The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-27
1-ERE'S fren of mine what \0 used to be de champeen
 Hphfweipht of pnunrt,r

9 used to be de champeen
 lightweight of Poverty Hollow-dat's east of de Bowery. near where de new Williamsburg bridge comes in-but he was took good, and has job running a ele- vator in a mile-high office build ing near Wall street. Duchess was never dat far down town. ex- cept when she landed, So says to her on our day off, Come" says, "and see a boid's-eye view of America, and part of Brook lyn," 1 says, "so dat when you gets lost you'll know where you are at."
 Is dere no charge for rising in de elevator?" Duchess asks.
 All women is alike, but French goil is more alike dan odder women. Dere is just two kinds of tings dey wants most: Tings dat cost noting, and tings dat cost more dan dey have de price for Oats de reason dey likes diamonds and free shows. When l tells her dat one of de elevators in de building was run by fren of mine, and dat de starter was a felly dat l knows, and wouldn't fire us if we rode up and down all day, Duchess was croisy to be on Ter way.
 Being French she taught dat dere was a charge for de ride in de elevator; like dere is in Paris. Are you on to dat? Say, in de lit tie hotel we stopped at in Paris dere was dinly little lift, what dey called de ascenseur, and dere was a charge for de ride down in it, but none to ride up, and you had to run it yourself.
 Dis is no business" I says to Duchess when I was put wise on de game. Why dis price to ride down, and no price to ride up?"
 She tells me dat was because when you rode down in it de office had to send a man to fetch de ting to you, but when you rode up, you fetched it up yourself. Say, wouldn't it take forn French mug to dope out a game like dat?
 l used to walk down, and ride up, and de house near went croisy at me beating de game.
 But I was going to tell you about me fren de lightweight who went good. He was one of de woist lads dat ever lived in de district, and de police was onto him, and willing to put him into de fighting game in style, when he got a little cleverer; and de precinct boss used to give him a gang of foaters to repeat at de polls every election; and dere was few tings dat brought fame and reputation in de district dat wasn't his. But he went good
 Noting dat his gang, his pals, even his side partner-yes, even his own fadder!-could stack up as argument was any good to save him. He went good. His ladder and side partner get close to him one day and dey gives him a talk dat would saved him if dere was any saving in him. But it was to de bad-he went good.
 Johnny, mo boy" says his old ladder to him, "tink of what you is giving away! You has bail when you is arrested; you has pull to get you off when you is tried. What, me son, do you want? De eartf'
 Jack, says hi5 side partner, you must gone clean nutty, to tink of going good wit all de pros- pect ahead of you. Ain't you de leader of gang dat has done up more men den any odder gang from Cherry Hill to Foist street? Didn't de police inspector say de odder day dat you was de hardest proposition on de East side? What soft snap is dere dat you needn't ask for and get? Whats your ambition, JacK?" he says. Even if you wants to be a bouncer in de Bowery, can't you get de job? You has more knock out tricks dan Fitz or Jeff Even if your pull fails, and you has to do time on de island, wouldn't de head keeper know dat his job depended on his making you a Trusty?"
 But de bug was in his coco, and dere was no use talking to him--he went good.
 He comes to me one day, and he says, "Chimmie, I'm going good"
 Luck be wit you" says I. How're you fixed?"
 'T want noting but job," he says.
 What's happened you, John-