The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-04
HAPPENINGS IN The WORLD OF SPORT
PugiliSfi1.
WILLARD BEAN ON PUG|L|sM
AN ABLE DEFENSE OF THE MAN.
LY ART.
Boxing Is Less Dangerous Than
Baseball OF Football-Rules
Should Be Modified.

The manly art or science of self-de-
Tense has been miserably abused.
1t has been trampled into the mire
for so long that TO the cultured bad
odor seems to follow the profession.
Just the mere mention of the word
pugilism strikes like a thunderbolt on
the ears of the people and causes hor-
ror Yet who is there of us who does
not admire a manly form? Who does
| not like to see a proportionately built,
agile man? And there is much Satisfac-
ton in feeling like man.
There is a law against carrying pis-
tolls and other deadly weapons, but
there is no law against carrying sci
ence to defend yourself against inso-
lent aggression. And there is no
branch of athletics that is more scien-
tific than the art of self-defense. Spar
ring is not what it was fifteen or TWEEN
ty years ago. Then it was question of
bulk, or survival of the fittest, from
brute standpoint. The animal pre-
dominated. They used bare knuckles,
or skin-tight gloves. Now it has be-
come a science. Now it is mind over
matter. Now it is generalship and
agility, as well as gameness and hit
ting powers. The mind does the plan
ming, sometimes very quickly, and the
body executes the plans or follows the
dictates OF the mind. l am willing to
take the stump and defend the pro-
fession, but not the majority of the
men who follow it.
But You will say that occasionally a
man gets killed in the roped arena
This is the greatest, if not the only OBJ
lection, that the most refined classes
have to the profession. Now, let us
examine it, and compare it with other
games from a standpoint of brutality.
Since 1852, or during the last forty
seven years, about tWenty-seven men
have died from injuries received in the
prize ring. This includes battles with
the bare knuckles, skin tight gloves,
two-ounce gloves, four-ounce gloves
and every other sort of gloves.
Now let us merely refer to the foot
ball season last year. During the two
months, beginning Sept. "a. and ending
on Thanksgiving day, there were five
deaths, thirty-three serious accidents,
and the minor accidents reached into
the hundreds. And this only includes
the games played by the principal col
legeS in the east, as reported by the
New York Journal. And football is
played in the west, as we'll as in other
countries, and is, of course, accom-
panied by more or less accidents
And l need only mention six-day go
as-you-please bicycle races, which
every sane person knows is entirely
contrary to the laws of nature.
Baseball while it furnishes its share
of accidents. yet. as a rule. they are
not OF serious nature. 1t was only a
short time ago when a young man was
very seriously injured during a ball
game in Logan. Yet we do not stamp
out baseball. In fact, there is. scarcely
branch of athletics in which there is
not an occasional death. And there is
scarcely profession or trade in which
men 60 not meet death prerna turely.
But, says one, such low and i'm
moral set of men follow pugilism." This
Is true IN a measure. but there are ex-
ceptons. But | would not condemn a
profession because of the actions of
men who follow it any quicker than l
would condemn a religious creed on the
actions of some of its members. 1 will
admit, however. that the science of
self-defense can and should be modi-
he'd, and If l had influence with the
legislature, l would not stamp out box
ing exhibitions any quicker than l
would stop our college boys from pum-
melting each other with the gloves al
their various boarding houses. but |
would allow them to box under certain |
conditions, some of which would be
that they use large-sized glove; that !
the floor be padded: that both men be
contest be limited to twenty rounds. i.
e., within the bounds of human endur- |
ance or nature. This would avoid ac- |
and at the same time give the |
men a chance TO display their general |
ship, agility and endurance We all |
enjoy display of mind and we'll |
trained muscle. And it is possible to |
make any profession honorable. In
the east they have established a school
in the basement of some of their
where all the latest points in
boxing is carefully taught / can call
to mind number of very religious
people who are very clever with the
gloves. Among others, will mention
Father Ferguson, a noted Catholic
priest, and Captain Burke of the Sal
Vation Army, both of San Francisco.
Piety and fistic ability can and often
10 run together A clever boxer can
De as much Of a gentleman as the puny
Heakling who is unable TO defend him
self against insolent aggression. MANY
l tragedy could have been averted had
he participants had more confidence
n their fiStic ability.
WILLARD BEAN.