The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-04
OLD AND NEW PUGS
PRESENT ELITE NOT TO BE
CLASSED WITH THE PAST
GENERATION
ACTUAL FIGHTERS HAVE GONE
Talk With Old Mike Donovan Brings
Out Radical Differences Between
the Jim COrbetts and John
L. SuIIivans.

This is the day of innovation. and
every new movement proclaims the fate
of the 'old-timer." The new generation
hears with ptiful scorn about anything
"old-fashioned." "Out of date" is the
decisive commentary on the modes and
habits of yesterday. 1t is so in htera-
ture, it is so on the stage.
Every 3-penny actor who struts upon
the stage thinks himself UNNECESSARILY
greater than Booth. And yet if you wish
to talk quietly and earnestly about the
great things of drama; if you wish to
find Interpretation that is of the soul;
If you would admire the genius that can
give to art an understanding as well as
a tongue, you must go to your 'old-
timer" who won his laurels in an age
that had not grown all nose with intel
lect"
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
It is so in pugilism. The modern pu-
gilism varies from the old in glory-and
in many other ways 1t is much like the
French duel-lOts Of talk and nobody hurt
The modern fighter is made, not born
made mostly by printers ink and a
crowd of missing links who believe what
they read in the papers. His duties are
more varied than formerly. In the good
old days a pugEist supposed that his
business was to fight and to win if pos
lest part of the profession. The pugiNst
today must be dramatic critic, a patent
medicine advertiser a society reporter
and authority on ethics and most of all
talRer. If he is a real good tal1er, he
may drop some Of the other requirements
He must be equally at home in Hoyle and
Homer, II one is to believe his autobiog-
raphy.
So far as I can learn, Tom Sayers never
claimed to be weather prophet; John
Heenan never signed his name to articles
on woman suffrage, and even John r.
Sullivan never. d, discussed the Darwinian
theory in the columns of the daily press
next to reading matter" It is true that
Mcrrisey was elected to congress, but it
must be remembered that congress had a
good reputation in those days
But these fellows were all oid-fashion-
ed, you know. We have a new genera
ton now, and they do things differently
And so we buy our Sunday papers 70
read that Prof. T. Sharkey believes the
decision of the supreme court is rot
ten few weeks ago Jim Corbett told
the readers of the New York Journal that
Maud Adams was too young to play
Juliet and then he gave Maud tile benefit
OF some sage advice, 10 doubt appreciat-
Ed by Miss Adams, coming as # did
from a gentleman of such distinguished
hlstrionic experience. The papers give us
daily evidence of the evolution of pugfl-
Ism. We have pictures showing US Bob
4 lIzshnlnons reading the family Bible to
his lnfants-and the Bible right side I'm
II Terry McGovern stubs his toe. the
papers show US life-siZe photograph of
the stone and of the bunion and the
Smithsonian institution preserves for fu-
ture generations the thurnbpaa that C.re
huhhn lost IN his pink tea performance
with F1tzsimmons. These things were not
ureamt OF in Ho-atio's philosophy.
nut there were other days, the days of
Hyer and Mace and Yankee Sullivan
when they did not tag Gentleman in
front OF mans name for fear the popu.
lace might not perceive that he was ono
You who have become acclimated TO
these new ways and who join in the uni
NersaI 'heroizing" of sailors in dress
SUITS the next time you Journey East to
worship at the shriues where the Cor
petts' the Sharkeys and McCoys dis
pense mild beverages to admirineg nosts
Just take the time to run up town a lit
tie larlher and see real fighter
pugiIist of the old school, a remnant of
the old guard that made ring history
glorious, and a real gentleman. Mike
donovan. You will find him at the New
ork Athletic club where he is phvsicaI
director He VIII disappoint YOUR idea of
successful pugiliSt. You will not find
MIN posing, or too busy to talk and
ne wHl not ask you how much there is in
1t If you ask him a civil question. OF
course, he may not be able to offer Won
the same attractions that the new boys
co He viii not sing for you or recite
thrilling lines from his new drama: but
ne VIII treat you like a gentleman, and
prove himself one and send you home
WITH heart full of gratitude and mem
cries that will seem almost sacred be-
cause Of the pathetic touch of time. and
ire sincerity with which he has nm
bosomed himself to YOU. Now don't start
IN by telling him what great man ne is
gu can Go that with the others. But
Just quietly touch magic chord NV
cropping the name of one of the old
timers, Goss or Tom King or liver. Then
how his face viii light up, and he viii
= welcome, you with royal grip and give
you of his best.
DONOVAN'S GREAT PAST.
Donovan has had wonderful history:
he is a part of the history of the ring
lie was at the top IN the DAYS wnen
the ring was in its glory. the days when
people had not become so bad in other
ways that they had to tickle up their
moral virtue by hypocritic pretences OF
tabooing ''pugflism. He wiz ten you all
about every great battle that mas &C.
Cured in the last fifty years. Most of
them ne saw: many OF them he partici-
pated IN, and in many more his guidance
Drought victory to his proteges. Ii was
donovan who made Jim Corbett Cor
tett publicly stated that Donovan had
mace MIN what he is. I do not know
whether Mike is proud of the job or not
because Donovan Is too gener ous 10
knock. II he cannot praise he keeps
silence am told that Corbett AFTER
ward rcated his friend shamefuny, and
know it to be true; but you couldn't
Got donovan to say word against him
II you attempt II get an expression of
criticism from Donovan concerning any