Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-19
AMATEUR BOXERS
ELEVATE SPORT
PUGILISM REVOLUTI0NIZED IN
LAST DECADE
Sam Coulter and Cliff Reuman of L.
A. A. C. Made Game Popular
by Winning Champion
ships
BY CHESTER LAWRENCE


Years ago the "prize fighter reigned
supreme and was looked upon by those
unacquainted with the sport and the
fighter as trough neck" and a tough.
but In this day and age the boxer, now
so common in all cities >oes not even
have to refer to himself as a gentle
man" boxer, as the evolution and reVo-
luton that have been going on in the
sport have developed 1t and elevated
1t until business men and those
in all classes and walks in life recog-
nize the value of physical culture and
a knowledge of the "art of boxing
as a developer of the physical man and
for self-defense purposes. The popu-
larity of boxing in Southern California
has been materially increased In the
fact that many young men, prominent
in the social world and business life
of Los Angeles, are taking up amateur
boxing as a pastime
Samuel Coulter is the amateur cham
pion lightweight boxer of Southern Cal
ifornia. He was born in Wheeling, w.
Va, in July, 1883, and received his
early education In the high school OF
Wheeling. After graduating from the
high school he entered the Wheeling
business college and later took pre-
paratory law course at the University
of West Virginia. While In college
he played on the varsity football team,
at that time one of the strongest foot
ball aggregations of the south.
Sam took a trip to Europe in the
fall of 1902 and during his sojourn in
Italy was offered a position by the
United States vice consul general at
Rome, which offer he declined because
of other plans. The year 1903 found
him occupying the position as secretary
to B, S. Mcclure OF Oklahoma, which
position he gave up for one as prl-
Vate secretary to General Charles H.
GrosVener a congressman from ONO.
While at Washington Sam became ac-
Quainted with many government OIL
cials and it was not long before he
was connected with the department of
commerce and labor as special agent
Early in 1905 he was transferred to
Yuma, Ariz., in connection with a
branch of the United States geological
survey. The climate of Yuma, how
ever, did not suit Sam, so he resigned
and came to Los Angeles, where he
has since lived.
Now Sam claims to be of Irish-Eng-
lish descent; perhaps that accounts for
the perseverance of the man. But in
bearing and looks Sam is thoroughly
American. A study of the contour of
his face reveals a high forehead and
the square protruding jaw has no two
meanings. Somebody described a like
contour years ago when speaking of
Explorer Burton, one of England's fin
est, as "the brow of a god, the jaw of
a demon" When he shakes hands
with you you are enabled to catch the
healthy sparkle Of the eye. and for a
moment you forget the tingling, aching
fingers to make mental note of the
fact that you have met a personality
as sincere as his pleasant laugh.
Boxing Is His Hobby
But boxing is Sans hobby, just as
II is the hobby of many of the brainiest
men of Los Angeles, to say nothing of
the United States. Only the athlete
can win a title, the man Of pure habits,
an eagle eye, backed by a brain that
answers the call of the will with light
ning-like rpaidity. Boxing is an art,
and only artists succeed in climbing the
long ladder that leads into the ring
of public notice.
Coulter first started to box while at
the University of West Virginia,
but not until he came to Los Angeles,
Joined the Los Angeles Athletic club
and met that master of masters and
maker of champions, Dewitt c. Van
Court, did Sam realize how little he
knew of the art of boxing. But two
years have made q wonderful change,
so wonderful in fact, that Prof. Van
Court believes that should Sam turn
professional, many local professional
boxers who now are bowling for