The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-07
MAURICE BARRYMORE.


He Discusses Foot Rail, Base Ban and
Boxing OF To-day and Talks BY the
Beok-He Has Won Trophies I'm Lon
pom Contests.
Maurice Barrymore who Is playing the
leading male role in Shenandoah 10 not
only thorough artise but . most sRsble
gentleman and cosmopolitan withal, hav-
ing the keenest kind Of love for sports
and In recent interview very interest
insly says.
81 always have. until late years. de-
ton- Lately my time has bean over-oc-
oupaed, but I still retain my inteesst In
All matters pertaining to athletics and
the lihe. Boxing and baseball are my
favoflte reorsationa Baseball am OF
course Interested In only 40 patron.
Passing my youth on the other side pre-
s ssns sh. sa Sn ;. s;sSss sHd there.
BY IT differs from cricket which 10 first
OF eii an amateur game. While some OF
your college men become professional
players, generally . drst-clsss player has
TO begin b use thu hall when very young
ana do nothing sase. A bassbalI player
all the year round, while cricket players
never train In the restricted senss Of the
word. But baseball ~ game to take In
from the grand stand Possesses qualities
which never can belong to the bat and
ball game Of old England. There II Ns-
tie IN common between the pastimee:
II confess" continued the actor. that
I cannot enjoy the football game %
played between American colleges. There
10 less to sec than IN the moro opsn Elton
game, as 1t was psayed In my early days.
L. seems to me That the wedge play pre-.
vents much excitement for the man out
side the gridiron and adds 20 much intri.
cate technique that the observer loses all
interest in the mental effort to keep In
mind what 1t eli means. In the old Rug
by game, a. played In my youth, Interior
ence was not allowed, and msu was out
Of play when his position was ahead Of
the ball and could not play until tho ball
had been touched by one Of the other side
In England football is BY professional
than 1t is in this country, and vast
throngs witness teams of repute."
''Do you think that boxing Of today
and of tho future is, and 10 to be, in mer-
1t, the equivalent Of the sport In the
earlier Days Of the century," querisd the
reporter. .,.
10 like everything else. Times change.
but what right have we to say our gener-
alton Is not as productive as any otherS
1t may be more 20, but we could not
prove that, either. In sparriDg 1t Is the
same az acting. Some people think We
shall never have the counterparts OF Gar
rett and Forrest on the stage. But be-
cause these two stood higher than their
contemporaries 10 may b. that 1t WAS be-
cause the leseer stars were all Of minor
magnitude And IN ring matters, don't
you know, the old fellows all Sigh for the
days of ieenau. l think we have seen
his equal and will again. There Is no
way Of making comparison between On
generation and another. In ny opinion
Jack Dempsey WAS the best man for his
size who has entered ring for twenty-
i've years. He could whip any living
man within ten pounds Of him, and 1t
was mere butchery when he was put up
against such q giant as Fitzsimmons to
be knocked out and ruined.
Boxing Is moro scientific than in the
old days, and rounds last longer. Men
do not exhaust themselves punching any
where, but seeks for points in the adver-
sary which will tell A knowledge OF
physiology must be added to a knowledge
OF the gloves. No, I am not pessimist
in regard to prize fighting"
ri took the Queensbury .cup. cham-
pionship trophy, myself In a contest in
the suburbs OF London ia 1872" he adj
ded, and there Is no doubt that when Mr..
Barry more speaks OF the manly art he
talks by the book.