Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-23
thing in sight, and, like Oliver Twist

thing in sight, and, like Oliver Twist
asks for more. :.
To return. as our French cousins pun ~
to orr mutton. the manager. he ihai,.iSoo
~ "a f,,,,tar or a .sstable'' of fighters. II he
haS a oood thing like Young Critic OF ,ii-
10 Plimmer. he is contented with one s.rinS
TO his bow, partly because MS principe
80 ,,or,,it any other course of action.
Cbomnions are as vain as village peiies
ond will not admit of any divided soVer-
eighty. ,o,,oers
hos n fat hank account made liiroush
t,ghters With the exception OF Within "a
p1ad, parsou Davies and Martin DoWi-
~, not one of them ever backs his prihci-
~ for n dollar. no matter how voluply ne
Nav discourse about thousands. Ihey All
have "angels' who put up the heccs-
sarv collateral whenever match Is iii,'oc'
These ..angels" are generally rich CLUB
mon or well to do sportsmen. Ihey are
usually content to get their own money
heck. Sometimes the sportsman wants
chit but the other kind of angel new
er does.
The manager is the greatest source OF
exnense to the fighter. But There are 9th
srs" PRINCIPAL among these Is the press
AGENT Every well regulated stable and
every champion has press agent to chron-
icle his savings and exploit his deeds OF
yalor as we'll as write his letters. a press
,oent is absolutely essential to the modern
fighter to keep him and the show he par
ticinates in 'before the people" and swell
the box office receipts. The press agent, OF
course, receives snug salary. The police,
too. must get their "bit, " despite Lexow
investigations, or no contest can come Off.
Sometimes even judge or political mag
nate must be squared" All of these sun
dries come out of the fighters purse.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks the
champion fighter and even the fighter who
stands "next to him" could have tidy
sum and happy homo if he but husband
ed what remained of his winnings, but
force of associations is too much for him.
He is feted, wincd and dined-as long as
he is successful. Almost invariably he is a
"good fellow" and his money is soon
spent. and he is obliged to seek another
match to replenish his resources. He may
win again and for the third fifth or even
tenth time, but the pitcher that goes to
the well is sure to DO broken in the end.
He finally battles with younger, stron-
ger and more enduring man. Dissipation
has wrecked his once superb physical pow
ers, and he meets his Waterloo. His money
and his prestige are gone, and friends aban-
don him. As he is usually an uneducated
man he must strive to get some laboring
job to exc out a living. Sometimes he be-
comes special policeman at flash water
ing places or "bouncer'' in concert hall.
In such cases he usually becomes a drunk
ard in short order. In any event the beaten
gladiator soon fades from public view.
Broken in spirit, health and purse, what
chance has he?
Look at the men who have fallen by the
Hayside John l.. Sullivan once champion
If champions and invincible. He made
5000 600 in 10 years and squandered it all.
Luckily he has a legion of friends, and At
benefit recently rendered him in New
York he Noted Sc, 500 when he was abso-
iutely pcnniless. Jack Dempsey, the erst-
while "Nonpareil" is now physical
wreck and but for a testimonial recently
rendered him, which Melted him 80, 400,
would have a sorry time of it. The great
est of living lightweights, Jack McAu-
life, although he never lost battle and
has made over 5000, 600, has not a dollar
today. In one season at the race track he
won $40, 900 and lost it all the following
winter. His hacker, Dick Roche, tells a
good story of Jack. In the heyday of his
success Roche came to the young Brook
lynite at the race track and informed him
that a young fellow from the country want
ed to make match with him and had
81 900 in his pocket to bind it. you can
whip him without an hours training
urged Roche land it's sin to throw such
good money away"
Tut, tut, said Jack loftily. 'Ive no
time to deal with farmers or bother about
pennies. Tell the jay 1 can't entertain his
proposition"
Two days later Jack approached Roche
with very sheepish air. "Say, Dick,
said he earnestly, "where is that young
follow with the thousand dollars" Jack
had "gone broke on the races and had
missed his opportunity. The Jay had
gone home and saved his money.
Take the other great champions. Bob
Fitzsimmons, out of all the money he has
won, has not a cent. Indeed he says he is
S., 600 in debt. He is confident, however,
that he will win fortune when he meets
Corbctt. His desperate financial condition
will cause him to give the Californian the
battle of his life. Peter jackson and Pad |
dy Slavin, the great AustrSan fighters,
are both in London, and they are not liv
ing on champagne and tcrrapin by any |
means. Indeed Slavin was officially de-
clared bankrupt some time ago Peter |
and Paddy made a lot of money in their
time Peter has some of his left and some |
of his friends are about to open hotel for
him in Londan. Both Slavin and jackson |
are now hungering for a chance at the |
winner of the Corbett -Fitzsimmons fight |