The times., 1901-06-17
Boxing.

A leading writer on sporting matters
remarks whimsically:
IF you've never boxed don't try to learn. The
average man keeps out OF a fight If he doesn't
know anything about it. But let him take three
OF four lessons in the noble art Of self-defence,
and he Immediately starts out looking ior uouOlt
and he finds II.
In days when the strenuous life is
receiving so much attention that the
modest and unpuffed-up person feels
rather as if he were not doing his whole
duty if he does not wear a chip on at
least one shoulder, this half humorous
comment is worth some attention.
There are probably thousands of good,
honest. and reasonably brave men in
this country who have gone through
life without finding it necessary to en-
gage in fisticuffs in defence of their
honor or the rights of their families.
1t is probable, indeed. that this type
of man is quite as brave as the one
with few dozen fights to his credit,
and that he is, as rule, more useful
to the world in general.
The fact is that man who has his
work to do and is thoroughly interested
in it does not have much time for fight
| ing. This applies not only to men
whose work is in offices or behind coun-
| ters. but to those who are out in the
world dealing with all kinds of charac-
! ters. There may be. here and there
! a rough or a bully who will work better
! for being knocked down and mastered,
! but, as a rule. men win behave consid-
erably better under a boss" who ad-
| dresses them on the side of their nature
which is not brute. Some of the most
! successful commanders have been as
mild as rabbits in their manners, and
I small and insignificant in physique.
1t has been generally supposed that
/ in the wild West a man must be an
athlete and a good marksman in order
to hold his own; but there are some
witnesses to the contrary. Some Of the
most notorious bad men"-Ie7sn whom
nobody ever trifled with-were small
and unimposing in appearance. and sci
dom used their fire-arms-never on an
unarmed man. Francis Parkman, han
| dicapped by i'll health. and in no sense
an athlete or a fighter, went exploring
| the Northwest when it was good deal
! wilder territory than it is now. and mei
no harm. Rravery, of course, such a
traveller must have-coolness and self
possession; but he does not need tC
wear his clothes full of revolvers and
| bowie-knfves, or interlard his CONVEX
sation with weird oaths. In fact the
less of that he does the better off h
will be.
1t is likely, therefore, that any per
son really desirous Of getting on with
out a fight can do so, in this age o
the world. without compromising hi
self-respect. He need not go wher
things are uncivilized unless h
chooses; and if he does go there. he i
likely TO have less trouble if he re
mains serene and self-possessed with
out showing a pugnacious disposition
Even wild beasts do not often attac
those who do not try to injure them
AS for mans honor being impaire
because he does not back up his word
with his fists successfully, that idea
a relic of the dark ages. Napoleon wa
a small man; in a dispute about mill
tary affairs any prizefghter could prob
ably have beaten him senseless; bu
would that prove that the prizefghte
knew more?