Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-27
THE SPORTING NEWS.

very thing when you let yourself get roped into sitting up buying booze for a crowd that wouldn't give you nickel if you begged on the street. I'm telling you that man stands mighty poor show in this world If no sets out to chase the devil around the bush. The old gentleman has whole lot the best of you, and he'll make It interesting for you all right.
 What I started out to say, though, was that men retire pretty early in these days of the ring. and the reason is, of course, that when they get licked once they go down the road pretty swift. Then we go back to the reason they get licked. It's not always be- cause they meet better man; it's just as often because they meet man who is just as good as they were once, and that they're not as good as they used to be. That gives the other fellow an edge on them that counts for a whole lot. Then comes the time when they know right inside them selves that they've done their best, and that they're sliding down the wrong side. They find they're getting slow, and that their eyes aren't as good or as quick, and their muscles don't work the same, and-then they re- tire.
 That's the tough part of it. Some of them make provision for what they see coming, but they're mighty few and far between. A few of them an nounce that they've decided that the fighting game is too rough and coarse for them, and that they think they'll go on the stage and wind up as act ors. That pans out mighty seldom. for while a fellow is at the top or near the top, he's valuable as drawing card, but when his popular drawing value is gone, he's not enough Of an actor to make good on that line alone, and the finish comes when the show goes on the rocks, or he gets a gentle hint that he's a dead one, and the show can get along without him. It's the wise man that knows enough to re- tire when he feels it coming on, or that has another good job up his sleeve where he can hike and go right on earning money.
 As I think I said, many men retire, and we never hear of them again, while others manage to get along do- ing odd jobs or touching their friends. Go back over the list of fighters you | used to know, 10 or 15 years ago. Where are they? What are they do- ing? How many of them can you put your finger on and say: That old boy is doing pretty well in his old age?" How many of them have just dropped out of sight and have never been heard of again? I'd hate to have to make up list. Go back eight years, and find the old-timers who were headed up the ladder. Where are they? Gone, and not a jot does the general public care where.
 You've got to go back to first prin- clples in the fighting game, as in every thing else. If you burn the candle at both ends, you're going to have light but little while. Maybe it'll be bright and fancy while it lasts, but it won't last long. The fighter gets il worse than any other class of men. Principally because he's depending on his physical powers to keep him to the front, and the minute he hurts those, he sinks his value to himself It's just like having s1,000 in the bank. and then putting on steam, and see ing just how fast it will go. The
 man of the ring who dissipates is drawing down on his principal all the tune. and when the physical bank
 ruptcy comes, he's not cent to meet 1 1t. and goes broke. Maybe that's long winded, but it's a matter that can't stop talking about when l get started.