The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-15

OesWoCA tue"1 LII luuuC6meQC ZOE a
"ba, ney' ia Tremendous.
Big purses create actors and fakirs. Why,
even the piRmies of the ring scorn q fistio
fray unless $40, 1000 or moro is put up as the
need os victory. The loser. too. wants a
big moneta y balm for his injuries. If the
little fellows oanno. star as "Gentlemen
Jacks" thoy can get up vaadoville shows
and clea. $500 or $1,000 a week. Why.
then. should they want to FIGHT.
whom one or two victories ca will place
them in a I%osition OF %af1uence? Think
Of the colossal assurance of George Dixon.
who claims to be the feather weight cham
pion OF the world and won't battle for the
title with Johnny Griffin. He. or rather
his astute manage. haughtily informs the
Brnintree lad that 'thentrloal engage
ments" won't be broken unless Griffin con-
sents to fight at 1l8 pounds. One hundred
and twenty-two pounds is the feather
weight limit. and Griffin and his manager
rightly contend that Dixon must concede
to on opponent the right to weigh in at that
figure or relinquish the championship,
Griffin even agrees to give two pounds
away and fight Mt 120 pounds, but Dlxon's
sly manager won't hear of the proposition.
Why? Because he fea,s that Griffin is the
colored lads master at that weight, and
what then would become of tho vaudeville
combination and the $1,000 it il now
earning weekly2 At lls pounds Manager
O'Rourke knows that G if1in would be too
"ohh W ukub anu JN0
weekly income would be saved.
BY the obse, vations that l have thus far
induIged in l do not wish to be understood
as holding that there are no real fighters in
the present generation. John L. Sullivan,
Jack Dempsey and Jack McAulitfe are
fighters through and through. With the
first two ! am not on terms of concord. In
fact. We do not speak us we pass by. but l
can do justice to their splendid qualities of
head aud heart. The trio named are cout-
ageous. manly and game to their hearts
cores. Each has met the best and btavest
of their W and other lands. They never
turned their backs upon formen md never
lodged fair and honorable challenges.
They were always ION the level" to use "a
sporting phrase, and thus gained the conf
denoe Of the American pnblic. while their
magnanimity to fallen foes and open
lar idols. Cosbett. Mitchell and Slayin
have few IL any of these qualities. In fact,
they are sly, double-dealing and thrifty III.
most to the point OF penuriousness. Natur-
ally. they are not popular. Corbett once
asked mo why he conld not succeed Sulli-
van in popular affection. md l frankly told
him what l have just narrated above.
In fact, no foreign fighters, save an iso-
lated instance here aud there. have my of
the attributes Of real manhood. They are
plaoky enough in the ring, but towards out
of it. They are low bred fellows with no
iustihcs VI HentiIlty In bnem. lbev truokie
to rank and borrow a pun Of me lud mt the
pot house with abject ~aervility in the even.
ing and cringe at the door stop in the morn
ing for another. They will take a kick
from me lud Ut any time for a pun or less.
They are all "oadRsrs," %servile. dishonora-
biz. disreputable.
How different a typical American fighter
like bold Jack McAuliffe! Jack has head as
we'll as heart. Brilliant aud brainy he has
hosts .of friends in every walk OF life who
would % only too pleased to serve him,
Jack can make and lose fortunes III n week.
and as he 10 the soul Of honor no cnn BIO y
row a small fortune TO put him ON his feet,
Jack Ia tho perfect type of a man who can
be a fighter and u gentleman at the same |
time.
OF the big pugiiists nov actively before |
the public Joe Goddard. OF Australia, Ia
perhaps. the only n who 10 honest an
sincere In his puaiiistio aspirations. He 10