The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-10
BOXING GAINS GROUND.
CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO HAVE
LOCALIZED THE SPORT BE-
FORE ORGANIZED CLUBS
BETTER ELEMENT IN FRONT


BETTER ELEMENT IN FRONT
Only Danger Is the Greed of the Old
Guard Who Made the Game I'm
popular with All Classes-Does
Away With the Degrading Scenes
Enacted by Law Breaking Prize
Fight Promoters.
Colorado has followed California, and
boxing is now legal in that state, provid-
ed the same occurs before a regularly or
ganized club. The effort made in New
York to repeal the Horton law failed. so
that there are now three states in which
boxing matches can be conducted In a
legitimate way. This will prove hard
blow to the promoters of affairs that are
conducted in out-of-the-way pla ces, by
making the members of clubs relentless
in pursuit of those who attempt to bring
boxing into disrepute by encouraging I'M
trained and unskflled men to fight for
trifiing sums for the edification OF few
sports" who imagine it is the proper
thing to defy the authorities. 1t will also
put stop to many of the disgraceful So
called boxing matches that SO frequently
result fatally to enc or both the con-
testants. Where the law has the control
of boxing there is absolutely no need for
fatality save in such remote contin-
gencies that the occurrence will be re-
ga ri cd raj ri ~efb or In.
to be expected.
DANGER OF GREED.
From this time on the greatest danger
to be apprehended by the advocates of
the sport will lie in the greed Of self
appointed promoters. There Is so much
money to be made in a boxing match
that INSCRIPTIONS men will not pause to
consider the fable Of the goose that laid
its daily golden egg. but will at once
proceed in a futile effort to secure all
the eggs at once. II should be the effort
of those who are In a position to control
in the states where boxing is now a
legitimate game. to see to it that all such
promoters" are promptly suppressed,
before they have had a chance to kill the
game. There was a time in Missouri
when boxing was permitted by the au-
thorities, despite the fact that there was
a statute prohibiting any sort of a spar
ring match. anywhere, under any aus
pices. Then the deadly promoter" got
in his work. The end was certain Box
ing was tabooed, and for years there was
nothing in that line save fights between
unframed and unskilled men, in out-of-
the-way places. with all the attendant
Objectionable features. So 1t will be
wherever the better element falls to as
sert itself at the very outset OF any at
tempt to take advantage of the law, for
| money-making purposes, regardless Of
the right.
FITZ-JEFFRIES MATCH.
The prophets are beginning to talk
about the big battle. After seeing JEFF
fries in action. at Kansas City, Jimmy
Whitfield says the big boilermaker will
not do-that he will be a punching bag
for the Cornishman. and that he Is too
slow to keep himself warm-even in Nav.
On the other hand, Gus Rubin. who has
boxed twenty rounds with Jeffries, is of
the opinion that Fitz is up against it,
this time-that Jeffries Is too big and
strong for the blacksmith from Timaru
L don't know about Rubin. He isn't SO
much OF an oracle. Gus is pretty slow
hlmself-and so far as keeping warm is
concerned. Gus would not be regarded
n.
| Rubin cannot be classed as a Judge of
| speed. He is too slow to catch on.
Strength counts for little in a boxing
match unless there be a bit OF science
back of 1t. A man might be ever so good
a drummer, but he couldn't make much
music without hitting the drum
CORBETT AND PATTI.
The Diva has rival in the farewell
business. Jim Corbett has not married
as often as has the famous nightingale
of the operate world, but he can at least
tie her record for farwell tours Jim an
nounces that his thirst parlor business is
so remunerative that he has decided to
renounce the ring .'once more, again, -
devote his entire attention" to mint
Juleps, 'Rickeys gin sings, milk
punches. pousse cafes, b & s. ''singarees,
and the like. All his ''smashes'' In the
future will be Of brandy or whisky, and
not of the five-ounce glove sort And
yet 1t may be true that Jim has retired.
Let 1t be hoped that it is
PREVIOUS RETIREMENTs.
Corbett first retired when he saw Peter
Maher stop his sparring partner Steve
O'Donnell, almost without an effort On
that occasion Jim jumped through the
ropes and announced that he had deter
| man who was a worthy successor, and
that that man was Maher Thereupon
and without further ceremony, Corbett
endowed the Irish champion with the
championship title, and retired? He was
back again, however, so soon as he con-
sidered 1t safe to take the STEP Corbett
had wholesome respect for Maher at
that time. He had been boxing with
ODonnel, and admitted that the man
Maher vanquished so easily was the best
man he had faced in the ring. He did
not care to go against one who could SO
| easily vanqutsh the man he had consider
| ed the best In the world-bar himself
Corbett had retired before that, however
He retired every time there was chance
to get thrashed. But Jim has met with
reverses, OF late, and perhaps he is not
| joking this time.
| MCCOY GIVES IT UP.
Kid Mccoy has finally got out of the
business. He does not say that he has
retired. He has determined to take g
rest. His showing with Joe Choynsk
was SO decidedly bad that he was dis
| gusted with himself He realized that Il
! he could not vanquish Choynski and de-
| cisively. within twenty rounds, he ha6
| no business with such men as Fitzsim.
mons. Sharkey and Jefferies McCoy's
physician. SO it is related, Informed the
| Hoosier boxer that his heart Is affected
| and advised him to quit fighting. Tha,
| is the reason given for his retirement
| Mccoy overstepped his class He should
| not have aSpfred as high az he did IT.