Evening journal., 1908-09-08
PULLEDOFF "MILL"
. UNDER BLUE SKY
Black and White Youths Mix
T. It Up Until Money Fails
to Come
MUCH SPORT, BUT
NO DECISION GIVEN

Within easy hearing Of the whirr Of
Brandywine Springs, trolley cars and
but five hundred yards from several
hundred machinists who were cele-
brating Labor Day in Haleys Woods
yesterday afternoon Kid Finney, a slim
f negro. with a Joe Cans physiognomy,
and Young Farley, a stocky white
youth pounded each other for an hour
and three quarters with the "mitts"
while crowd of nearly two hundred
white men and a handful Of negroes
urged them to their best. Both bled
and painted to provide a white mans
holiday and their reward was the
loose change Of staggering sports"
dropped reluctantly into a limp hat
Three. smashing rounds were fought,
and then the fight was stopped only
Tor lack of coin.
Recalling the days of Jem Mace and
the giant Cornishmen who fought in
the English meadows and of the days
ia this country when celebrated open
iair prize fighters broke noses with
3 avage gusto while their friends trem-
hled at every whisper of police" the
mill yesterday, it is certain. indicates
revival of the manly art among the
young huskies of Wilmington. Even in
would have pleased a connoisseur but
with the spice of the open air. the
Clirping Of crickets and the fear of
some over-zealous policeman or con-
stable added, the mill was one over
which any ''mitt" artist might have
rhapsodized
Although the promoters of the mill"
cleverly Kept themselves in the back
ground, it was evident that il had been
arranged with some care and a little
yudicious advertisement This was evil
,uent from the manner I'm which the
select group Of spectators had gath
cred Each had the manner of the
hardened sport One discussed the pro-
Frpcf7g ribs and the punching pec-
|forals Of TIE calored boy while another
became prosv over the cleaning biceps
OF the chunky white youth. In the
cd all lost sight of particulars and
tcr~ot to be critics in glorving in the
f"rinrage, Of flashing and smashing
OF white and black limbs
Shortly after $50 O'Clock a quiet tin
was passed over to favored ones who
had Joined the machinists in their
Di"nic IN Haiev's woods. and these
gathered in eager expectation in the
.Fhedow of a patch OF trees within
sight Of the trolley tracks. Little
effort was made at concealment. Troll
lev- passengers. in fact, could see the
LITTLE crowd and hear its shouts and
were whizzed on. wondering what it
was all about AS the sports buzzed
. like bees al a hive about the ring.
which had been enclosed by a frail
white cord. a professional air was
given the proceedings when a hard
brief announcement.
Under tree. in the meantime. the
boxers had stripped and donned trunks,
and a moment later they, too, ap-
peared. accompanied by their attend
ants, each party with a bucket of
water. sponges, towels. spirits and other
paraphernalia of the prize ring.
The fighters were light weights and
had evidently received their hard
knocks in the prize ring many times
before. barley. who might have been
twenty five. had somewhat the advan-
etage I'm weight. but Finney was slim
and walked with a lightness that be-
tokened fast legs and long wind. There
was a little speech by the referee be
fore the fight telling what il was all
about and asking that the crowd be
generous. for good sport was to come.
Then a limp hat was passed around
and nickles and dimes and even sub
stantial quarters clinked into a rapidly
growing little pile. while the eyes of the
two light-weights glistened at the
other
Finally. with a business-lilxe deft-
ness that showed his experience the
hard faced referee called the men to-
gether: there was a hand shake and
the mill began.
e The first round was pretty show
ofsparring. but it was not at all effec-
tiVe, and the two minute rest before
the second round was superfluous.
During the intermission the limp hat
was again passed around with demands
for. something ito make the go worth
while" and the crowd responded with
less liberality and some protests. The
second round was gruelling and the
crowd howled its delight with little
regard for the referees crys of Shut
up that, or you'll get the cops here di-