The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-12

against nome OF my own guild. For
nv professional brethren / entertain
good will for all malice toward none.
The world is large enough for us all to
move about in terms of amity and con-
cord. This disclaimer am constrained
to make in view Of recent events with
which the public has some insight and
upon which have lightly touched. In
the hot days of extreme youth fire.
auently lost my temper and said some
biting things about adversaries whom
thought had not acted fairly with re.
but have now reached a philosophic
age-I am in my thirty-second year
and can make allowances for the frail-
ties of human nature.
AS regards Champion James j. Cor
bett may say that never had aught
but a friendly feeling toward him.
The fact that I wished our past grand
master of the fistic art. John L. Snlh-
van. success in his famous encounter
with Corbett at New Orleans caused
many people to believe that Corbett
and were not on the best of terms.
This is mistake. l wished the heroic
Boston boy luck because he was my
friend for almost lifetime and for the
further reason that he upheld the honor
of America for almost dozen years
against the best and bravest OF other
lands who dared break a lance with
him. now cordially wish our present
champion, James j. Corbett, success
against any fighter from foreign shores
who strives to wrest his scepter from
his grasp.
True, as 1 limited before, pugilists
are not uniformly as friendly to each
other as they should be. especially in
the choleric, as well as golden, days OF
youth. This is due entirely to the RI
valry which is sure to spring up be-
tween two favorite pugilists and their
immediate adherents after decisive
victory or defeat has been determined.
However it is nothing in comparison to
the bitterness of feeling engendered be
tween factions in the olden days OF the
ring when one or the other favorite
went down. Then feuds began which
endured for years, as witness the pro-
tracted quarrels Of John Morrisey and
Yankee Sullivan, and Morrisey and
John C. Heenan and their respective
partisans. So, too, with John Morri-
sew, on the one hand. and Tom Hyer
and Bill Poole on the other. These
factional feuds lasted for something
like decade or more and were provo
cation for many fierce and bloody bat
ties between the followers OF each
clan.
Nowadays all feeling of rivalry and
hate passes away, if not directly at the
ring side, at least not far away from
it. 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 it was .
frequent occurrence that the best man
would not be permitted to win.
"Gangs" would stampede the ring and
the winner and his friends be unjustly
deprived Of the fruits of victory. Such
q thing in this Augustan age OF pugil-
ism would be an impossible event.
The reigning powers of any great asso-
/ citation, like the Coney Island Athletic
club or their confreres at the south or
/; west, could Immediately nip any such
plan in the bud.
In conclusion let me say that it is
not for every man to be fighter. A
pugilist. like a poet or journalist. is
born and not made. The qualities of
head and heart as well as those OF
- yCf
be part of natures outfit. All the
professors in the world cannot make a
lad fighter unless he possesses the
qualities of which / speak. Besides
fighting is not such an alluring voca-
ton as most of the rising generation
look upon it. Neither physically nor
financially is il a remunerative BUSH
ness Unless one pugilist turns COM
pletely over another, as John L. Sulli-
van did at one time over all rivals, he
is almost sure to undergo physical in.
iuries which may discomfort him great
" in future years. If the prowess Of
his adversary does not bring about
this result social pleasures may. For
know, kind reader. that a successful
pugilist is so generously treated by
friends and foes alike that his stamin a
in 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 he had, to
Ego broke" Morrisey, Heenan,
Savers. Perry and Yankee Sullivan all
died without dollar. hope our own
great John will not encounter a similar
fate.