The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-10
Butte Department.
JOHN |. AS A TALKER
The Big Fellow Is An Agreeable and
Intelligent COnVersatiOnalist
WITH OLD-TIME FRIENDS
His Great Memory and Faculty for
Recalling Names and Incidents
of Years Ago-He and Party
Leave for the East

John L. Sullivan and party left al
1880 o'clock last evening over the
Northern Pacific for Billings. Mandar
and st. Paul. after a very successful
engagement in Butte. Mr. Sullivan
has a host of friends in this city and
naturally had a pleasant time in this
city. Whatever may be said of Sulli-
van in other places he certainly never
deviated from the course of gentle
man while in this city and those whom
he met here are very much inclined to
discredit the stories of his miscon-
duct in eastern papers.
In a pleasant chat over a bottle of
ale with a few friends in a room at the
Butte shortly before leaving, Mr.. Sui
livan remarked:
This is my fifth trip to Butte. I
was here first in 1SS4-it must have been
in February or March of "a. / remem-
bered that / drove up a sleigh from
the depot to little wooden hotel.
couldn't tell where IL was now; or what
the name of the hotel was. Just below
IL was a gambling house run by James
A. Murray and Silas King, and just
next to that was Pat Conlon's restau-
rant. Across the street was a clothing
house run by two Boston boys. / used
to call there quite often while / was
in the town. / went down in the Ana
conda mine on that trip. / remem-
Der Ii was a sort of a skating rink we
showed in. 1t was two and a half a
crack, and we took in $1,000 in three
nights and a matinee. Those were
times then! Butte was beaut at that
time, and that's no lie!"
One of the most remarkable things
about John L. Sullivan Is the ease with
which he remembers names. He very
seldom makes a mistake, and after
even slight acquaintance he will, years
afterward. call q man by his right
name. He remembered Miles Finlen,
II. L. Frank and dozens of others that
he had met in Butte
There is nothing of the tough" in
Sullivan's conversation except an oc-
casional slang phrase put in by way
of emphasis. There is scarcely a man
who uses less profane language in ordi-
nary conversation than does Sullivan.
He talks the American language as
purely as any member of a patriotic
society, and there is not a trace of a
brogue. He doesn't say vivid" or
soy" as seems to be the popular inn
preston.
II was In Butte again." continued
Sullivan, "in 1887, 1892. 1893 and now. /
used to climb the hills in this high alti-
tude and In Leadville without any eff
fect at all. But it's different now Ten
years ago a high altitude or a low alti-
tude was all the same ito me, but now
a little exertion in this high altitude
VIII make me pun like porpoise. 1 can
hardly get my breath after sparring a
round with Paddy VIII you split an
other bottle of ale, Paddy?"
Sure" said Ryan.
You evidently have lots of friends
out here. Mr.. Sullivan" remarked one
of the party
Indeed. I have" said John, IT have
n million Io
million wants me to take a drink with
him. Holy Gee! If a man is drinking
at all. how can he help but get too
much under such circumstances? Every
town go to meet scores of old friends
ana am introduced to scores of new
ones. Every one of them, old and new.
invites me to drink, and IL is either a
case of not drinking at all or drinking
TOO much. good man is only born
once In 80 years, but there is a new
distillery every Is seconds. How is a
man to keep from drinking whiskey?"
NOBODY seemed able TO answer that
question except Miles Finlen. who re-
marked that he had been drinking as
much In 40 years as anyone but two
years ago he quit and stayed quit.
haven't been drinking for 20
years. said John. like my friend
Miles here, but have drank plenty OF
the stuff for Is years"
HOW old are you now, Sullivan"
am 81. L will be 80 the 18th of
next October. and have lived a hum
dred and thirty eight"
Inc conversation turned on weights
ana sizes or various men, and some one
asked sullivan how much he weighs
L weigh PSI or 2S2 pounds" replied
the Dig man, lin my clothes, and about |
Z'o stripped. But there are some dis |
advantages about being a big man. I /
often wish l was a little man so I |
could lick some of the fellows who /
insult me. People seem TO think that /
a big man like me has no feelings. but /
have. And when / do break loose |
after hearing lots of insulting remarks. /
l am roasted as a bully and a brute |
Ior licking a small man. l have lots |
OF friends but that isn't all of il. 1 /
have lots of enemies, too, and / am so |
big that / can't lick them without get
ting abused for It,"
DO you come of a large family"
My father was feet 51s and never
weighed more than 1870 pounds My
mother was big woman, however.
She was feet 6i9 and weighed 206. !
got my size from my mothers side
OF the house. They were all big people.
My father was from Kerry and my
mother from Athlow."
rs there any truth in the report that
you are going into the race horse bust
ness?" asked Finlen.
No" replied Sullivan. II am going
into the hotel business"
Where are you going TO start your
hotel?"
In New York. Chicago or ST. Louis.
haven't decided which as yet"
There was a good-natured discussion
as TO the best place for Sullivan 10
open his hotel. George Tighe insisting
on Chicago as a better place, while
most of the party advocated New York.
II will leave IL TO Mr. Ryan" said
rfghe, las to whether Chicago is not
4 better place. Which is the best place