The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-11
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Just twelve years 10 a day after he had
lost the heavyweight championship TO
James J. Corbett. which occurred last
Wednesday. the veteran John L. Sullivan
took up his duties as an attraction at q
bar In this city, and Is now Quartered
with his proprietor on Market street.
II was not a pleasing anniversary that
the old man faced when he rose to as
sumo his initial duties. The contrast be-
tween his condition then and now was too
striking. Then he was the dethroned
champion of the world-detroned. but ad-
mit.edly the greatest fighting wonder the
world had produced OF his kind, save for
the man who won from him
Now he is gray and worn looking.
showing comparatively few traces Of his
recent Illness. but bearing marks Of his
advancing years. Though but IS years old.
Sullivan seems to carry more winters than
this. as his gray hair and mustache clear
iy testify to the casual onlooker.
Gray though he is, the veteran pugilist
Is still hearty enough in physical appear
ance, despite signs of the seasons that
have passed. He Is remarkably vigorous
still. and It would needs be a sturdy GUS
toner Of anywhere near his weight who
could give trouble to the one-time cham
pion 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 thunder
Gus voice. the same positive utterances
when referring TO men of the ring, and
he Is still the same authority on matters
pertaining to pugillsm that he always
was.
There's been a lot OF talk about my
knocking the fighters Of to-day" said John
J.. last week. but I've not knocked man
Intentionally in my life except with my
fists. I've always thought and have al
ways said that lot Of these modern
pugilists were parlor fighters-that they
wouldn't have lasted in the old bare
knuckle days. But I've never said that
they weren'. good men Of their own sort.
CORBETT A GREAT BOXER
"Corbett was great boxer. He was one
OF the greatest the world ever saw. But
he couldn't have won from me at the old
bare fist style. ] would have landed only
once. and then IT would have been over
Fftzsimmons is the greatest fighter pro-
duced lately. so far as actual fighting goes
He could have held his own anywhere
I've got no grudge against Corbett.
He's q good fellow and won from me. all
right. It's too late to kick about that
now. I know his brother Tom, his broth
er ice. and his brother Harry. All are
friends OF mine. I've always had bit Of
feeling against Jim, but that's natural
He beat me out OF the title. and you can't
help feeling sore over that As 1t Is. I've
no more soreness against him.
N
other day. I was glad 10 see him and to
have talk with him. He's big. strap
ping fellow. and would have been better
developed in a muscular way than Jim was
II he had followed the same line of train
ing.
1--WE changed a lot since the old days. 1
know. But 1 remember the boys OF the
old days. and l think they could have
held their own anywhere That's what
makes me think that Ned oBaldwin could
have beaten Jeffries.
II was a pretty tough customer in my
own day. 1 think 1 held my own all right
in every battle 1 entered under London
rules. They tried to beat ne with Mitch
e.i. with the Maori and lot of others.
cttsr the American boys had all tried IL
Blu. want to say that O'Baldwin could
have given me more trouble than all OF
the rest of them put together.
He was what I call a fighter. He was
shot in Chicago about lss2. just at the
time 1 was getting into my best stride.
But in 1875 or thereabouts he was the
wonder of his day. Fighting didn't get
the notice It gets nowadays. or he would
have been the best-known pugilist In the
world.
He was several inches above s feet tall.
was called the Irish Giant. and II any man
stood before him more than two rounds
i can't recall 1t. He was a fighter Of the
true sort.
With all his taIlness he didn't weigh
more than go pounds. But he could have
given ten pounds TO Jenries and have
knocked him out at that
I'm going To try and stick II out here
for while. I've been offered some good
posts at the Fair. but think I'll stick
here for time
AMATEUR PUGILISM.
Amateur pugflists are holding the center
OF the card 70 far - the boxing game is