The Butte inter mountain., 1902-08-12
WILL "GENTLEMAN jim"
MAKE A GOOD REFEREE?
In the Opinion of Sporting Men He May
Have a Hard Time as Judge of the
Corbett-Mc Govern Bout.

In the opinion of many sporting men
Jim Corbett is not likely to have ali easy
time inside the ropes as referee OF the
McGovern and Young Corbett" fight:
The former heavyweight champion has
played many parts under the calcium of
the ring, of the stage and otherwise but
this is the first time he has been called
upon to interpret the rules laid down by
the late Marquis of Qucensbury in
tusslc along the lines OF such importance
as the session between these two toppers
in the art pugilistic
1t would seem quite natural that a
man who had fought long enough and
well enough, according to Mr.. Queens
bury's rules, to become champion of his
class, and that class the classiest of all
classes would be the best judge OF how
others might obey or disobcy the same
regulations.
As prop to this view of things stands
the fact that the best umpires are old
baseball players. But in score OF years,
at least there has not been a referee OF
prominence recruited from the ranks of
the knuckle pushers, retired or otherwise.
Two men who have gone between many
hurting bruisers and toled the count over
many of the fallen have been turned down
Z by either McGovern or Corbett, or both,
as. the passer Of judgment in their com
ing dispute These two are Charley White
and Tim Hurst.
Neither of these men has been knightcd
baron of the mitts, but one, White, was
the best referee who ever handed down
decision. He knew the points Of the
game as a mariner knows the points of
his compass, and nothing was ever known
to round him off the square.
Corbett can hardly be blamed for re-
fusing to accept White when it is taken
into consideration that Terry" and the
referee are on terms of friendship that
are, to say the least, "chummy." Try
as hard as a man might to be impartial
under such conditions as White would
have been placed in this contest as re-
fierce, it would have been hard for him
to refrain from giving McGovern the
best Of the nicer decisions.
The fight promises to be fast one
and will, therefore, make greater de-
mands upon the referee who is called upon
to watch all the small points of the con-
test. II is not likely that the battle will
have to be decided upon points, bat should
both boys remain standing at the close
of the final round--and the unexpected
does happen some time--there will be not
few points to be passed upon.
Points in prize fight are largely what
the referee thinks they are. but If he is
to mako satisfactory decision along
this line the referee must possess a keen
judgment-the ability to take in every
move made by the contestants and to
make mental record of 1t.
Aggressiveness counts for more than
anything else, and the boy who forces
the fighting scores over all the pretty de-
fcnsive work of the other fellow, clever
though it may be. Not that stiffness.
good blocking and ducking do not count.
They do, but there must be due amount
of leading to go with them. Then the
condition of the boys at the finish ought
to be taken into consideration. This puts
a premium on stamina, gameness and the
( ability to take punishment, all factors in
the play
Gentleman Jim" has not had expert
ence as referee even if he has been at
the top Of the class. Whether he will
make good judge of the science of box
ing as he is an active exponent of the
art remains to be seen.