The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-05
History of the New Feather
Weight King Is Interesting.
Battling Nelson Makes a Rapid
Jump to Fortune.
WAS ALWAYS FIGHTER
Was Born in Copenhagen on
June the 9Th, 1882.
Had a Varied Career OF Butcher
Machinist and Soldier.

Cn1cdgO, Dec. 5.-At last deSeWlScn
is famous. Handicapped by its name,
| existing mainly because the men en-
p1oyed in its great car manufacturing
plant had to live convenient to their
work, it has remained for a boy pugi-
| list to put Hegewisch on the map. Now
Hegewisch stands for something-it is
the home of the boxer, oscar Battling
Matthews Nelson, the boy who would
be known as the champion of Hege-
wisch.''
Battling is no nickname. When the
boy was born in Copenhagen on the 9Th
of June, 1882. his parents pondered duly
before giving him his name. but his
mother who had a brother Battling
that her third son should bear it The
oscar and Matthew came easily enough
but neither was nearly so distinctive
as Battling, so Battling has his name
been, for short, ever since. Probab bly,
the original Danish name is not spelled
that way, but that is as near as the
English title approaches the original.
Whether the boy was attracted into
his calling by his name does not direct
ly appear, but that the title had in
1uence that way is certain. AS a boy
among his mates at school he was not
to be triled with. Not that he was
without cause, but once the gage had
been thrown down, Battling Nelson
was youth to be reckoned with.
Battling, one of 10 children, comes
of good, old Danish stock. Possibly he
has inherited some of the traits which
of old made the Danes such sincere
fighters when warning on their enemies.
Possibly he has imbibed some of the
spirit of the vikings and of the men OF
old who believed implicitly in the
Wooden and Frithjofs and Siegfrieds of
of Thor! Who can say?
But the boy who has put such fight
ers as Herrera, Candle, Hanlon and
now Young Corbett behind him, and is
looking for yet greater laurels, has
shown that in him runs the blood of
worthy ancestors.
Battling, despite his youth, has had
a carried career. Schoolboy butcher boy,
machinist apprentice, soldier-this is
the catalogue of his steps. AS a SOL
der he. was destined not to go far,
and it possibly was because of his be-
ing thWarted when a career in the army
attracted that his ambitions have led
him into fighting game of a different
sort.
The family is of the thrifty
Scandinavian type, the kind that
Americans The father, Nels. a
carpenter, works at Indiana Harbor.
The mother, a little woman of about
As, takes care of the cottage and takes
immense pride in her children. Albert,
the oldest, is &c, and is machinist in
the Northwestern shops. Henry, "a, is
a blacksmith at Washington Heights.
Then comes Battling. %. Johnnie, 20,
is a molder in the Hegewisch works:
Charlie, a bright boy of IS, is in High
school. Ida, 16, the only daughter, is
learning dressmaking, and Arthur, who
will be Ia in January, and Harry 10,
the baby of the family, are in school.
Two other children are dead. e5
The Nelson's live modestly. comforta-
bly,, in little cottage at 1916 Superior
avenue Battling has helped material
ly in providing for the home, and his
mothers testimony that he is a good
boy is enough recompense for any as
PENSIONS that may be cast upon his CALI
ing. The family, thrifty and hard
working as it is. would doubtless pre-
fer that the boy had stuck to his
bench, but at least one experience
which has come to Battling has given
him a distaste for the work.
smiths helper in the HegewIsch shops an
iron fragment flying from broken k mn, ma l.
open He was taken more dead than
alive to Mercy hospital where he lay IN
ter Is days with distinct aversion for the
job of smiths assistant.
up pugilism-'s Mother" he said. IF run
such risks in the shops, how can fighting
a1 an Vera H Argument 'i for his critics
Nss Nelson els rn and bis go9d Tfe Ma5g
%ae 10 n mo of od kfe less
spent at Oshkosh, Wis, the family came
to whence it T wen d to 1f Se
as profitable as might have been and the
prospect of work in the Hegewisch shops
attracted the Nelson's there. And there
they have been ever since.
Battling went to school until he was 70,
and then because there was no work in
Hegewisch, he started out on his own
hook and found himself one day in HUI
ron, S. D., unknown and without money.
He was a strong boy and speedily landed
as helper in a butcher shop.
A year at this, and then the war with
Spain broke out, and Battling enlisted
The Huron company travelled south-as
far as Sioux City, Ia--when, for some
reason, the little companys captain was
not accepted, and his men, who had agreed
to follow his fortunes for better or worse,
disbanded, and Battling Nelson came
home.
After short time spent in learning the
1nachinist's trade in the Rock Island
shops, Battling started in as helper to the
blacksmith at Hegewisch, with the disas-
trous experience above detailed. The box
ing career seemed attractive to MIN and
he has been pegging along ever since:
1t is a far cry from a third rate prelfm-
mary to championship contest; the gap
- q 81