The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-03-23

Maher, but he took it back II q hurry
when he found Peter hadn't the class to
hold it. Anything that goes to throw a
shade on fighters record ought to be
ripped off and the color line does as
much to harm a mans popularity as
anything, think, unless it's a direct
charge Of crookedness, and that doesn't
come often. - =~ ....
Ihere are lot of men in this world
VINO think the negro is a good fighting
proposition and they have some reason
Tor 1t, too, for there was Peter Jackson,
there was George Dixon. there was Joe
Walcott and there is Joe Cans. Those
men made names for themselves and
they did it legitimately. AS I said
"nlle back, some of these colored
men nave reason for being fighters.
!ney nearly all have long reach. and
mat counts for good deal: They gen.
orally have a hard head, and can take
punch there that would dron a white
man. Then most of them are short
necked like Walcott. The hardest thing
IN the world would be to rap that fei-
low on the jaw, for he has no neck at all
mat could ever see. When the whole
tnlng SINNERS down to cases. it's easv
to see that JEFF has hurt himself lust a
little bit by scratching that chalk line
across his front doorstep.
Popularity is funny thing here in
this country. You're hero one minute
and then you're-well> something else.
Who had harder time than Door old
Admiral Dewey? He came back here
and the whole nation was rolling over
to get a chance to put it's neck under his
foot. Then George made a bad play.
lea the wrong card or sometime --and he
got his from every hole and corner of
tne country. That's why say it's fool
ism Tor the man at the top to get too
funny, for, the first thing he knows.
some lad will come along with an az
and cut off the limb he's sitting on. and
he gets a bad fall.
were tickle over here, very tickle. I
say we because I'm an American citizen.
even>5if was born in Cornwall. and I
IKE the country and its ways. and the
way 1t treated me. You get along splen-,
dldly here until you get little bit
proud, and the, minute you stick your
chin up in the air and try to look over
ahousetop, some fellow, without any par
tlcular malice, just shoves a scantlins
between your feet and when you're wab-
bling on the flint, the bystanders kick
you gently to remind you that it won't
do to get too gay. s.:pEfE. +..<
don't know but it's good idea, for it
Keeps a man in reasonable shape and
prevents him from wearing a hat that's
three sizes larger than is good for him.
But to get back to that color line BUSH
ness. Maybe I'm a bit freer in nv view
than l would be if I'd been born in the
south instead of England but then YOU
see over there there are mighty few
negroes and they're not looked on so
much with. the same eye we look at
them over here, and if man is going to
be champion of the world, and popular
champion he's got to take care what
the world thinks of him. He's got to
sacrifice some of his feelings if he's 60
ing to do that popular idol business, for
he can't forget that he's public figure
in way, and he's got to do what the
public want him to do or get of the ton
step.
Just as long as there are men of good
red blood in the world there will be fight.
ers and the fellow who does all he can
to keep his end of the game up will be the
boy who's going to get the small change
that's going around. l believe in meet
ing the colored brother if he's got a
look in, for if there's any public sympa-
thy going to be spilled around, want to
get it for myself, and it makes chap feel
a'lot more comfortable. Mind you, m
not saying that.the men who have drawn
the color line. are wrong, but do think
they were hasty. The grip fighter has
on the public isn't any too strong any
way, and he wants to put sand on his
hands to hold on to what he's got.
Just about this minute Jim Jeffries has
got both hands on the title, and while
he's talking largely about :. handing it
over to- some other fellow, / don't think
he's going to do it yet awhile. It's all
right Ito talk about, but it's different
when the other: man puts his hand up to-
take it. Jen's no different from the rest,
and he'll stick along at the top aslong
as he can. Jetf's the recognized cham
pion right now, but if a good: husky
colored man comes along and says he
wants q fight, and Jeff turns him down,
there'Abe plenty people to say; r:
l"Huh. Knew he. couldn't trim the
man Ell, and tiguredit out that he d:get
away from It ny saying he doesn't meet
negroes. Wont wash little bit.=sIe
he's afraid why. doesn't he say sop.
That kind Of talk iss what's going to
hprtSthe fighter who pulls down the
shades when the cloud begins to roll