Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-04


that I didn't tumble to the meaning Of
till I'd asked somebody. You want to
remember that I was a pretty young
fellow at that time, and maybe a bit to
the raw when I happened to lie
steered against the toppy ones, though
tried to be there with some kind of
bluff and a stall every time and never
sidestepped folks because l felt, as I
often did, that they had me buffaloed
when it came to the know thing
Il gave short sparring and bag
punching exhibition for a charitable
benefit at the gymnasium Of the Y. NJ.
G. A. In Pittsburg, and after the show
the head man of the gymnasium intro
duced me ito Mr.. Talmage who was
present. l knew him by reputation, of
course and l was rather surprised that
he'd care to exchange the mitt thing
with a prizehghter, and he was the one
asked to have me presented to him, at
that.
We'll. well,' said the cadaverous
man. cooking his head to one side and
looking me over out of the slits Of his
almost completely closed eyes In queer
sort of way that made me nervous
well, WELL and so here we have young
David, and the time near at hand
when he'll be at battle with Goliath,
eh?'
IT hate to admit it, but dye know 1
was Just on the point of replying that
/ hadn't signed articles to meet any
body by the name of Goliath? But the
head gymnasium man who introduced
us kicked me in the leg in time and 1
didn't give myself away. So l just
mumbled something.
"'But you will be at closer quarters
with your giant than David was with
his the preacher man wound up, still
cit nd han .tftf a
rather clammy handshake he went
away
"I remarked to the head gymnasium
man that / believed the famous sky
pilot had been trying to kid me. He
laughed. Just little way he has with
him, that's ALL he said. ~
"'Whos this man Goliath that he
thinks I'm signing to meet? l asked
him, and he laughed again, Of course,
nor do I blame him when 1 think it
over now. He told me the story of
David and Goliath that I'd really heard
something about a kid, at that, but
nevertheless the recollection of the
meeting with the Rev. Mr.. Talmage
made me feel more or less cheap for
long time.
"I had to stand for some hot ones
from titled Englihswoman once. She
was q very handsome and sprightly
middleaged lady when 1 met her-but
what raps / met one of her male rela-
tives, a clever enough young English
man and quite fair boxer, during the
Worlds fair at Chicago, and one night
he asked me to take dinner with him at
the Hotel Richelieu on the lake front
in Chicago, where he and Lady s. we're
staying. On our way through the main
hall after the dinner we quite, acci-
dentally ran into Lady S., who was
bound for the elevator. My young Eng
lish friend may have been and probably
was bit embarras assed when Lady s.,
his very near relative, saw and spoke
to him under the circumstances, but
the young chap was thoroughbred TO
the core. He stiffened an instant after
he had caught his titled female rela-
tiVe's eye, and in the most brittle way,
as if he'd suddenly been put to some
kind of test or other, he introduced
us.
LADY S., he said, in that choppy
way Englishmen have, I beg to be al
lowed to present to you Mr.. James j.
Corbett, an American of my acauain-
tance from San Francisco, and the
champion pugilist of the world,'-5
"Take it from me, felt like more Diff
ferent kinds of a fool than a man does
whose hat blows off and who then goes
sprawlng on the icy pavement when he
starts TO cnase the lld. Inc lady looked
stupefied with aStOnishment for a min
ute. Then she grabbed eyeglasses that
hung from a chain around her neck
and sized me up. / was in evening
clothes.
"'Surely this is one of your horrid
jests," she said, sharply addressing her
young male relative. At
mo, it is not, he replied, shaking
his head. +1.{ "
sIo u,noy NON, q nuoiIist dyassed
quite like gentleman!" the good lady
said then, and she held her hand out to
me away up in the air. and / was
staked to my first high handshake.
!" Charmed-delighted.' said L desir-