The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-09-18

They Have a Six Round Contest, in "hich
Mr.. Crocodile Was Bested.

ever in the front rank anu d> hn
sb. rrt> there with both feet Some OF
our Young citizens, you kno" the young
ALWAYS lake the lead in enteIp Use, lnaug
urated i few evenings ago what We hope
will b. "a series of amusing and insITuc-
tive exhibitions. There are in Durham
TWO Young colOred citizens, who in the
Dugiiistic contest before a select audience.
The names of the contestants ale as
should be for such u performance, quite
striking, one from the generosity nature
mas displayed in his mouth, rejOices in
the name of the East Durham Crocodile
and the other is called the Hayti BuZZard,
because his mother say that when he is
mad he will carry-on awful. A well
KNOWN tobacco warehouse was selected
for the sce0e Of operations and word was
passed quietly around to about u dozen
gentlemen who have the good OF our
town at heart. Each one of these gents
having whispered the news TO five or six
friends, the audience was quite a good
one.
The writer, who was fortunate enough
10 be of this number, promptly repaired
to the appointed place at $50 of the
eyentful evening and was m~ysteriously
ushered into a large apartment dimlY
lighted by a number of lanterns hung in
one end of the room and producing a
wierd effect suggestive of robbers caves
or fearful assinations. A solemn stiffness
prevailed, the dark figures moving back
and forth, between the lights, uttered no
sound; it was the hugh before the batlle.
Upon approaching the lighted portion of
the room, a ring chalked upon the floor
showed where two human beings were
to be pitted against each other as in the
arena of ancient Rome. After a few
moments of anxious waiting the silence
was broken by a cry of hats off gentle
men, ladies present." but it was discov
cred that what was supposed to be a lady
was only one of the audience who was
habited in a very wide pair Of white
trousers, which had been mistaken for
divided skirts. Upon the explanation
being made that the party with the white
pants was engaged in a sedentary occn-
patton which required the repairing of
his only other pair, he was allowed to
remain and proved to be very useful in
serving as time-k keeper, although he
caused a feeling of sadness TO pervade
audience by asking for a stop watch; a
too fOrcible reminder that the watches of
most of the crowd had stopped at the
pawn broker However, a Waterbury
watch was discovered, and after the timer
had established himself upon a hoggs.
of tobacco, two men handed him the
watch. Time was called, a hush of ex-
pectation fell upon the assembly as the
gladiators stepped in the ring, each at
tended by his bottle holder, rubber down,
etc. The Crocodile was a young
coon of about Is years, a losse jointed,
lank coon, who looked like he had been
made of odds and ends left over from the
manufacture of other darkies and hung
with loose wires. A sympathetic
remarked that the poor boy
could hardly walk for the rheumatism,
but his neighbor suggested that the size
of his feet made him walk that way. The
Buzzard was a short, we'll built, mulatto
with evidently more staying qualities.
The gloves were S.ounce originally, but
account of the accumulated dirt were |
at II ounce.
Round 1.-The champions approached
each other and shook hands, then each
put up his guard, which was contrary to
the usual style, and was varied by the Buz
zard advancing his right foot and arm,
while the Crocodile came up in the usual
way with left foot and arm to the front.
skirmishing for an opening the
BuZzard let out with his right for the
mob, but the Croc threw up both
hands and the size of the gloves saved
him, at which he was so pleased that a
rippled over his mug. At this stage
The fight was interrupted by one of the
bottle holders rushing into the ring and
shouting dds fight gotter stop" Get out
Of that, what's the matter, shoot the
Jude, etc." resounded from all sides. But
he coon held his place, and when the
noise subsidized, said "Gemmen, dem
gloves belong to me. Just look at dat
mouth, if he opens dat jaw O.
lisn durin' dis fight one of dem gloves
lone gwin git loss, sho, an datl break de
yeti This objection was overcome by
he Crocodile agreeing to keep his mouth
half closed, explaining hat he could not
all of it at one time This was
satisfactory and the owner of the gloves
he was convinced by measurement
hat when the mouth was half closed the
gloves was safe. This ended round me.
During the rest some one suggested
hat the fight be continued in stocking
'eet, asserting that the champions might