The sun., 1905-10-01
WHEN HEENAN NEAT SAVERS
How the Church People OF . Missouri River
Town Heard the News.

While party Of men waited In an uptown
barroom for the first news OF the prizefght
between Britt and Nelson, one Of them said.
"Reoeiving the news Of q fight In these
days is nearly like seeing the bout from the
ringside. / reckon I am the only man In
this room who was living at the time when
Heenan and Sayers met inside the ropes.
Il was boy at the time. lived in town
on the Missouri River that was about five
days travel from st. Louis by steamboat.
There was no telegraph system there then.
The news from the outside came by stage
or steamboat. and for the river towns the
latter was the quicker way OF getting the
mail
-The whole country was stirred up over
the heenan-Sayers match. Interest was
not confined to sporting circles. l remem-
Der that my father, who was an exemplary
elder in the Presbyterian Church, talked 30
much about thecoming fight that my mother,
who was one Of the leaders in the congrega-
ton, called him down in the presence OF his
children for being worldly minded.
The only daily newspapers received in
my town were printed in st. Louis, and those
who took them were yearly subscribers.
They we're sent by boat. The papers were
confded to the clerk OF the boat and he ha d
the bundles thrown of at the landing.
"ln some way my father learned that .
fast steamer was to leave st. Louis with
the papers that contained the news Of the
Heenan- -Sayers affair. The steamboat was
due at my town Sunday morning. The
night before, my father called me out to the
barn and gave me q message, which was
to deliver on the following morning.
"'On your way back he SAID, and before
YOU 20 to Sunday school, run down to the
ieyee and il the steamer from st. Louis Is
in sight wait until she LANDS and get my
as have to go there in the morning before
| 20 to church. have spoken to your
mother about it, so you will not need to
get her consent. Just 60 away quietly
after breakfast
Il carried out my fathers instructions:
to And him there Not only was he waiting
for the arrival Of the steamer but several
other citizens were on hand.
AN the talk was about the przefght.
The postmaster Of the town. who was an
elder in my fathers church, was more
John C. Heenan didn't lick Tom Sayers he
would resign his office. remember this.
because I had heard number of men say
that they believed that the postmaster
would never give up his job until he. died. :,
sIt was the most excited crowd l had
ever seen on the levee. When the steamer
came to her landing the citizens made q
rush for the gangplank before it touched
shore, and one, the landlord Of the leading
hotel. fell into the water and was barely
rescued. The clerk OF the boat was nearly
mobbed before he could hand out the
parers.
.l.Azz A. ~, cant In a chaor that waa rail q
by the crowd ashore. For some minutes
the group Of respectables hovered about
the bar OF the steamer and drank to the
prowess Of the American eagle.
when the party went ashore 1t separated.
each member going his way. My father
took me by the hand and led me to church.
aWhen we reached his pew the minister
had Just risen to deliver the opening in
vocation. As soon as the amen was pro-
nounced my father whispered ST.: to my
me'asema 'aeenan HAi licked is that Ensishman, all
right, as said he would
1My mother made no reply. bu she looked
many things. When the service was over
the wife Of another elder, whose pew was
just ahead Of ours, shook hands with my
mother and asked her If all was well. Ny
mother replied, right of the bat:
4'Philip informs me that Keenan,.
sPhiip was my father. The good sister
who had heard the news from my mother
L am so glad. mist hurry home to
tell Richard-he was unable to be here this
morning on account Of unexpected business
at the Office
Richard was the postmaster whom
had seen on the levee, and who had sworn
that he would resign IL Heenan failed to
win II have had a tendency to be little
sporty now and then lay 1t to the interest
which the good citizens Of my town evinced
in the Heenan-Sayers fight"