Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-17

"Pugilists
| Have Made Famous.
Tom O'Rourke, the Manager of Fighters,
Tells Of His Experiences.
* ~

heard that the young lawyer would
not fight, he generously refused to take
the forfeit and gave me- three weeks
in which TO find a man TO take his place.
Going along the street one day I
saw Jack Havlln driving a coal cart
He had taken part in few unimportant
fights previous TO that time, and l had
taken a fancy to him and thought he
had the makngs Of a fighter SO /
stopped him and asked him II ne would
meet Weir He Jumped at the oppor-
tunity and fought him for four and a
half hours in the woods in Rhode Is
land.
Soon after that I saw George Dixon
heat man who was IS pounds heavier
than himself, and took charge Of him.
| wanted TO match him against Cal Nc
Carthy, who was then the feather
weight champion. McCarthy's man
ager told me first TO put Dixon up
against Eugene Hornbacher, and, II he
won, then Mccarthy should give him a
chance. So / arranged a meeting be-
tween Dixon and Hornbacher, and the
colored youth knocked his opponent out
in a round and half Then, as every
one who has followed boxing will know,
after battle with Joe Murphy, which
Dixon won in seven rounds, he was
matched to fight Mccarthy for the
championship. The battle took place In
Boston and lasted 20 rounds, when II
was declared a draw. A little over a
year later the two met again In Troy,
N. Y, and there George won in %
rounds, capturing the championship, a
title he held until II was wrested from
him last month by Terry McGSvern.
Had George taken care OF himself dur
ing the past few years the result OF his
last fight would have been different.
Terry lie good young fighter, but he
lacks the experience Dixon has had and
had George met him In the shape he
was in FIVE years ago he would have
won.
Dixon is a good example Of the old
style fighter OF whom John L. sullivan
is typical Prodigal Of his financial as
well as his physical resources, he part
ed with his money almost as quickly as
he got IT, He is the only grateful fight
er / have ever met in my whole career,
and have had to do with a good many
in my time 1t is generally the case
that when you have done your best for
a pugllst and managed his interests
successfully he viii suddenly leave you
and, as likely as not abuse you into
the bargain. OF course, there are other
exceptions, but boxers, like George Dix
on, who remember past fayors, are few
and far between,
l have quite a string Of fighters In
my care just now, including Tom shar-
key. Mysterious" Billy Smith. who has
recently proved himself not such back
number as many people thought him;
Bob Armstrong, the colored heavy
weight: Joe Walcott, the phenomenal
West Indian welterweight; George
Gardiner Of Massachusetts,, and Henry
Lyons Of Chicago. These are all good
men at their different weights. and |
am kept busy arranging and planning
fights for them.
1t will be noticed that / seem partial
10 colored fighters. and so ! am. Ne
groes. in my opinion, are gamer than
whites and can stand more punishment.
Take Walcott, for instance, In some Of
his fights he has taken punishment
which ! don't believe any white man OF
his size could have wlthstood and not