River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-04-12

lcT years. IL was the meTeSt acSfdent
that he didn't go to the potter's field.
He was absolutely stone broke.
Johnny Heenan went up with a. rush
after he beat Tom Sayres. and it
looked as if he was going to get all the
money, but he didn't He opened a
gambling house on Broadway and went
down with rapid rush When they
came to bury him they had to take up
a collection for him. He died out in
Greene River, Col.
OF course there are a whole lot OF
good men of to-day who have managed
to keep little of their money but
look at George Dixon. It's a safe bet
that George drew in over a million at
one time or another, but how much of
1t has he got now? I've seen Tom
O'Rourke hand him a ten-spot pretty
frequently, because he didn't have a
place to sleep, and guess a whole loo
OF others have seen the same. With
George it was just the colored mans
love Tor hot living. He couldn't seem
to make money stick to him anyway
he got it. He bought everything in
sight and was good fellow" all the
time. I'm wondering right now, how
many of the lads who used to live of
him are coming around now to hand
him j five or ten to help him along.
cont think there's any need for cop
to keep the line in order, or the crowd
in line for that matter.
l cont believe anybody ever figured
up just how much John L.eSullivaD
made during his lifetime, and it's not
doing John wrong to mention that
he's no millionaire now. He isn't and
that's all there is to it.
Remember Johnny Griffin, the handi-
est little man with his fists that came
down the roadway in a long while?
Poor Johnny fell down flight OF
stairs in New York and broke his neck
and they put him away without cent
to his name, though there was a wo-
man who stuck to Johnny long after
he was destitute and out at elbows.
Whisky did Johnny, just as it's done
gooG many better men,
Poor old Jack Dempsey died with but
mighty little coin in his possession,
and he gave that to his wife, but he
made pile of it.
Jake Kilrain made lot of money in
his Gay. but where did it go? The
heavens only know.
Charley Mitchell has his. but it was
looked out for, for him by his wife's
family. You can go on down the list
and you'll find, as a rule there's some
thing wrong between the average
fighter and his money. They don't seem
TO hitch at ALL I'm not pinning any
medals on Bob Fitzsimmons for any
thing he's got, but he was brought up
in hard school and he knows the
want of a few dollars too-not just
now, but he has. Somehow it seems
to come so easy I suppose that it
doesn't seem any great hardship to let
it go a little easier, and to man
who's never been used to all the mon
ey he could handle, maybe 1T seems a
little strange to have it SO handy in
his pocket, and he let's go of it
whole lot quicker than he ought to,
perhaps because he knows he can go
out and gather up another bundle any
time he wants it-or thinks he can.
I wonder how many men have told
George Dixon to call on them any
time he was a little short. ! also won
der just how many of them were at
home when he did call. Mighty few,
|, guess. 1t sets a chap thinking can
tell you when he looks back over the
bunch OF good ones who have gone be-
fore him and how they have ended up.
It's nc cinch to keep money for any
man. and perhaps the real reason is
that the sporting life takes money to
keep ones end up. I've spent quite
bit in my time, but / managed to keep
within the railing and that's saved me
from the gong many time. Perhaps
it's all mighty simple when it's figured
down close, and man begins to feel
that he's got them coming and that
they can't help from coming, but |
don't believe mans the best judge OF
his own capacity at all times. You
know he doesn't feel the other fellow
coming UP on him-until it's too late,
and it's a pretty hard thing to have to
wake up and find the crowds shouting
for Tom, Dick or Harry instead of
yourself.
It's a fact. though, that most boxers
die poor. and if there's any real reason
why they should-from psychological
point of view-I'd like to know what