we'll as in
their every day avocations, perform
their duties with rush and earnest
ness 30 great that it might be called
fiery. Often it is only nervousness, and,
in reality, sign OF weakness that will
certainly display itself when the true
test OF endurance comes. In word,
man may train with all faithfulness and
honesty, but, on the receipt of weak
ening blow, go to pieces. He cannot
train on blows, 80 he cannot get used to
them. To Withstand them he must
have something under the skin of his
left breast whose quality is never dis
covered until he goes up against good
drubbing. [ do not mean all this to ap-
ply to Peter Maher particularly. am
simply stating general principle. But,
after all, of what use is all the training
in the world if a fellow gets the right
kind of a smash here" and Jack placed
a finger on his jawbone alongside his
chin