Arizona republican., 1905-12-07
WHEN KEENAN, BEAT SAVERS.
How the Church People of a Missouri
 River Town Heard the News.

While party of men waited in an uptown barroom for the first news of the prize fight between Britt and Nell son. one of them said:
 Receiving the news of a fight in these days is nearly like seeing the bout from the ringside. I reckon I am the only man in this room who was living at the time when Heenan and Savers met inside the ropes.
 "I was boy at the time, and 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- Savers fight. Interest was not confined to sporting circles. I remember that my father, who was an exemplary elder in the Presbyter- ian church, talked so much about the coming fight that my mother, who was one of the leaders of the congregation, called him down in the presence of his children for being worldly minded.
 "The only daily newspapers receiv ed in my town were printed in St. Louis, and those who took them were yearly subscribers. They were sent by boat. The papers were confided to the clerk of the boat and he had the bum dies thrown off at the landing.
 'In some way my father learned that a fast steamer was to leave St. Louis with the papers that contained the news of the Heenan- Savers affair. The steamboat was due at my town Sun day morning. The night before, my father called ma out to the barn and gave me a message which I was to deliver on the following morning.
 "'On your way back, he said, and before you go to Sunday school, run down to the levee, and if the steamer from St. Louis is in sight, wait until she lands and get my St. Louis paper. Bring it up to the store, as I have to go there in the morning before I go to church. I have spoken to your mother about it, so you will not need to get her consent. Just go away quiet ly after breakfast
 "I carried out my fathers instruct ions When I got to the levee I was surprised to find him there. Not only was he waiting for the arrival of the steamer but several other citizens were on hand.
 "All the talk was about the prize fight. The postmaster of the town, who was an elder in my fathers church, was more vehement than the others, for he said if John c. Heenan didn't lick Tom Savers he would resign his office. I remember this, because I had heard a number of men say that they believed that the postmaster would never give up his job until he died.
 Tt was the most excited crowd l had ever seen on the levee When the steamer came to her landing the cit izens made a rush for the gangplank before it touched shore, and one, the landlord of the leading hotel, fell into the river and was barely rescued. The clerk of the boat was nearly mobbed before he could hand out the papers.
 When they read that Heenan was the victor they sent up a cheer that was caught by the crowd on shore. For some minutes the group of re- spectables lowered about the bar of the steamer and drank to the prowess of the American eagle.
 When the party went ashore, it sep- arated, each member going his way. My father took me by the hand and led me to church.
 When we reached his pew the min ister had just risen to deliver the open ing invocation. As soon as the amen was pronounced my father whispered to my mother-I was seated between them:
 "'Heenan licked that Englishman, all right, as I said he would
 My mother made no reply, but 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 ask ed her if all was well. My mother re- piled right off the bat:
 won.'
 Philip was my father. The good sis- ter who hcd heard the news from my mother. said:
 "1 am so glad. I must hurry home to tell Richard-he was unable to be here this morning on account of un- expected business at the office
 "'Richard was the postmaster whom had seen on tho levee, and who had sworn that he would resign if Heenan failed to win. If have had tendency to be a little sporty now and then l lay it to the interest which the good citizens of my town evinced in the Heenan- Savers fight"