The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-10
REVERIES OF A REFEREE
BY GEORGE sILER.

Does it ever occur to the present day
fight fan, especially the young gener-
ing nights as compared with the hard
ships of the old timers were compelled
to endure? Would the youngsters board
a train, say at midnight, With the tner-
mOmeter lowering around the 10 below
zero mark, ride all night IN q cold car,
travel the country over for hours dodg-
ing the authorities, and assist In the
preparation OF a space of ground large
enough TO pitch q ring? Would they
dig stake holes. drive stakes. and make
themselves otherwise useful, just to
see a pair of cheap scrappers maui
each other with tie possibilities of the
fight ending in the first round? Would
they take the chance. just for the
pleasure of seeing two scrub fighters
hand out a punch or two. 10 mix Up
with a bunch OF toughs loaded 10 the
neck with vile whiskey. we'll heeled
with all kinds of murderous weapons,
and eager To slash or shoot upon the
slightest provOcation? Would they
cars 10 put up with the hardships Of
the return trip with a ganll of drunk
Ell cutthroats and be made to stand
and deliver" whatever valuables they
might have in their possession? And
If the value of the money or junk that
they had been relieved Of did not ap-
praise to suit the leotere, would they
take the chance of being beaten within
an inch OF their lives? We'll, hardly.
The above outline Of the hardslip3
and the Inconvenience that went with
ell of the old time cross country fights
is but a mild comparison with what the
old rank and file fight fans had 10 con-
tend with. Today lovers OF the game
of fisticuffs sit at the ringeide in up
holsteTed chairs, In q comfortably
warm arena, as in theateT, end with
IN easy riding distance Of their respec-
tive domiciles. They have no bad
DRINKS to rub elbows with, and there
is no necessity Of taking out policy
on their lives before going TO toe fight
ing grounds. Occasionally we hear %
a fly b. risht 1aht, bur tho old guard
are conspicuous BY their absence, ana
Jhc youngsters that undertake tie all
night Journey vow, when they return,
never again for me-"
Probably the toughest crowd that
ever left Chicago, ar any other CITY. II
attend one of these cross country. all
night and day FIGHTS, was that waicn
Let from the Polk street depot ono
night In the fall OF 1891 20 see the
heavyweights. Bob Ferguson and Pat
Killeu, to so to finish with tgFo-ouUce
gloves. and which TOOK place near
whore the Worth race track Is now sit
uateG.
FerSuson's beelers represented the
toughest crowd that could be gathered
ia the stockyards district and the fol-
lowers of Kiilen would not hesitate 4
minute II ordered. 10 Scuttle a ship.
The stockyardcrs, were, if anything,
the tougher bunch, and az they ou.-
numbered Kittens plug ugiies about
TO l, it looked bad Tor Pat ana his tough
acherents, especially should the battle
go against Bob. as in those days
fighter feared the mob more than re
did his opponent.
The men who had charge of the af-
fair net With the usual difficulties in
locating a battle ground. ana when.
after much scouting. they located
grounds far enough from the c1unk-
seat TO prevent interference by the
sheriff. willing hands assisted them in
clearing a twenty foot space and erect
ing the rings. l say rings. as one was
erected about ten feet from the eRelo-
sure, which Bob and Pat were to oc-
cupy. The outer ring. which was built
for the whisky soaked and marderous
looking hoodlums TO prevent them in
terfering with the fighters, lasted about
long enough to say it had been built,
as the toughS surrounded the ring
proper before the last rope had been
drawn taut.
When everything was IN readiness
and the lighters had made their ap-
pearance the question OF referss came
Up, but the crowd looked too tieree for
even the saTnsst lover Of she game 10
take his life IN bis hands. Three valu-
able hours were spent IN trying 20 tn~
duee some courageous man 10 act as
the third man in the ring, bur one look
at the desperadoes hanging on 20 the
ropes, with q whisky flask IN one hand