Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03
SEEN IN THIS CITY.
Foreigners Impression Of q Boxing
Contest I'm n Club House.

A Forcigner's Impression of q Boxing
Contest In Club House.
BY Paul Bourget.
In order to obtain an idea of what such
encounters must be, these prize fights, as
they are called. wherein the fight only
ends when 1t becomes impossible for one
of the boxers TO continue 1t, 1t Is necessary
to be the witness of some contest regulated
by an athletic club, that Is to say, In
which the rounds are counted and the
blows are limited. The most interesting
amorg those, the details of which 1 fol-
lowed, took place in Washington. 1t was
also the first at which / was present
On the third floor of the club house, In
the gymnasium, a platform the height OF
a man was raised, closed In with ropes.
All around a thousand spectators were
waiting, some seated on chairs, others in
the gallery. On the walls gymnastic I'M
Elements, fastened or hung, gave this scene
a really worthy framing. The cleo tricity-
1t was o'clock in the evenfng-lighted
and chiselled the outlines of the impatient
faces of the votaries. and on the square
platform was a silhouette of a man nerv-
ously coming and going, the referee.
the arbiter of the fight. He wore one of
those Jackets that are made here which
exaggerate the fashion and have cut so
ample so round, that 1t makes them re-
semble the shell of some vast coleoptera.
At last murmur of satisfaction rises.
The first two boxers arrive with their
trainers. They are covered with big bath
cloaks, which they cast aside as soon as
they get upon the platform, and their
bodies appear quite naked, thin and with
bumps of muscles. They seat Intensely cs
upon chairs and give themselves over with
a singular passiveness to the care OF their
assistants, who wash them, comb them,
rub them like animals while the person
age clothed In the ample jacket announces
the program Of the fight, it's duration. the
number of rounds, the weight OF the cham
pions. their names and their country.
Until the CInret Flowed.
The one is from Philadelphia and the
other from Wilmington. The first shows a
black muzzle, almost that of a mulatto,
in the center of which is flattened out a
broken and crooked nose. The other is
fair with a square face the nose also
broken in two places. in consequence OF
which there Is mark on his face some
what resembling a deaths head He has
extended his two arms, which he rests on
the two cords crossed behind him at an
acute angle. His muscles of marble bend
beneath the massage. which does not even
seem to shake them. However, the toilet
is finished. They both draw the gloves
on. A gong sounds. They rise, walk to-
ward one another, shake hands and the
contest commences. A sort OF gurgle or
pleasure escapes from the audience, an
Interrupted gurgle which will change by
and by from sigh to a howl as the fight
becomes brisk or quiet.
The Philadelphia attacks with more
vigor than his opponent, but he is too agi-
tated. His legs do not keep their balance.
He dances and hops, while his arm moves
in a mechanical and nervous manner, like
a pair of hesltating pncers. advancing,
retiring, then advancing again indefinitely.
His adversary has better guard. he al
varces he retires without moving his body,
and his cruel face, wherein his eyes CLEAN
as II were from two hollow blue holes Is
really like that Of death The blows fall
more heavily as the fight progresses. The
body bends to avoid them. The two men
are. furious. One hears their breathing
on the naked flesh. After several blows Of
harder delivery the "cIaret" Is drawn. as
they say, the blood flows from the eyes,
the nose, tho ears: II washes the cheeks