The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-21
mGOvERN's STORY OF ms LIFE.
Lost Lumber Yard job and Went 10
Fighting TO support "a Mother.
From the New York World.


From the New York World.
Terry" McGoVern, the bantam and
featherweight champion of the world, tells
here for the first time The story of his
wonderful career. lie tells il in the sim
pie and straightforward way characteris-
| tic of his ring methods. The keynote OF
his success is hard work and persever-
auce.
My parents removed to Brooklyn from
Johnstown, Pa, six months after l was
born. When my father died several years
ago, l made up my mind to help my moth
er. l left school and got work in lum-
| Der yard. Charlie Mayhood gave me the
| job He showed me the ropes and ! soon
caught on to the stenciling work. | was
only as strong as the ordinary boy when
| | started, but after a year or SO ! felt /
had really become strong. | joined boys
athletic club, the JacksOns, and learned
| how to box, l never took any other box
ing, lessons. 1t came to me naturally.
| After l had worked about year and
a half the firm went out OF business. Char
| lie and | then resolved to stick together
| when l lost my job | thought serious
l ly about what to do Some of the boys
in the club urged me to go into the ring
| | hesitated for two reasons-iirst. because
l knew my mother wouldn't Ike It, and,
! second. because | knew | wasn't III for it.
| At any rate, [ had to get work, and l
took the easiest way out of it and went
into the ring
'T had fought one or two bouts in the
/ amateur tournaments Of the club and came
out ahead. My first professional fight was
with Jack Snay. Snay was knocked out
| This was two and a half years ago My
| share of the purse was $25, and l gave the
! money to my mother. My next fight won
$50 for me, my next SIS, and the next one,
! with George Monroe, brought me 1893. The
purse was shared equally. My first big
! fight the one that brought me most money
up to that time was with George Monroe
at Coney Island in June, 1898.
| Though L have been fighting nearly
| three years, during the first year I made
hardly enough to support us. My last
| fight with Dixon, netted me nearly $4,000,
but | do not prize anything more now
than the gold watch l won in the amateur
tournament at the Jacksons'.
Il have never yet received black eye
or a bloody nose in the ring, although in
my goes with Charlie Mayhood / had suf-
fered both.
when not in training l continue my
daily exercise, which consists of machine
! work and dumbbells in the morning, just
after | get up. and a long run or swift
walk around the streets. ] do not believe
!
the muscles of the legs and incapacitates
a person for quick action. l use half
! pound dumbbells.
Since | entered the ring my purse win
nings amount to $4,000. OF this | still
have over $25, 900. ! have provided a home
| for my mother and two brothers, and /
! purchased a two-and- -half-story brown
stone house for my wife and myself. My
! aunt keeps house for US. l also own two
saloons and some other real estate in
| Brooklyn. Recently / bought four lots ct
Riverhead, l.. l. OF course. / bet on my
self and so does my manager Mr.. Har-
ris who gives me halt mis- winnings.
have made $500 a week giving exhibitions.
Though l do not think my fights hereafter
will be as numerous as they have been
heretofore yet my prospects for the next
| few years are brighter than they ever
we're from financial point of view. l al
ready have more theatrical engagements
than can reasonably fill. These will net
me 5000 90 $500 weekly. / expect to be
worth more than 100000 within the next
couple of years, and 100000 for young
man of 23 is good enough. When my
! time comes l viii retire from the ring to
live happily with my wife and family.
will put my money into safe and sound
real estate and extend my saloon business.
/ desire also to give my brothers a good
education, that they may be fitted for
higher mental professions than my own.
Every cent l make-that IS, as much 81
l can put away-I will invest in real es-
tate. | am looking now for a nice apart
ment house somewhere in Harlem, and
intend to buy some lots OH upper Jerome
avenue.
From now until my fight with Oscar
Gardiner, in February, and with Joe Bern
stein on March o. ! will be on the road.
Last week / showed al Miners Bowery
with the Gay Morning Glories.' in which
/ have part interest. / viii go to Phil
adelphia for "A week ~ the Trocadero and
from there go 10 Newark. n. j. Then my
| trip Will be to Baltimore. where / will
| fight a clever bantam named Jack Ward.
The purse is 5000. l will go as far West
as Chicago where ! VIII meet Eddie
Santry before the Tattersall club. and
will then return 10 fight Gardiner at the
Broadway Athletic Club think my fight
with Joe Bernstein will also be held there.
II will probably go TO the Paris Expo
siton In May. / and my manager and
Mrs. Harris and Mrs. McGoyern will re-
main abroad touring France and Great
Britain until the end OF the fall. / will not
fight on the other side unless the induce
ments are satisfactory. So far they have
been entirely unsatisfactory. II I can get
So, 900 for fight In New York with Ben
Jordan, why should / take on match
with him In England for $1,000? That Is
the biggest offer they have yet made me.