The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-03
won 497 BATTLES
Oscar Gardner, Hero of 537 Contests
Hopes to Re-enter the Ring
This Year.
Will Undergo an Operation to Re.
store His Bad Knee to Useful
ness-His Career. -.

some years before in a contest with Martin
Flaherty, went clear to the bad as
Gardner himself expresses it. and COM
PEELED his retirement from the ring. Since
that time Oscar has ben located in bust
ness in Minneap polls.
Recently st. Paul physician requested
Oscar to allow him to attempt the task Of
restoring the injured joint to usefulness.
Oscar said to-day that he had finally de-
cided to submit to an operation, after
which he thinks his knee will be as good
as ever. If the result is what he hopes.
I the little slugger announces that he will
enter the game again, and go after the
scalps Of Terry McGovern, Young Corbett
Dave Sullivan. Abe Attell and the rest of
the first division featherweights and 1876
pound men.
Followers of pugi1sm agree that if
Gardner can recover the full use of his
legs, he should still be able to hold his
own with the best of the feathers In
This day Gardner was one of the best men
in his class. At the time he fought Dixon.
Kid Broad Solly Smith, Dave Sullivan,
and other premier 122 or 124-poupders, he
:. gave away weight in every contest, for at
no time in his career did the little Min
Ineapolis sluGger tip the scales at more
and Kid Lavigne. moreover, Gardner was
frequently forced to go into the light
weight division to secure bouts.
s Has Won 4e7 Battles.
Oscars record of 537 battle is the rec
ord for all classes and conditions Of fight
ers. Out Of this number Of fights. the
Omaha Kid won 497, drew 20 and lost
10. He has met every featherweight who
has been in the ring during the last twelve
years.
Gardner was born in Minneapolis thirty
Years ago and many Of his relatives now
reside here. At different times. however,
Omaha Wheeling. w. Va, and Kansas
City have claimed the clever feather
weight as their own. During the early
eighties, Gardner worked at the trade of
n1attressmaker, and was regular attend
ant at Professor Downer's gymnasium on
the East Side. Here he learned the rudi-
ments of boxing, and won his first lau-
rels in combats with the other youths of
the city. He. made his debut fifteen years
ago. in battle with John Gordon of Ne
hraska City, whom he knocked out in
seventeen rounds. Then he was matched
with Al Hamilton of Sioux City, whom he
disposed Of III six rounds, and later he
polished off Charlie Heenan of Omaha in
nine rounds.
In 1892 Gardner, again located in Min
neapolis, defeated Jim Porter Of this city.
and In the same year he met his first
antagonist. Of repute, defeating Solly
Smith In a battle in st. Paul. 80
Beats Two Men in One Night.
Later in the same season Oscar per-
formed the feat of knocking out two men
I'm one night. This was at :Onaha, where
he trimmed Harley Davis in four rounds,
and put out Scotty Gordon in nine. !
During the next five or six years Card
ner improved rapidly in science and ring
generalship. and as his craft increased
his fame also grew apace. He won from
Young Dempsey. Billy O'Brien. Austria
liam Murphy. Johnny Van Heest, Johnny
Lavack, Jimmie Marshall, Jack McClel-
land. Danny Mcmahon, Billy Knlow, Joe
Hopkins, Sam Bolan, and a. host of lesser
S lights, drew with Van Heest, Eugene
Bezenah Austin Rice, Jack O'Brien.
Gightweight), and Patsy Haley, and lost
to Soly Smith, Tommy Dixon and Billy
5O'Donnell. During the early part of his
career Gardner, though he always pos
sessed the mighty wallop which made
him famous in after years, was slow and
clumsy, as compared with his later form,
and to this lack Of skill was partly due
injuries to his hands, which were broken
more than once by coming into contact
with head or jaw Of some of his OPP
|ponents. These injuries largely mill
tated against his success at a time when
he seemed more than likely to win the
championship in his class.
From 1898 to 1900 Gardeners fame was
at it's zenith. Ready to fight at any time
or place, willing to take on any man from
bantam to- welter. and not indisposed 10
make three or four matches week,
he swept through the country, losing an
occasional battle. but winning far more
than he lost. and dashing the hopes of
many a boy who aspired to championship
honors in his class. On Aug. %, 1898, he
fought Joe Hopkins in New York, winning
1.-THE decision after twenty rounds of fast
fighting. Jumping to Toledo two nights
after. he knocked out Danny Mcmahon,
himself no mean antagonist, in five
rounds.
That was a, fair instance Of the rapidity
with which Oscars fights followed each
other.
At times Gardner would make matches
ahead to meet three men of his class in
one week. When he could not get ma tches
with featherweights he took on light
weights. and when he could not get mer
OF caliber, he travelled through the back:
woods towns. picking up easy money by
smuggling the local champions into insen-
sibility. The number and frequency oil
his bouts became a byword with sport.
ing writers.
Loses Decision to Dixon.
During this period Gardner knocked ou
Fl Sam Bolan in ten rounds, won from Jim
mic Marshall Qightweisht) in five rounds
Knocked out Sammy Kelly in fourteen
rounds and won from Frank Bradley il
twenty rounds He fought a twenty five
round bout with George Dixon, the1
featherweight champion, the "Chocolat,
Drop getting the decision, although many
of the sporting writer's insisted that thu
bout should have been declared a draw
Feb. a., 1899, he gave away eighteen
pounds to meet Jack O'Brien, the latte
winning the decision after twenty round
of fighting. During the year he knocked
out Fred Began, Joe Hopkins and Pats,
4 Haley, won decision over Jack Hamil
ton, drew with Jimmie Murray Marti,
Flaherty, Harry Forbes and Tim Callahan
and lost to Marty McCue and Jack Hamil
ton. besides winning dozens Of less i'm
portant fights. It was during one Of hi
draws with F1aherty that he received tn
4 injury to his knee which later forced hi
&. retirement frem the ring.
Flaherty Misses Bet.
'Flaherty threw away a. chance to Wi
that fight, said Gardner, the other day
in q. reminiscent mood. During a mix
& up we both went through the ropes. Flah
erty landing on top of me. His shoulde
was thrown out and my leg was twiste
under me so that could not rise. Flah
erty got up and walked over to the refere
and told him he could not continue tn
# fight and the referee came over to wher
d I lay on the floor, to give me the fight
Get up, said he. All right, said, hold
ing up my hands. / thought he Nigh
help me to my feet and I would get til
decision, but he was too wise. Com