The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1897-10-12
PRIZE RING PUGS.
Appe arance Of Pugilists Before.
and After Fighting.
The Victor Becomes "a Lion and the VAN
pushed Is Left to Suffer i'm Melan-
choly silence-Bcforea and After
the Battle.

Muffled to the ears in a dark-blue
sweater the heavyweight sat in his
dressing-room. A couple of burrows,
denoting concentrated thought, APP
peared in the narrow space between
his eyebrows and hair. lie was about
to enter the ring and expose his chin
to the deadly Knockout blow. Near
this magnificent human brute lowered
his trainer, also attired in a sweater,
and keenly alert to every move and
sound. The suave gentleman in the
role OF financial hacker, who man
ipulates the gate receipts, was also
there, trying TO appear gay and deb
onaire, but palpably anxious. At the
bolted door stood a fawning tin
horn sport without penny in his
pocket, but with a good prospect of
fondling couple of dollars if things
went right. He knew the heavyweight
from having seen his picture in the
pink periodicals and worshiped him ac-
cordingly.
The dressing-room contained little
beside the heayywcightand his friends.
In one corner was a wide cot of rough
boards hastily knocked together on
which the pugilist reclined, thinking
that he thought On n table opposite
stood a number of bottles containing
whisky alcohol and liniments. There
were also q sponge, some fans and
towels, and under the table tub of
ice.
Outside could be heard the roar of
the rabble at six dollars per head. en-
joying the preliminary bout as seen
through the murky haze of tobacco
smoke. The event of the e~ening-.
the meeting of the heavyweights-w
next on the programme. A favored
few gained admittanee to the dressing
rooms, for there were two or three re-
treats. Substantial-looking men in
cheese-colored overcoats and diamonds
n shade or two lighter crowded in to
shake the hand Of the thumper on
whom they had staled their money,
and TO whisper n word of encourage
ment in his ear. Some who were not
sports, but had friends i'm that line.
gazed awestricken at the reclining
gladiator and his array of fighting par
aphernalia.
Having exhausted his oratory in
making the match the heavyweight
had nothing TO say. and those who did
give vent 10 words spoke in subdued
whispers 1t was painfully solemn
and impressive occasion. Now and
then the trainer lest he be overlooked
in the shadow of the stellar attraction,
clipped "A bit OF court plaster with
which he tenderly dressed an imagi-
nary scratch on the prickled paws of
his employer.
Eventually the battle takes place,
and at the end of an hour the heavy
weights are back in their rooms. The
winner Is now the most voluble of the
excited throng which crowds the small |
apartment TO the door. He recapitu- |
lates every blow given ana taken dur
ing the fight, and points out on the |
chln OF the hacker the exact spot on
which he landed the final punch.
Everybody is deliriously happy. for
they have won money, and call the
packer tamiliarly by his first name
mat astute individual is effusively
solicitous for the welfare OF his trained
animal, and presses upon him drink
OF brandy from very small and curl
ously wrought bottle. The shape of
the hask creates the impression that
the liquor is of a superior quality, dis
'illed expressly for winning pugs.
lie is slow about dressing himself. is
the victor, for the red wehs and gouges
on his neck, breast and arms enhance
ms popularity 100 per cent. But he
affects not TO notice these wounds and
chats gayly about how he knew that
dub wouldn't be in it with him, etc
They all finally depart, however, with
the gate receipts, and spend the night
in drinking champagne.
Across in the other dressing-room
the dub sits blinking dizzily at
vacancy. He shakes so that the trainer