Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-10-06
HE BROKE THE TOWN.
WITH THE BLOW THAT KNOCKED OUT
THE BIG SWEDE.

Astoria, Or, Bet All Its Money on
Hans Andersen the Night He Faced
John L. sullivan-The Bout Was a
farce Comedy. Not a Fight.
ut is a matter Of minor Importance
when an individual goes broke. Most Of
US have had frequent depressing expert.
ences of that sort without attracting
much attention or sympathy, but when
the populace Of a whole town goes fat,
staving, whooping broke. down to the
final soumarque and silver, with the per-
sonal belongings Of nearly all hands
thrown in to make the collapse complete.
it's a different matter" said an Oregon
man. II once saw that thing happen.
The town that went broke was Astoria.
Or. 1t was back in the latter eighties.
Astoria. you know, is the leading salmon
catching and salmon canning town Of the
world. Its population is chiefly made up
of Scandinavian fishermen.
"At the time I'm speaking Of John L.
Sullivan was touring the northwest,
knocking out a couple of giants every
night in q punch. His manager was
offering a reward Of $1,000 to any man
who stood up against the great and only
John for four rounds, and all the black
smiths, boiler makers, w~oodsawyers,
teamsters of great stature n immense
strength, etc., in the northwest seemed
to a a hack at the big pugilist. Sui
Ivan puncturcd them all as fast as they
came up against him, but they kept on
coming. The pugilist from the east was
not keeping himself in even fairly good
trim either. Often he went on to do his
punching out act after having spent the
better part Of the afternoon dining on
highballs. He covered Portland for three
nights, and then he went on the night
boat to Astoria to fill a date.
Nov, the cock Of the fighting walk in
Astoria at that time was u gigantic
Swede named Hans Andersen. a fisher.
man. He vas actually only a few inches
short of Z feet in height, and he was
built proportionately, with huge iron
muscles, tremendous shoulders and an
almost herculean degree in strength. He
had pummeled everything that stood on
two legs in Astoria to a proper stand
still and had become quite a bit of q
bully among the men of his own ma.
tionality. The Scandinavians of Astoria
thought that Hans Andersen was Just
about the whole thing when it came to
fighting, and when word reached that
town that John L. Sullivan was coming
along with his $1,000 offer most Of them
saw riches right in their grasp. They
knew that a big crowd of Portland
sports would come down to Astoria
with Sullivan. md that the hot cards
from Portland would, Of course, bet on
the 1rishman. So they put Andersen
into training and stood by for the big
night. Andersen told them that he was
sure to macerate Sullivan's features into
pup, but he didn't need to tell them that.
They felt confident Of it.
Sullivan got into Astoria on the morn
ing boat-he was pretty comfortable,
thanks, when he debarked-and the town
Of Astoria knocked off work and bust
ness, except as to the refreshment end
Of it, to look the big Irishman over and
to mediate upon the fall that was in
store for him Mt the hands of the mighty
Swedc. The Columbia bar was practi-
cally unfshed for salmon that day. The
Astoria people were too busy collecting
their coin to bet the same on their man.
The betting began in the gin mills by 10
O'Clock in the morning, and the crowd of
Portland warm members who came
along with Sullivan offered 5 to / on the
proposition that the Swede wouldn't stay
four rounds with Sullivan. Astoria Just
ate that price up. The price, 5 to l, was
on tap all day and up to the very minute
of the encounter. The fishermen and
Gamer weren't content to bet their
spare cash alone on the outcome. They
sold their nets. some of them their boats,
wherewith to get the dough to take all
they could Of that 5 to 1.
1.-THE Swede surely was a fine looking
specimen when he came on for his 60
with Sullivan, and the shouts with which
the Scandinavians greeted his appear.
ance were terrific. Sullivan came on q
couple Of minutes later. He had made q
peculiarly careful, personally conducted
Investigation into the merits of the
liquids indigenous to the soil during the
afternoon, and he wasn't particularly
steady on his underpinning. But he had
a broad grin on his closely shavcn mue
when he caught sight of the mammoth
Swcdc.
"'Time,' said the referee, and Sullivan
walSed-well, maybe reeled would be
better word-over to the center of the
ring, where the big Swede already stood
in a threatening, defiant attitude anc
held out his right mitt. The two big fel
lows shook boxing gloves, and then sale
Sullivan, grinning:
"'Whcre die say We wanted it?'
"'Hay" inquired the Swedc. .Ay tanl
you no skall have easy yob yoost same
and
"'G'wan.' said Sullivan, and then hi
left arm shot out like a piston rod, tn,
business end Of the same caught til,
terrible Swede' smack on the point O
the chin, and the whole 200 pounds O
Hans Andersen just vanished off til,
stage. The mighty carcass Of the Swed,
described an arc in the air and landed
out of view between the wings of tn,
theater. Sullivan pulled off his gloves
said something out Of the left corner o
his mouth about being very truly yours
John L. Sullivan to the dazed onlooker
aud numbered off the stage. It was al
over
Gay tank Irish loafer Sool'van skal
be all same day'l,' wa the only remarl
the big Swede made when he came to, /!
minutes later. There came near being
riot in the theater. A lot Of the fisher