Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-13
BURNS ALWAYS
GAME RINGSTER
SHOWED NERVE WHEN PLAY.
ING LACROSSE
5urly Blacksmith Was Tommy's Firs,
Opponent When He Was
Eighteen Years Of
Age

Tommy Burns, the plucky young
Canadian boxer, has been regarded as
one of the earnest boys that ever rubbed
resin on his kicks, ever since he had to
defend himself during his schoolboy
days.
When Brusso's name first appeared
In the sporting columns Il was as the
goalkeeper of the Calf Lacrosse club
and many We're the bouquets handed
him for his work between the flags.
When n lad of is he was considered
one of the best In Ontario when IL
came to picking out the hot ones and
turning them aside, and withal he was
not the lad to be frightened by anyone,
no matter how large he wac.
He was ideal for good goal guard
Quick on his feet, sturdy and broad in
build, II was almost impossible to ef-
fectively check him in the nets, and.
besides, he had an eye which could fol-
low the ball increasingly.
In those days the Gait club was one
of the best intermediate teams playing
the game, and Brusso had to have the
goods in order to keep his place.
When a lad starts out to make a
name for himself in lacrosse he has as
hard and uphill a job in front Of him
I
hockey.
While the best of lacrosse games
may seem to be spiced with only a
moderate amount of danger. 1t is not
so in small communities, where all the
players have no finished control of their
| sticks. and where the feeling runs high
enough to make the spectators shout:
cut 'em up" "kno k his block Off
and other such phrases. While even in
the best games hands are cut open and
| players knocked cold, in spite of the
vigilance of the double referee system
and a squad of policemen to back them
up, what must it be when the teams
of two small towns play where mob
rule is about the only kind of govern
ment in sight?
Tommy Had Nerve
For the boy to get on top, then, re-
quires not only fine physical develop
ment, but also liberal supply of nerve
and sand. The future prize fighter was
never known to be deficient in either of
these qualities. and on several occa-
sions showed that he had both In
manner which left no room for doubt.
Brussos parents lived in the town of
Preston, a place a few miles from
Gait, and while he went to school there
he showed but little inclination for
books.
What he cared for much more was
to get away from school early and go
down to Calf, where he would practice
lacrosse with the other boys, accord
ing to j. P. Brady.
He became known among the youths
as a first-class goalkeeper, and when
any team was picked to make visit
to surrounding villages for an exhibit
tion game Brusso was generally chos-
en- for goal.
Bright was one of those places where
lacrosse flourished and where there
We're several players of fair reputa-
ton. The best known man in the VII
lage was a brawny smith who was
well known for his prowess.
This man was about 80 years of age,
and, as he kept in good condition, he
was just in his prime. He was six
feet tall weighed in the neighborhood
of 200 pounds and was fast on his feet.
He usually played point, as he had
begun to find other positions too stren-
uous.
AS it was an exhibition game they
We're playing the Gait team that day
was not a strong one. The Bright
bunch had been underestimated by
their opponents, and the game was a
closely fought contest.
Although they had numerous chances
to shoot on the Gait nets, the Bright
home was una BILE to increase the lead of
the team, and as long shots failed they
were ordered by their captain to go
close in and check the goalmaker.
1t was funny, however, to see what
happened to them when they tried this
style of play. Brusso kicked them
down and away from the nets with
astonishing regularity and they were
bruised and battered lot before they
got through with him.
To make matters worse for the home
team the Galts went in and scored two
goals, thereby taking the lead and with
but five minutes to play this looked suf-
| ticient TO win.
The spectators, who comprised the
whole village of Bright, with the eX-
cepion of a sick dog, were loudly
clamoring for their team to score and
even up the contest.
They began to call on the big black
smith to take the ball down himself
and shoot, as he had done in numerous
other games. Apparently this was
what he was waiting for and the in
stant he secured the sphere away he
went straight as an arrow for the Gait
nets
| Several attempted to check him, but
all in vain, and he got close in, still re-
tanning possession of the rubber. He
shot surely and swiftly and followed
up fast TO bowl over the goalkeeper II
he should chance TO intercept the ball.
! That was just what Brusso did, and
as he turned the sphere out to the rear
he threw the smith over his hip into the
nets. To say that the big fellow was
angry is putting it politely, at least
He was wild and made a rush at the
goalkeeper.-
Before he closed, however, the cooler
ones had interfered, and he was sent
back to his place to finish the game.
Just you wait till the game is over,
said he to Brusso. I'm half kill you
before you leave town."
Receives First Challenge
Brusso said nothing but when the
game was finished went with the rest
of the players to their hotel, where they