St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-10
JAMES CORBETT.

hood days, and these are the fights they
tell about. FitZsimmGns says that he
mad so many he couldn't remember the
FIRST one, so he tells Of his famous go"
with Herbert Shade, the Maori.
The stories speak for themselves.
They follow:
Once C0rbe1t E as E5ea;en.
1 have been asked to tell about my
first fight. | have had a coed many
fights in ny time, but the one think of
Ofteuest took place when was twelve
years old. 1t was hardly my first fight.
as every boy Of twelve has had several
fights.
The fight that | am going to tell
about was the result of rivalry be-
tween the boys living in different
neigAborhoods. 1t was nothing more
than trouble between 'de gangs" L
had worked up to the captaincy of our
crowd, and felt bigger than the King OF
the Sandwich islands. One day the
two gangs met and there was a lot of
stone throwing There were so many
windows broken that the police told us
that if there was any more stone throw
ing some one WOuld be arrested.
That frightened rs, but it didn't end
the feud. The two gangs had several
scrimmages, but not much real fight
ing. and finally it was agreed that the
TWO captains Should tight it out. | was
a good, strong, healthy boy with no
knowledge OF the science of boxing, but
always ready 10 do -and"tumb!e
lighting The captain OF the rival gang
was a boy Of my own are, but shorter
and stoutcr. 1t was arranged that We
should fight ID regular style; that is, a
ring would be formed by our re-
spVctiVe followers; we were to strip to
the waist and fight by rounds. only
using the fists. We were not 10 trip
one another Or punch each other when
down. had never fought according TO
rules before, but had 10 fear as 10 the
outcome. All my previous fights had
been Of the S-yOu-pleaSe kind an
Ill one Comtataut or the other acknoWl-
edged that he was whipped. But my OPP
ronent was a smaller 10y than myself,
md | felt that l would 90 my gang
proud.
The fight came off one afternoon
about O'Clock, after school hours. 1t
was in Il big field in the outskirts Of
San Francisco that the ring was formed
by about thirty boys. | pulled off my
jacket, waist and shirt on my side of
the ring, and Joe Robinson, the boy
was to fight, did the same on his side Of
tie ring. We stepped into the open
space. and without shaking hands be-
gan the fight. One Of the boys who had
A latch was to stop us every five min
i es for minutes rest. but his Sery-
ices were not necessary.
had decided that ny superior height
gave me an advantage which could best
he utilized by beating down on the top
of tie other boys head. | thought [
would rain blows on him this way until
he wanted to stop. The little 10y adj
Yanced in a way had never seen be-
fore. and which somewhat shook my
confidence. But | started to hit him in
the way l had planned, but he wasn't
there. The next second he struck his
fist hard against my eye and l felt il
swelling. | tried 10 smile and hit back,
but he poked me in the other eye. made
my nose bleed, cut my mouth an raised
big bumps Oh my forehead. must have
been a pitiful sight, as my followers
wouldn't let me fight any more, and
was laid away while the other CROWD
jeered.
That was an awful blow to my vanity
1t set me 10 thinking, and later on
made friends with that boy He told
Tie that his big brother was clever
boxer and that he had taught him how
to fight. | resolved as soon as l could
TO learn how TO fight, resolve which
subsequently made good. That fight
taught me the worth Of science in fight.
ing, and indirectly put me where l an
today. If had beaten that boy might
never have been fired with an ambition
70 learn to box. Anyway, that was one
time yours truly got the wors: of it.
JAMES j. CoRBETT.
Lily, IVoo i I,uo-,c n