The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-14


gold pieces than they know what to dc
with. One OF their number, Eugene Syl-
vester, had a great local reputation fol
strength. He measured feet inches
weighed 290 pounds and had pair OF
hands like baseball mitts He could lift
one end of Columbia River fishing boat
and topple it over without any trouble
If you ever have seen one of these boats
you will know what that means. His
Russian Finn brethren did not believe
that the man ever lived who could stand
up before Sylvester in a ring. So it came
about that one day they held an enthusi-
astic meeting and sent word to Portland
that if John L. Sullivan cared to make q
trip down the river Mr.. Sylvester would
take great pleasure in knocking him into
the Pacific Ocean.
Johns sporting friends, seeing the pros
pect of big bet advised him to go, and
he WENT All the details were arranged
and each side put up $1,000 in a wager
that Sylvester could stay four rounds
Seconds and time keepers were chosen.
and ring was hastily rugged up on the
stage of the Astoria Opera House.
A stock company was playing Queens
Evidence" there at the time but had been
persuaded to give up one night to the fist
ic exhibition; the Queens Evidence
scenery for the first act remained in
place. On the night when the battle was
to come off Sullivan and his friends fig
ured that they had wagered $4,000 with
various Russian Finn enthusiasts on the
result. The Firms had heard rumors that
OF Cri+i tool e+o ~
man was pounding the daylights out of
John L, the electric lights were to be
turned off and their champion robbed of
his victory. So they came prepared for
any emergency, nearly 1000 of them occu-
plying seats in the theatre, every man
with his revolver and a lighted lamp I'M
der his chair
The men got into the ring pretty well
stripped, Sullivan doing his best to look
scared to death and Sylvester strutting
around the stage and almost bowling his
head off in recognition Of the applause
from his friends. He had wagered every
cent he could raise, as well as his fish
ing boat and nets, with a bow-legged lit
tie man on Sullivans staff called Bleach
er.
The referee called time, and they went
at 1t. Sylvester stood still for minute
and then made a furious dash at Sulli-
van, who broke ground and ran in an ap-
pealing manner around the ring The
Firms stood up and waved their lanterns
about their heads in their enthusiasm.
All through the round, as Eugene chased
John from one post to the other, they
kept up magnificent though somewhat
obscure series of yells in their native
language, and when it was over and Sui
Ivan sank back in his chair acting the
part Of a man on his last uins they i'm
mediately proceeded to bet any stray gold
pieces that they had not before been able
to place
When the second round began Sylves-
ter, evidently thinking that Sullivan was
practically out did a few struts in the
middle of the ring and walked around,
intimating by dumb show that ''Soolivan''
as the Firms called him, was the easiest
mark he had ever handled. All through
the round Sullivan continued to run away
once in while varying his go-as-you-
please tactics with wild swings that never
got closer than three feet to Sylvester.
At the call of time John sank on both
knees and allowed himself to be dragged
to his chair by his seconds with well
simulated agony on his face.
few moments before the third round
was called John, turning round to the
timekeepers and pointing to a gau1y piece
of scenery on the other side Of the stage,
said: You see dat oleunder flee over
dere? Well, watch me knock dis Gle
Oleson troo de middle of it." When the
third round was called Sylvester began to
jump about on his feet like a kitten, and,
keeping his eye OF John, yelled to his
compatriots to bet their shirts on him.
Wrought I'D to pitch of enthusiasm by
the appearance of things they began to
do pretty much what he advised, and as
fast as they offered to wager anything
Johns friends in the crowd took them up.
Eugene advanced with light-hearted
spring, evidently intending to finish his
man before the round was over. After
about minutes sprinting Sullivan sud
denly, to the astonishment of his oppo-
nent, stood still and let him catch up.
Then coolly letting go his left he caught
Sylvester under the jaw and lifted near
ly 800 pounds of Russian Finn clear over
the ropes and through the scenery a few
feet from the spot he had designated.
Turning round to the time keepers, he
said: Say, dogs, so and asst de stoige
manager watts de damage to de oleunder
bush.''
Sullivan and the gang left town the
next morning. taking with them almost a
literal barrel Of money. The Russian
Firms spent the hardest winter in their
history. AS for Sylvester. he never got
on his feet sufficiently to parchase a new
boat or nets and finally became a boat
puller. A few years later he developed
a mild form of insanity and is now in the
Oregon State Insane Asylum.