The Washington times., 1908-09-13

San FRANCISCO, Sept. 12.-The pop
ularity Of prize fighting in California
ana Nevada right now and the success
that is attending it, as shown by the
crowds at the three great mills here
this week. Gans-Nelson. Ketchel-Papke,
snd AttelI-Moran-are all due TO the fact
that the prize fight IS now straight-out
business proposition. The pugilisIs
themselves have become keen and alert
business men. Ehey employ managers
now where once they were merely The
hired men Of the managers. Drinking
and other forms Of dissipation once
ruled the ring and Tufnanly tactics pre-
vailed.
The greatness Of the change in this
respect was never better demonstrated
than this week by the six men who took
part in the three bouts of even more
than national interest. All are clean,
polite, well dressed They are men Of
good habits, because modern prize fight
ing, although less brutal, is much more
r pid in point of action and more ex-
hausting of wind, and requires more
agility and less beeI than ever before.
Battling Nelson is u fair example he
is a good Danish boy, who never has
tasted liquor in his life, and never has
or Hegewich. Ill. where he mas a news
paper. He supports his father and
mother. and is sending a brother
through college.
Nolan of the New School
OF the new order OF manager VIII
liam Nolan. who managed Bat Nelson
during his most prosperous days, was
the perfect type.
Hard as nails, grasplng. quick 10 see
every business possibility. Shylock in
his contracts, Nolan quickly made 4
new game of prize fighting.
The old-time fight promoters who
were accustomed to swindle the igno-
rant fighting men out of their profits,
the hangers-on who practically com
PEELED fighters to support them in order
70 insure popularity have gone TO
the wall.
Publicity at Any Price.
When the prize fight people began
saying hard things about Nolan and
his fighter, the young manager quickly
saw there was an immense CONNER
ciaI value in being ferociousIy unpop-
ular That the only thing really i'm
portant was to be talked about, no
matter what they said.
The old bunk about diamond belts
and heroism quickly passed away, It
was cold cash that was wanted
Seeing how much newspaper notice
followed prize fights. it occurred to
some Nevada promoters that II would
be fine way to advertise Goldfield to
have a big championship battle in the
town
Wherefore the Cans Nelson fight, for
witch a purse of $4,000 was offered.
Made Break for West.
The Eastern cities gradually began
| Legislation against fights. and every
| fighter made a bee-line for the West
to get at some of the crazy purses Of
fered. Los Angeles then became one
Of the great fight centers Of the coun-
try: the purses were large. no legal
Instructions, and good houses
I For the last quarter of a century
/ California has furnished a battle
ground for all the noted pugilists of
the EDglish-Speaking world.
Even before the invasion Of this
country by the famous men Of the
Australian prize ring twenty yea
ago. Charlie Mitchell and Jack Burke,
the two foremost men Of the English
I prize ring at the time Of their land
! ing in this country. had met the lead
! ing pugilists Of our country in a San
! FRANCISCO prize ring. Californians for
more than gcore OF years now have
of the roped arena from all lands and
at no time have they ever drawn the
/ color line. California. therefore. is just,
/ ~ entitled TO be known as the prize
4 fighters mecca
] A a. fr not hoo ,g.v-,k