The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-21
OF A REFEREE
BY GEORGE sILER.

How fortunate for the present day pU-
gilists that the ring rules were changed
from London (bare knuckle) to Marquis
of Queensberry, which permits their
hands being incased in five-ounce gloves;
and that the change gives them oppOr-
tunities to battle in well appointed club
houses and buildings and in rings, the
platforms of which are covered with
boiler felt TO protect their heads in case
of upSets. And how extremely fortunate
are they to battle for purses which run
we'll into five figures, not speaking OF
the large amount of money the star per
formers can earn by demonstrating their
pug1liStic abilities in vaudeville houses
In the olden days, before John l. SUI
Ivan took the pugiliSt1c world by storm,
champions fought for side bets OF several
hundred dollars, and the man that could
command backing for from $1,000 to 5000
was the envy of his brother pugS. Sucn
known good filflters as Jem Mace, Joe
COburn, Tom Allen. Ed O'Baldwin, 1.-The
Irish giant; Joe WOrmald, Billy Ed
wards, Sam COllyer, Barney Aaron, Ar
thur Chambers and others that l could
the figures mentioned, and not only that,
but after they had either won or lost
they knew they had been in a fight.
It probably will be news to the present
generation of fighters, especially the
heavy. middle, light, and feather weights,
that the weights the Old-timers fought
at in those divisions were far below
livan, Jem Mace, Tom Savers and other
known heavyweights fighting for the
championships in that division weighing
less than 100 pounds; middleweights bat
Ting at less than $50, lightweiGhts not
tipping the beam at 80, and some OF
them especially Collyer, Edwards ana
Aaron, milling at from 124 TO 126; ana
featherWeightS never thinking of match
ing at over lie and all fighting for less
money than Battling Nelson receives
weekly for exhibition bouts with spar
ring partner.
readers of this article when Informed
that John L. Sullivan received but so
for his bit when he first appeared IN
New York On that occasion. March 81
1881 he agreed to stop Steve Taylor IN
four rounds and did the trick in two
The contest took place at Harry Hill
on Houston street, and, after paying eX-
penses, which were nominal, he pulled
down the amount named
\
John L. was not well known then, but
at mat he mad bested Joe Goss, stopped
George Rookie, the middleweight cham
piOn, in two rounds, and had Deatel
John Donaldson in ten rounds. Taylor,
however, was in his prime and a heavy
weight championship asplrant at that:
Can anyone imagine one of the pugs OF
today shedding ais sweater to knock out
a tough proposition for paltry $50? Is
there a fighter of note today who, after
entering into match, training for the
fight and. upon entering the building
wherein the battle is to take place IiV-
ing up to his contract, knowing that ms
end of the purse if he won, would be SlOJ
or less, wOul, engage in battle on con-
ditiOns that ii ne lost he would not re-
ceive a dollaT2
1t is nee ess for me to answer those
questions. The game today is purely
commercial. It is not, can l lick so-anu-
so? but how much money viii club hang
up for the fight and how will the money
he n
| fighter with class, who club manager
/ believes will be an attraction, demands
! an easy mark" and win, lose or draw
demands a big guarantee. If he cannon
get that he will stipulate the money be
! divided, - per cent TO the winner and p
/ per cent to the loser. but directly he is
proposition, nothing but an even spin
/ of the money will suit him.
There was no splitting of the money
| in the Olden uays because there were no
purse offerings. The side bet and a
there was any, was what they battled
/ for. and the loser got nothing excepting
what he could pick up by giving d fe"
ex billions before, and probably a com
/ DIimentary benefit after the fight.
Although San Francisco laid the foun-
dation which now upholds Marquis OF
Queensberry rule fghung, TO New or
I leans belongs the honor of being the first
/ city in the country to offer fabulous
/ purses for the glove artists TO battle for
MS was 81 900 for the Jack Dempsey
/ Bob Fitzsimmons fight, which took
place on Jan. IA. 1891 On May p OF the
same wear San Francisco took a flyer
/ at the five-figure purse game by hang
| ing up $4,000 for Jim Corbett and Peter
/ Jackson TO battle for
The California Athletic club, under the
auspices of which the battle was held
withheld half ~ the purse money because
!, Referee Hiram Cook at the end of the
| sfxty-first rSuE5 declared it mo contest
New OrlsEcr ga into line again when the
/ Olympic club &Sured the FitZsimmOns
Peter Maher fight for $4,000 and Boil