Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-04

Gus of being there with the proper
brand of Introduction goods.
THAT made her raise the eyeglasses
and stare curiously at me again.
Now, Just fawncy a prizefighter
saying thatlf she exclaimed, and then,
while I was having a time trying to
keep from laughing, she broke out with:
L hope, young man, you're not a hor-
81 never drink at ell; / told her,
which was quite the truth then, at
that.
"Then her young male relative con-
Quoted her to the elevator after she'd
given me quite a gracious bow. But,
though 1t was rather funny, | did feel
like somebody under fire while In the
presence Of that really fine English
woman.
II had occasion to remember some
thing that the late Senator Vest of
Missouri, one of the most superior
men / ever met or ever hope to meet,
said to me the first time | was pre-
sented to him. We chatted for a while,
and he surprised me with the extent
of his knowledge Of the history of
prlzefghting-he'd seen men like Tom
Sayers and John G. Heenan fight, and
he had the ancient history of the
punching game at the tip Of his tongue,
though he was a very slow and de-
liberate talker.
"Well, son. the fine old senator
said to me when we were preparing
to separate, you'll have your years of
success, but you'll be taken like all the
rest in the due course Of time-you
can't expect to escape the common fate.
A good thing to remember is this:
When you're licked, never squeal. Don't
let 'em have that on you. Take your
medicine, head up, chest out, shoulders
back four square to all the winds of
adversely. A fellow who can do that
is a man.
Il thought of the old gentleman's ad-
vice in bitter hour, and 1t was
mighty comforting, at that.
Talking of a southerner reminds me
of the funniest introduction l ever took
part in. A friend of mine in Mont
gomery Ala, introduced me to a fine
old editor of a Montgomery newspaper
back yonder in the middle nineties,
when 1 was still on top. We were
standing in front of a Montgomery
was talking with my friend when the
editor came along.
"'Mr. Blank said my friend, address,
ing him, I want you to shake hands
with young friend of mine-Jim Cor
bett,' and so on.
1.-THE old gentleman looked up at
me out from under his bushy brows.
Then, to my surprise, he suddenly
wheeled and walked out to the middle
of the street, where a number of loose
cobbles were lying. He picked one of
them in his left hand, then walked
back to where I was standing with my
friend. Then he rather hesitatingly
put out his right hand. 1 gave it the
usual clasp.
"'Ah sho' am glad t. meet you. SON
All sho' am said the old gentleman
after the handshake, and then he
tossed the cobblestone into the street.
Colonel said my friend to him, 1
never like to inquire into the motives
of man older than 1, but there are
exceptional instances. Now, with all
due respects, why did you go out and
get that rock a minute ago?"
1.-THE old gentleman pushed his hat
back and scratched his head, then
smiled and addressed me:
"'Son,' he said, a few years back
All met Mistuh Sullivan when that dis
tingushed knight of the squaiuhed cir
cle sub, was visiting heah in Mont
gumry. Mistuh Sullivan, sub, in shak-
ing hands with me, delibuhetly, sub,
squeezed nah finguhs till tn bones
cracked, an All resented it, sub
though All nevuh said word about it,
All sho' resented it. And when I
heahed YOU name, sub, says Ah t
mahse'f, "If this heah prize fightin'
son of gun crushes NAH finguhs like
that Sullivan man did, Ah'm goin' t
be prepaiuhed," and All went out an
got the rock, and eff yo' had crushed
nah digits like Sullivan did, sub, Ah
sho would have, busted yo' haid with
the rock-Ah sho' would have, sub p 4"