The San Francisco call., 1905-06-11

NJ
6, 1880, at a benefit given to Joe
Goes. who was champion Of
England. I spared Goss three
rounds. and in the second round L gave
him q clout that almost ended the affair
right there. This was breaking into the
programme, and the managers OF the af-
fair made a holler that Joe must be
given time 10 recover before the bout
went on On the advice of Billy Edwards
and Tom Denny I made the last round
easy for Joe. not trying to knock him
out Afterward Joe said that my punches
were 'Tike kicks from a mule"
Joe didn't mean that 1 was mulish: IL
vas his way OF paying a compliment
From the time Of that affair, which was
the first time met Goss, we became firm
friends. He was fine old chap. kind and
generous, and he thought so much Of me
that the sports used to guy him about his
admiration for me. He would defend me
from all kinds OF grafters. would talk by
the hour TO prove that no other fighter
that ever lived was in my class, and UP
20 the time OF his death he stood my
friend IN fair weather and foul.
Goss was first attracted to me after my
meeting with George Rookie OF England.
/ polished of Rookie at the Howard Athe
nzeum IN Boston in January, 1850.
Knocked Rookie out in the second round.
They rang down the curtain when 1 had
knocked Rookie down seven times, the last
time 70 stay down.
A Quick Job uone on a Canadian
Champion.
Toe and pave a SbokU in Rnston IN
January, 1851 We cleaned up $500 be-
tween US. On that occasion 1 spared
Jack Stewart. champion of Canada. 1
valoped him so hard that he ran off The
stage in the third round. and he was go
ing so fast that he evidently intended to
reach home that evening.
This Canadian hero had been making a
lot of cracks as TO what he intended to do
20 me and he put It so strong that he
had convinced some Of my friends that
my time had come. The impression was
all over town that was to catch 1t good
and fast, and a big politician came to me
1he day OF the affair and passed me a
paper. which / found to be a doctor S
certificate that wasn't fit to go on that
evening.
You can bet I was well stirred up by
the time to face the Canadian. When
he turned TO run of the stage 1t made me
so disgusted. after all the rumors he had
set going, that 1 ran after him and gave
him a kick where his coattails would have
been had he been wearing a coat. He
got the kick just as he was disappearing.
j yelled after him. "why don't you wait
and get the whole Of what you ought to
get7" He didn't stop to argue the point.
The story is going the rounds about the
old fellow who heard that 1 was on the
water wagon and who said:
We'll, well, but that's too bad. To
think that John L. Sullivan, who wore
the champion belt, can't get better Job
than driving a watering cart
It's queer the notions people get of
what 1 do when / am in retirement. A
tall Michigander told me not long ago
that my rubber heels were the best ever.
He thought was the man that invented
those aids to easy walking. A fellow in
Missouri came to me TO advise me to
make my punch not so much of a head
ache producer. When 1 got him to ex-
plain he said he had been made groggy
for three days on four glasses of ''Sulli-
vans punch. which he was told I was
bottling in Boston and making a fortune
out Of. I never made any fortune that
way. There are thousands of people, 1
suppose, who couldn't be convinced that
] am not the Congressman Sullivan of
Boston, and they are more than sure of it
since Mr.. Hearst pitched into that gen
tleman. A man in St. Louis told me that
he called at my home" in Washington
three times last winter TO see me. and
when ! tried TO convince him that didn't
live IN Washington and wasn't a member
OF Congress, he told me that he knew
better. He said he'd take care not TO call
again when he was in Washington. That
man is dead sure now that 1 saw him
first in Washington and side-stepped.
1 have troubles OF my own without car
rying any other fellows.
Short Fights Not Satisfactory.
When young Britt meets Battling Mel
son In San Francisco in July we will all
be wiser about these two scrappers.
There is now a lot of doubt which that
meeting will wipe out. 1t will be a fast
argument. and while Britt's perform
ance on Jabez White has sent his stock
away up in G, dunno who'll win.
predicted that Britt would have his
hands full with White, and up to about
the twelfth round the go was a good
draw. After that Mitchelrs pupil could
not stand the stomach wallops
Those same stomach thumps must
have made Charley Mitchell regret that
he ever introduced that style of fighting