The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-17

of the world, James j. Corbett. The Cali
fornian will make good his boast, delivered
Immediately after his conquest Of Sulli-
van, "Thero's one fighter who'll never go
broke" Not he! The man from tho
"slopo" Is too cautious and thrifty TO ex-
pend penny unnecessarily. Ho Is the Rus
sell Sage OF puglism. In this regard he is
the direct antithosis of his predecessor,
John l.. Sullivan, who was flstic Coal
Oil Johnny. The Bostonian literally
''burncd" his money Tho Californian
guards his as previously as Shylock did his
treasure caskct
1t Is q sad truth that the greatest Of fist
ic heroes 60 to their last restipg place bro
ken In heart, health and purse. John Nor
rissey, once champion Of America, made
1900, 600 or more In gambling and specu-
lation and even became state senator
and a congressman from Now York. Yet
he died without dollar. His wife, who
once rcveled in riches, Is now working in
. collar factory in Troy His great rival,
John G. Heenan, spent his last days In
Colorado pcnsioner upon The bounty OF
his friends. His wife, tho beautiful Adah
Isaacs Mcnken, the original Mazoppa, was
buried in the potter's field in Paris, where
she was once the favorite OF an emperor.
Fate has been almost equally unkind
with all tho renowned champions of both
England and America. Tom Sayers, Bill
Perry, the Upton Slasher; Jack Langham,
Aaron Jones and Joo Goss of England,
and Tom Hyer, Mike McCoole Joe Coburn
and Johnny Dwyer of America all died
without even tu'pence to close their eyelids.
Tom King, champion of England 80 years
ago, who obtained questionable victory
over John @. Heenan soon after the latter's
battle with Sayers, like our own John
Morrissey, accumulated fortune on tho
turf and was presumed to have died
wealthy q few years ago. Upon rigid
investigation, however, IL was discovered
that but ID shadow Of his once magnificent
substance rcmained.
OF course the life partners OF these cele-
hrated champions were left In destitute
circumstances and had a hard struggle.
The one luminous exception is that OF tho
widow of tho American champion John
j. Dwycr. Sho Is now tho wife of Richard
X. Fox, millionaire several times over,
and Is able 10 spend several months Of the
year In Europe
Fighting is q poor business from a flnan.
cial point Of view. This may sound strange
In view Of the munlfcent purses which
great athletic clubs offer, but IL Is never
theless true. Ia the first place, as the old
love ditty has IL, chores only room for
one.r But one man can win the need OF
victory. The conquered mans lot is
mass Of bruises broken spirit and loss
OF friends. Tho world-and especially the
sporting world-has no use for n loser
The only two exceptions I have ever known
TO this rulo are those OF John l.. Sullivan
and Jack Dempsey. But It is their mag
nctic personality. their magnificent man
hood, their splendid qualities OF head and
heart quito as much as their flstio prowess
that keeps thom enshrined in the affections
Of the sporting public
IL must be remembered that only cham
pions in their respective classes can COM
mand big purses. Those next TO them,"
the men who have given the champions
the battle of their lives, must be content
10 fight for one-tenth Of the sum cham.
pion would look at. They must be salts
fled with occupying stall in some mana
gers stable"
And tho manager All. there's the pu
gilistic rub! No fighter seems to bc able tn
get along without him. He Is usually a
clever. brainy fellow, suave, courteous 20
degree and as glib of tongue as n Wall
etroet promoter. Ho Is the man who "ar.
ranges matches for his principal at the
various athletic clubs and fixes" matters
with tho authorities II menaccd by blue
coat interference. For the cerebral or dip
lomatic work thus performed the manager
declares himself in" for half OF his prin-
cipal's purse, whether that purse bo the
winners or the losers end. The only ox-