The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-08
shores who strives to wres, hi. sceptrs

| shores who strives to wrest his sceptre
from his grasp.
True. as I limited before. pugiilsts are
not uniformly as friendly to each other
as they should be. especially in the choie-
ric, as well as golden, days OF youth. This
Is due entirely TO the rivalry which Is
sure TO spring UP between two favorite
! pugilsts and their immediate adherents
| after decisive victory or defeat has
been determined. However It is nothing
| In comparison TO the bitterness Of feeling
| engendered between factions In the old
| en- days Of the ring when one or the other
/ faY0rite went down. Then feudS began
which endured for years. as witness the
| protracted quarrels OF John Morrisey and
| Yankee Sullivan, and Norrisey and John
| c. Heenan and their respective partisans.
| SO, too. with John Morrisses, on the one
| hand. and Tom Hyer and Bill Poole on
the other. These factional feuds lasted for
something like a decade or more and were
provocation for many fierce and bloody
battles between the followers Of each clan.
Nowadays all feeling of rivalry and
hate passes away, II not directly al the
ring side, at least not far away from II,
under the mellow influence Of time.
What is more the fighters, and those
directly associated with them, are more
honorable In their dealings with each
other and the public than they were
In years gone by. Then II vas a fire.
quent occurrence hat the best man would
not be permitted to win. Gangs" would
stampede the ring and the winner and
his friends be Lnjustly deprived OF the
fruits OF victory. Such n thing In this
Augustin age OF purlism would be an
impossible event. The reigning powers
Of any great association. like The Coney
Island Athletic club or their confreres
at the south or west could Immediately
nip any such plan in the bud
Again II frequently happened In an ear
lier era-although never in .he case of
champions. i believe-that one fighter
would LAY down" to another; in other
words betray his friends and hackers.
That never can be tried with any degree
OF success in our times. And 70 the
credit Of my profession be 1t said that
few fighters have ever essayed the feat
in my country, whatever they may have
done I'm other lands. In happy, free
America l know that an overwhelming
majority Of fighters are strictly honest.
Indeed. whether they wished TO be 80 or
not they would have TO be If they wish
ed 10 climb the ladder OF success. for be
Il known that I'm fighting even more than
In statecraft, honesty is the best poll
cy." A cunning politician can throw
down his constituents once, twice or
even thrice and yet succeed in life. A
tricky fighter might betray a friend and
hacker once. but never a second time
His pugilistic II not his actual days
would be quickly numbered on attempt
ing a second heat.
q In conclusion let me say that II is not
for every man TO be q fighter. A pugi-
list, like a poet or a journalist, is born
and not made. The quality OF head and |
heart as well as those Of skull. strength |
and measurement, must be n part Of ma |
lures outfit. All the professors In the |
world cannot make lad a fighter unless |
he professesses the qualities Of which l
speak. Besides fighting is not such an |
alluring vacation as most OF the rising |
generation look upon it. Neither physi- |
cally nor financially Is II q remunerative |
business. Unless one pugalist turns COM |
petely over another. as John L. Sulli- |
van did at one time over all rivals, he |
is almost sure TO undergo physical In |
jures which may discomfort him greatly |
in future years. II the prowess Of his ad- |
versary does not bring about this result |
social pleasures may. For know, kind |
reader, that a successful pugalist is 80 |
generously treated by friends and foes
alike that his stamina I'm time must be !
impaired. These same social delights |
drain the fighters own purse and in the
end he is likely, no matter how much
money has had TO Ego broke" Morris
sey. Heenan. Sayers Perry and Yankee
Sullivan all did without a dollar. hope
our own great John VIII not encounter
4 similar fate.