The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-11

he has accomplished this not particularly
as a patron of the manly art" but it
has come from the successful result OF
effort to regulate the sport.
Right at this time Chicago is the great
ffstic center Of the country, and so many
good boxers are at hand to fill up box
ing programme that promoters Of pugilis-
tic events are frequently obliged to turn
down requests from topnotchers, In the !
various classes who desire engagements
before local clubs In ten years residence
here 1 have never known a. time when
the sport was in higher favor. This is
somewhat surprising when It is remem-
bered that the legislature only a few
years ago passed a very severe law
against prizef1ghting in Illinois.
SIX-ROUND BOUTS ALLOWED
When this law was passed basement
and barn scrappers' came into great
prominence, and, under previous MAYORS.
prizefights largely for stakes and among
men unit for such contests, were of fire.
quent occurrence The police could not
stop them, and the nature of the sport,
by the way in which it was promoted,
drew to it the most disreputable in a
great city. When Mayor Harrison came
into Office he was urged to permit six
round public contests. and realizing that
such permission might be advantageous
gave his consent.
L have not heard of fight in private
for year, and do not think such a con-
test would draw corporals guard. Pub
lie bouts draw only when the best men
are engaged, the bout between Terry Nc
Govern and Eddie Santry, In this city a
few weeks ago, showing gate receipts of
signify over $4,000 In this contest the
boxers divided $1,000, and this sum was
larger than the gross receipts at any pre-
VtouS boxing show ever given in Chicago
and the gross receipts were larger than at
any OF the big fights in New York, not
excepting the Jeffries-Sharkey contest.
There are other points III connection with
the six-round bouts In L---cago which are
full of interest. New York has had the
supposed advantage of the Horton law,
which permitted bouts of Twenty-Five
rounds, yet you of the Northwest know
that more scandal and various sorts of
trouble have grown out of one or two of
these contests than all lat have been
held in Chicago for year In fact II is
an exception when a fight given in New
York these days is free from scandal The
result has been to urge the repeal of the
Horton law and provide a new O.ewis)
BILL which limits the bouts to twelve
rounds, and 1 quote from the New York
World the statement that the new bill
is receiving the Endorsement of Al Smith,
Phil Dwyer and the best patrons of the
sport.
SHORT CONTESTS THE BEST.
The same paper says:
Men who never miss a fight think the
new Lewis bill will prove more popular
with the sporting public than the Hor-
ton law. Twenty and Twenty-Five
round fights are entirely too long. AS
RUE, the men kill time for ten rounds
and spectators who know the real thing
from Overlapping become exceedingly
weary. On the other hand, some fight
ers mix it up from the start almost to
the limit. and interference by the ref
cree becomes necessary. These contests
are brutal. and 1t is to prevent them that
, the twelve-round limit is proposed
Pittsburg Is to try the six-round plan
of conducting boxing contests. and St.
Louis, Cincinnati Hot Springs and other
places where the Chicago idea has been
tried satisfied with results In Chi
! cago there are more good boxers today
than ever before and they are q well
! behaved lot of young men. The mixed
ale scrapper has disappeared, for promo
ters of fistic events found no use for his
services, and the quality of men now
securing engagements fit to enter
the ring In any company. Indeed they
nave 10 NC BOOO 10 secure engagements.
One of the most encouraging signs OF
the times is the Introduction of boxing
in the public schools, Principal Smith,
of the South Division high school, having
recently acted as referee in bouts among
his pupils. Some self-constltuted guar
dian of public morality-you have the
genus in st. Paul-brought the matter
to the attention of the board of educa-
ton with this result: President Harris
declared the exercise we'll adapted to
the needs of the pupils; Supt. Andrews
said the sport was healthful and moral,
and Principal Smith offered to demon
strate the truth of the declarations by
his superiors in the board. In this con-
neetion it may be added that while public
boxing contests of weekly and semi
weekly occurrence have been held In Chi
cago for over year | do not know that
a single protest has been made to the
mayor. or chief of police, against their
| continuance. And Chicago is not without
its censors OF public morality both in
| the citizen and public prints.
During an acquaintance of twenty