The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-23
TALKS OF BYGONE DAYS.
John L. Sullivan a Saloon Attraction
in St. Louis.

Just twelve years to day after he
had lost the heavyweight champion
ship to James J. Corbett, which occur
red last Wednesday, the veteran John
L. Sullivan took UP his duties as an
attraction at a bar in this city, and is
now quartered with his proprietor on
Market street.
1t was not a pleasing anniversary
that the old man faced when he rose
to assume his initial duties. The con-
trast between his condition then and
now was too striking. Then he was
the dethroned champion of the world
-dethroned, but admittedly the great
est fighting wonder the world had pro-
duced of his kind. save for the man
who had won from him.
Now he is gray and worn looking,
showing comparatively few traces or
his recent illness, but bearing marks
of his advancing years. Though out
As years old, Sullivan seems TO carry
more winters than this, as mis- gray
hair and mustache clearly testify to
the casual onloOker-
Gray though he is, the veteran pu-
gilist is still hearty enough in phys1caI
appearance, despite signs of the sea-
sons that have passed. He is remark
ably vigorous still, and it would needs
by a sturdy customer of anywhere
near his weight who could give troupe
| to the one-time champion of the
squared circle.
| Sullivan is still Sullivan, in spite of
the alteration in his appearance since
his last visit here. He still has the
same thunderous voice the same posi-
tive utterances when referring to men
of the ring and he is still the same au-
thority on matters pertaining to pugll-
ism that he always was.
sThere's been a lot of talk about my
Knocking on the fighters of today" said
John L, last week, but I've not knock
ed a man Intentionally in my lie eX-
cept with, my fists. I've always tnoughc
and have always said that a. lot or these
modern pugilists were parloT lighters
/ that they wouldn't have lasted In the
old bare knuckle days. But We never
said that they weren't gooo men VI
/ their own sort.
| .sCorbett was a great boxer. He was
one of the greatest boxers the world
ever saw But ne couldn't nave won
from me at the old bare rst sIy!e.
would have landed only once, and then
it would have been over. fttzslmmohs
/ is the greatest fighter produced lately;
so far as actual fighting goes. He could
have held his own anywhere; c,u,o..
1--WE got no grudge against Corpett.
He's a good fellow and won from me-
! all right It's too late to Kick ABOUT
1 that now. 1 know his brother rom, ms
brother Joe, and his brother Harry. An
are friends of mine. I've always nao a
hit of feeling against Jim, but that
natural He beat me out of the title,
and you can't help feeling sore over
from Corbett came over to see me
the other day. I was glad to see him
and TO have a talk with MIN. He's big,
strapping fellow, and would have been
better developed in muscular way
than Jim was if he had follower the
same line of training.
! eve changed a lot since the ole
DAVIS know But I remember the
hovs of the old days, and 1 think they
could have held their own anywhere
| That's what makes me think that Nee
! O'RaIdwin could have beaten Jeffries
Il was a pretty tough customer IL
nv own day. 1 think 1 held my oWr
! ali right in every battle 1 entered un'
der London rules. They tried to peal
me with Mitchell, with the Maori anc
a lot of others, after the American
| boys had all tried it. But want &c
/ saw that O'Baldwin could have g1Vcr
me- more trouble than all of the rest Of
them put together.
/ Gle was what I call a fighter. He
was shot in Chicago about 1882, just al
the time I was getting into my besl
stride But in 1875 or Whereabouts ne
1 was the wonder of his day. Fighting
didn't get the notice it does nowadays
| or he would have been the best KNOW
pugilist in the world
ale was several inches above SD
feet tall, was called the irish Giant
and if any man stood before MN HoT'
than two rounds 1 can't recall IT, III
was a fighter of the true sort.
with all his tallness ne uiuI |,
weigh more than go POUNDS, but ~
Gould have given ten pounds to JET
fries and have knocked MIN OUT <
that."-St Louis Republic