The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-02
OLD FIGHTERS WEAR WELL.
FtzSimnens and starlight started Late
but Are stiIl In the Ming, =

Fttzslmmons and starlight, started Late
but Are still In the Ring.
There has existed an impression among
followers OF fighters that q pugilist In order
to achieve fame and fortune In the price
ring, provided nature has endowed him with
the requisite physique and ability, must
start out whea he is quite young. But
according to n fstio authority who has
compiled table Of the ages at which some
OF the most prominent scrappers started
In the business this Is a mistaken impress
sion. Bob Fitzsimmons was ~ years old
before he began his ring career, and he is
still before the public, ready to meet all
Corners with the gloves. Fitz never had
glove on until that time, and this probably
accounts for his long campaign in the
roped square. The Cornishman was born
In 1852 and is now In his forty second year.
Some say he Is older. But whatever his
correct age may be. there Is no gainsayin ing
that he is one of the greatest pugilists the
sporting world has ever known.
Jim Jefries's pugnaoiors temperament
asserted itself when the boilermaker was %,
and now at the age Of 20 he Is the champion
OF champions. Jefrries Is still young and
probably will be on top four or Ave years
from now. John l.. Sullivan became q
full fiedged pu gilist when he was 20 years
old, but lost his title before he was IS. Jim
Corbett started out as a boxer at 20. while
Peter Maher was 10 v han he thought that
a fighting career was better than working
In brewery in Dull bin, Ireland
Ben Jordan at the age of rs years realized
that he possessed the necessary ability
to become the featherweight champion
Of England Kid Mccoy began his ring
operations at 49, Tom Sharkey sought
fighting fame when he was Fl. but Gus
Rubin was "a before he was seized with
a desire to follow the vagaries of the
prize ring. Terry McGovern faced an
opponent for the first time at IS, Joe Cans
at IS, -Pedlar" Palmer at is and Young
Corbett at the same age. Tommy Ryan
also fought his initial mill at IS. while Jack
johnson, the negro heavyweight who
has cha llenged JefIries for the title. en-.
tered the profession at the age Of %. The
age Of II saw Dave Sullivan's first try for
pugilistic honors. frankie Neil's fighting
talents were first tested at II, and Harry
Forbes, who was defeated by him for the
championship Of this class, began when he
was one year older. Jimmy Britt was
IS when he decided to try his fortunes at
L.
he donned skintight gloves to do battle.
Martin Candle was 10, Benny Yanger, the
Upton Slasher, Ia; and Jack Root. 81 be-
fore they attempted to win laurels in the
ring.
Jack O'Brien's fighting career had its in
ception at the age Of IS. Marvin Hart began
at 10, Hugo Kelly at 10, George McFadden
at II, Jack O'Keefe at 10, Jimmy Briggs
at IS, Battling Nelson at IS and Joe Walcott
at H. Sandy Ferguson was only 10 when
he started out to thump rivals, and Kid
asserted itself
Eddie Hanlon Of San Francisco began
his fighting career very early. He branched
into the profession at is, Even at that
Hanlon's success was short. as before he
that he possessed the knowledge to 81 cceed
Terry McGovern, whowas then the feather
weight champion.
Compared with Fitzsimmons these per-
formers were all schoolboys when they
entered the business. The result has been
dulged in youthful follies. which resulted
In their discontinue. With the exception
Of Cans. Walcott, Ryan, Jordan and Jef-
fries, all the above pugilists have either
Of dissipation constant training does more
to sap the vitality Of pugilist than any
thing else When a fighter starts out very
young, and makes q success OF 1t, by the
time he reaches the age OF 20 OF ulereaDOug
he Is practically all in. starlight, the not d
oolored Australian middleweight, who is
close to 80 IL he Is day, did not begin
his career as a boxer until he was past 80.
Still to-day he Is we'll preserved and CAP abb .
OF exchanging knocks with the shiitiest and
str ongest youngsters.
Fitzsimmons said recently that II he
ere in the business as manager OF fighters
he would not undertake to develop man,
especially a heavyweight. unless the aspir-
ant was over %.
AT that age" said the Cornishman. me
Is sufficiently matured to know right from
wrong In other words, he is old enough
to exercise common sense. Nothing can
prevent q man from dissipating II he wants
TO. But when he is PAST rs he has different
views of the world and would like to settle
down. He has all his strength then
and he will be able to pick up all the tricks
lust as easily as il he were still in his teens
When started out I was bound to succeed
Ny training at the forge as blacksmith
naturally developed my muscles and N ade
me strong. The severest kind OF training
had no terrors for re. The harder the
work the better liked it, because was used
to 1t. Now, at the age of a.. and really
am no older than that, l am just as good a
man physically, II not better, than / was
at the age OF 81. At any rate feel better
Boxing Is all right and can be learned at
any time. But my advice to those who
mean to take 1t up as livelihood is to start
as late in life as your physique will permit
Some persons are m en- at IS, while Others
do not mature until after their twenty fifth
year