New-York tribune., 1900-09-23
PUGILISTS' AVOCATIONS.
SOME FIGHTERS GO INTO POLITICS, SOME
UPON THE STAGE, BUT MORE OPEN
PUBLIC DRINKING HOUSES.


despite their brutal characteristics przefghts
have been patronized to some extent by men |
who were neither ruffianS fighters, who eX-
Cused themselves for countenancing and en- !
cOuraging the contests by saying that the sport |
was scientific. Ring contests with bare knuckles !
became popular in England more than two CEN |
turtles eSo, and men with ambitions to excel in |
the roped ring gave exhibitions of their knowl- |
edge of the art of self-defence In the early |
days of the Republic, but it not until early
In the fiftes that the sporting element of the |
country became deeply interested in ring fights. |
Tom Hyer, Tom" Sayers, John c. Heenan, |
Barney" Aaron, John Morrissey and host of
other fighters appeared in the prize ring.
They became popular heroes with part of
the community, and in the far West, particularly
California, they were Honized. Hats, collars
and other articles of mems wearing apparel were
named for them. Heenan hats and Sayres col
lars were popular at the time when these two
pugilists were aspirants for the championship
and a cane made to initiate Irish blackthorn
was known u McCool shillelah.
The fights in those days took place for the
most part in the open air. The ring side" was
the turf. and at large fights rude benches were
put up to accommodate the people who came
from near and far to witness the contests.
There was less scientific fighting in those
days" said an old man. who had been fighter
himself, and who is still an enthusiast but
not quite so much, though for the fighters"
In the early days of the prize ring the fighters
ambition was to win prizes and then become
the proprietor of public house. John Morrisseys
barroom in Troy the congregating place
Tor long time of the fighting element of the
country and a favorite resort for gamblers. and
disreputable people of all kinds. The place was
small and unattractive. but it was the ambition
of other fighters to have just such a place
Men who were lower down in the profession and
could not aspire to public houses became
trainers, teachers of boxing and wrestling, and
many members of the fraternity who were un-
able to attract sufficient attention were COM
PEELED to work like ordinary mortals in shops
and factories The stage had no attraction for
prize fighters in the early days of the sport in
the United States
When John c. Heenan was at the height of
his glory, young. handsome and crowned with
the prize ring laurels. he married an actress
who had gained notoriety by appearing in spec
tacular plays. He induced by his wife and
her friends to appear the stage in a part
written for him, but he was a melancholy
failure as an actor and retired from the calling
after brief and thankless career. His old
adversary, John Morrissey deveIoped an ambi-
ton IN the direction of politics. His associates
IN Troy and Lansingburg belonged to the class
which in later years made Ed" Murphy the
boss of Troy, and the condition which they
DrOuShC ABOUT made Bat Shea possible
Morrissey came to New-York and was elected
Representative to the XLth and XLIst Con-
crosses, where he was pointed out as the prize
lighting member. He became the owner and
manager Of several political gambling houses
and in 1877 took his seat in the New-York
State Senate, representing the WITH District.
His immediate predecessor was John Fox who
succeeded William NJ. Tweed Morrissey died in
1o'S and since then no prizefghter has become
prominent in politics. John L. Sullivan wanted
10 go to Congress- and had hopes in the di-
rectlon OF the chief magstracy of Boston, but
MS political ambitions came to grief
For several years przefghting was unpopu-
lar, and pugilists were not in great demand but
revival came when indoor fights took the place
of the open air contests.
The stage prize fight said follower of
the sport, gave the big fellows an idea that
they were actors. Standing up in a ring in a
cellar In barn or on the green was more
puslnessllke than doing the trick on stage
hooded with lime light The fights in the big
nails and athletic clubs also gave rise to specu-
latlon on the part of managers. Who ever
heard OF przefghter having a manager or a
press agent in the old days? Nowadays they
require those staff officers nearly as much as
they do a knowledge of the art"
John l.. Sullivan was the first prominent
fighter to make his appearance on the theatrical