The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-16

Z
a priest But you know how II is with
religious Parents. They like Tire idea OF
their sons being ciergy1nen- Wen. my
mother thought u would be great for ne
70 Re a priest. There was lot OF boys
q nv ACQUAINTANCE who did study for
orders. and didn't let on for good while
that I had made NJ my mind that I
wouldn't II made my mother feel better
for a long time TO think I was going 20.
and that's ali right. She's dead now. and
I'm Glad she had that comfort for little
while
I'D have nothing Of any kind TO regret
anyhow re went on. If I'd never both
cred with booze. I always was good 20 my
mother ard father and all my own people.
and what did vas nobcdy's business but
mine"
Then I asked him how he came 10 go in
for fighting az the very first.
Well" said the Zig Fellow. swallowing
q gIassfuI % mineral water as II II were a
teaspoonfuI. lit was this way that 7 got
10 boxing. see2 I had been stuck on play
ing baseball for a living. and had played
first base little and catched some. Well,
one day I had little boxing encounter
with a fellow named Mike Scanned II
was the first time 1 ever put on gloves.
was only about IS years old. but. say.
Just thumped that fellow once. after 1
had got the hang Of his hitting. and keeled
him right over against piano that stood
in the room. He struck on the keyboard
and broke every key in 1t. see? Well. say.
after that / played no more ball 10 speak
Of I'd found cut that boxing was my
forte. and I've been in the boxing bust
ness most OF the time ever since Say,
revived boxing in this country, sure
enough and il was a fine lot OF men
members OF the Crib Club-that backed
me after l had done Scanned
well. the Crib Club men. they said 10
me that wasn't TO have any goes with
bare knuckles with any one. ana they
would back me TO the end. They would
have done II. 100, sure. But you know
there was lot of talk in the papers about
what ! could do and I said a few things.
too. Well. by and by. Paddy Ryan and
his friends gave IL out that the reason
wouldn't fight with bare knuckies was
lust because / was afraid or belng MT
Saw. / was never afraid of anything In
my life. and that talk about me being
cou,ard hurt me a lot. SO l finally disre-
garded my hackers, and then Paddy Ryan
found out whether / was afraid or not
and whether / had more talk than nght
in me.
when I gave 1t out cold that | was
ready to knock out any and all corners III
four ROUNDS, these other fellows laughed
and asked how in time could DO II. wen,
I
know how many men ] done on the Dag
boxing trip that AL Smith and me took,
beginning in September. 1888, and enGlhS
Nav 1854 but il was lot; enough TO pack
hell a mile | guess. We took IN a pie Oh
money on that trip-S2O,U0 easy enough
which We shared alike. Al smith Is
good fellow. see? and / got on with MN
first rate The most singular thlns IN aiI
that trim was the great lot OF relatives
ba /
found me-or rather, they trleu
10 About million claimed relationship
anyway and every blessed one OF them
wanted me to put up. Dld u NO uluil |.
7 wouldn't even let them talk 10 me. useu
TO sit up IN my room in the hotei Praying
solitaire mostly days, so thaI INC puihS
and toughs couldn't get at me. Inc coca
,,oo,Ie I could ask TO my room, see?
"kctingg Well / liked stage life first
rato but say. to be a good actor, you
must begin young. and have the naturai
hit. inst as il was with me boxing
The trouble with our American people Is
thav don't want TO wait, ana SO they 20 Oh
the stage and try big parts rleht away
ana tbat's why We have so many ouin ac-
tors ~. .ao
well now. when / went on the stage
7 didn't fry 10 be anybody but John H. SUI
Ivan. I didn't copy nobody. Just S"Id
49,. If,es and went through the business or
my mart and that's all there was 10 H. l
wasn't any more nervous the flrst iignt
I went on than am now see but ulu
bave some bother for awhile with my
ie.ds I didn't know what TO 90 WIN
49,, Nh hother when ! was TALKING, but
whom had to stand round ana near me
otha,s talk my hands were In my way,
and they used to get in my pock@'s- "eii
7 told a professional friend or mlne naih'u
scott Marble about 1t. He aSAei me
hadn't heard about furniture "cIo.S.
,oe,,er had but Scott Marble put me on at
once. ~, 49,, Non,
~, stand still like a Stoughton bottle
u-hile the others talk, don't you: well
Won can FIX everything all rGht py iedh-
ing on the back Of chair al su'h 'liheS'
or by walking up to a picture on t,9
wall and looking at II Ike You was 'h9
art critic of a newspaper. or taking
~,rner If the tablecloth in your thumb
and forefnger. and feeling of 1t to see
how fine Il is. -
.'Wel. that was a great scheme. IL
worked. and I didn't have any moro
trouble But l don't expect TO act much
more I don't want 10 do anything Il@I
means travel. I've been In two or three
railroad accidents once when | was going
20 Australia the ship Marposa ran on a
rock sixty miles from Auckland, and
once when I was coming 70 Boston from
EUROPE on the Catalonia We ran into
frightful storm and were delayed for
davs. No. sir. ! don't want to travel
any more What l want. as l told you. is
"A nice little quiet hotel of my own. where
I can he comfortahl" and got as fat as
want ~. and that I'm going % have.
Yes" and the corrugated brow
smoothei out and the thick lips relaxed
into a smile. 4 have me- a good many
big men in nay time. and got 10 know
them well There was Roscoe Couls,ing,
for Instance. When I had my place IT
Flfty-ninth street and Seventh avenue.
near central Park, abouj six months be
fore the old man took sick and died from
exposure during the blizzard he used 10
come ln and see me quite often. lie was
quite a boxer himself for a statesman.
Ife was a mighty good adviser, too
teH You. and he gave me many good
points
n know James O. Blaine. too and
l.kod him hut he wasn't 50 easy 20 get
at as Conkllag, at least. not for me.
though ! know some people say differ
ent.
4 met tho Prince OF Wales in London.
as everybody knows. and liked him. TOO.