Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-01
AN HOUR WITH JOHN L
HE oRAcIousLv SUBMITS TO AN IN
TERvIEw IN BOSTON.

Autographs.
"we oil have our likes and dislikes,"
was tho remark OF John l.. Sullivan, the
"Big Fellow" now bigger than ever,
though far less active than I'm tho days
when ne was the special hero Of tho ring
and was the Idol OF the pugilistic world
Sullivan sat drinking German min
eral water with the writer In Gays hotel
one hot afternoon recently when the sub
ject turned I'm the direction indicated.
"What are some Of yoursY" was the nat
ural query which followed. 81 suppose
being interviewed Is one Of your dislikes,
ehS'
"No, don't mind that II I've got any
thing to say and am asked intelligent
questions, and probably that's true Of 9th
er men. l get tired Of being asked the
same things over and over again, such as,
How much do you weight Are you go
ing to fight againf' and DO you expect to
VIM The last one appears particularly
nonsensical to me, for i never entered
into match or fought without expecting
TO win. 1t Is not the newspaper interview
er dislike, for generally they are bright
fellows, who know what they want and
generally get IL. It's the social interviewer
who wants to impress his acquaintance by
saying, John l.. said to me, and i said
to Sullivan etc, making statements
which never came from my lips and which
do me harm. Those fellows need to be-
sat down upon, and I've sat down on
few in my own peculiar way" And Sui
livan's grim lips twitchcd little, as II
from inward merriment produced by recol-
lection of some incident where bore Of
this description had been suppressed q La
Sullivan.
II like to read tho daily papers about
as well as anything, and put IN hours
going through them carefully. seldom
get home before midnight or 1 O'Clock in
the morning. After stripping of / put
the pillows down at the foot OF the bed, In
order to get the light, and then lie and
read until Q and sometimes 8 O'Clock.
Sporting news comes first, of course, then
politics and then sensational reports OF
murder and robbery trials and things Of
that kind. I've always been Interested In
politics, and I'm well Posted In national,
state and city. A lot of my best friends
are politicians, and at one time ! came
very near being one myself IL I hadn't
drunk and been reckless, ! might have
been high up In the political world today.
may yet AS for reports Of crime, they
have the same fascination for me that
they have for other people In different
walks of life and with higher education.
You will find that out by watching people
reading the papers in the cars. 1t is the
unusual which attracts attention always.
If wasn't out of the ordinary as regards
men, wouldn't attract particular notice.
II used to be great fellow for books,
and especially liked to read about General
Grant and Napoleon. They were great
men Of their times, and the history of
their deeds fills me with admiration and re-
spect. should have liked to be u great
general, but all my fighting was done in
times Of peace. Who can tell but that
might have been leader Of men in battle
and have won distinction in that direc-
tion instead of with my fists? Certainly
have the fighting instincts, but 1 was born
"a generation too late for the civil war"
"What else do you liker"
"Im particularly fond of raw Bermuda
onions eaten before breakfast was the
somewhat startling reply. 1t was from
grave to gay and might have indicated
John l.. s depth of humor, although no
one could have told from any expression
upon his massive countenance.
eyes, think that raw Bermudas are
perfect morning medicine the year around.
Doctors have told me that they are good
things to eat, and agree with them per-
fectly. And, by the way, talking about
what like and don't like I'll say that
like to eat about as well as anything when
haven't been drinking the night before.
Rum knocks fellows stomach out, and
he doesn't want to eat. Consequently he
doesn't eat so the rum eats him. The
saying that when the rum is in the wit Is
out was one of the truest ever made.
When man gets drunk, he will do things
which he would never dream of doing
when sober. l know that from severe ex-
perience. That's one thing i don't like
also-rum-and yet drink it, but, thank
God, not for nearly two months now.
hope / never will again. Every drinking
man has said the same thing many time,
and yet he went back TO it, or rather it
got into him against his better judgment.
Rum Is often stronger than win power.
Against temptation and rum the will
weakens, and so a man makes a fool of
himself. Fools have no will power. Rum
sneaks upon you, and before you know 1t
II is master of mind and body. But II
you can eat you are all right The food
absorbs the liquor and carries you along.
But the rum gets the better of the food
after awhile. 1t eats your stomach cut,
and then you are gone. I'm not giving
temperance lecture. Every man who
drinks knows what say Is true Socia-
bility and SO called friends make men
drink. I've had too many Of these friends.
STILL don't blame them. They don't
think, and neither do when I'm drink
ing. When 1 get the rum out, then I
think and think that I'm fool.
"But said that liked to eat. A mans
hearty appetite is rich reward for sobrie-
ty. / get up in the morning, take cold
bath and send for half n dozen eggs beaten
up SO that 1 can drink them. put them
down and then eat Bermuda. After that
I'm ready for breakfast. This morning
got away with ga pounds Of steak, n cou-
pie of potatoes and bread, and I tell you
that 1t went great. 1 can eat with tho up
petite of hungry horse when I'm not
drinking"