The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-03-02

other man. for 4 wanted to win that
tight if I dropped dead the next min
ute. WE'LL kept working on it and L
decided that would let him chase me
little, and that I'd try to work him
into corner and then work him some.
Lots OF people will tell you that l
threw away chances when I might
nave landed him. but don't believe
them, for l didn't. I had to weaken
those feet and legs, and decided to do
1t one way, and just as l reached this
point Jim climbed through the ropes,
and he was smiling like cat that's
seen a saucer of cream. -
How did I feel then? I'll tell you.
Did you ever go out with a gun after
something big in the game line? Do
you remember how you walked about
waiting for a chance? Just one look
at what you'd come for?. Remember
the jump that when through you in
the chest when you caught sight of it?
that's it; that's just the way l felt
when Corbett turned about and faced
me, and the fight was decided then and
there: I made up my mind to mark
him on the body and leave his face
alone, for that was the eonly way
could get the steam outof his legs, and
II you don't know it, I'll tell you right
| now. that punch in the stomach will
hurt man worse and make him want
to sit down to rest quicker than a wal
lop on the nose. The first makes, him
tired and the last only makes him mad.
When we got together in the first
round we were both feeling each other
out, and was telling him story. It's
a habit of mine to talk bit when
/ I'm fighting. and some OF the things I
said seemed to make Jim bit miffed
at me. but that was part OF the game.
Of the battle as it went. the newspa-
pers at that time gave a pretty ac-
| curate account of it as remember. But
! then things look lot different to the
boy on the outside to what they do to
| the fellow that's doing the fighting.
seem to remember that l was doing a
lot OF humping up against Corbett's
left hand. and that it didn't annoy me
| L
to get busy. Along about the eighth
round-that was the one if you remem-
! Der that it was said the job was to oc-
cur 1n-l got angry for the first time.
| 1t had been said pretty roughly that
I'd taken a big piece of change and
was going to let Jim trim me in that
round, and it struck me that right
| v,1o
in that lie. know l got little buster
| than before, and I guess I had Corbett
on the run for the first time in reality.
Somehow it seemed to surprise him a
bit and l had little warm feeling
over: it in my insides. He looked at
me once when l reached him on the
ribs, and new idea seemed to strike
him with the punch. I was afraid he
had tumbled that was trying to plant
him On the body, so played awhile for
his face face and worked the notion out Of
A lot of chaps who are fond of air
ing their opinion and lack of knowledge
OF the fighting game will. tell you that
when the fourteenth round opened I
hadn't notion where was going to
plant Corbett, but then they didn't
know all about it. I'd been practicing
on the quiet for that solar plexus for
a good many days, and I'D; figured out
to the dot just where it ought to land.
Then lead and a follow for the face
and the right went overssfor the jaw,
and shifted bit and the left touched
Jim where thought it would. and |
crossed him quick with the other hand
just as he started to fall. 1t was pref
ty hard for him TO figure out just how
it happened and don't blame hill for
thinking he still had a chance Islsnow
what 1t feels like to lose the worlds
championship, and guess he felt the
same way Gid later. but won it fail
and square, and 1 think he'll acknow-
ledge it now
Coming home from the fight was the
hardest part for me some way I sup.
pose I'm still boy in some things, fol
couldn't seem to get it right in my
head that there I was on the top of the
heap. where I'd been aiming for a good
many years. and maybe the lads who
travelled with me thought there was
something queer about Fitz, and Tn
going to tell something now I'd though1
was going to keep locked up forever
1t was when we drifted into Washing.
ton-the first time I'd ever been there
and went up to- the capitol and
looked around a, bit. l met a lot OF
men--senators. congressman and office.
holders and citizens, and Just people
T and we shook hands, and l went into
i the senate chamber and it was there
something hit me. You remember il
was just after the sugar scandal. and
! stood there and t thought to myself.
you've got a lot to be thankful for
old pal. There's some great men here
and some good men, Some of them
have got their greatness in funny ways
mean ways, whole }lot-and some
of them have been stealing their great.
ness, and those that stole It and
worked their friends in tricky ways
for what they got must feel quite bill
ASHAMED, when they look, themselves
SS = n. L = -.