The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-16
And lie Also Knew the Secret of
Living Without Paying
for 1t.
BY OLD SPORT.

l wonder how many of the followers
of the fighting game in this city re-
member old Jack Grace, the one-time
lightweight pugilist, who was promi-
nent in the game in the days when
Charley Norton ran his hotel down near
the Pennsylvania depot. Grace was an
E~nglishman, and had the English style
of fighting, fat-footed as a COW and as
awkward in working his fists as a con-
trary mule in fly time. He was con-
sidered a good trial horse by the men of
his day, but never considered a serious
proposition when it came to champion
ship honors. The old-timers of Grace's
time always sewed up their pockets and
kept a tight hand on their wallets when
Jack Grace love in sight, not that he
was a thief. but because of his genial
manners in extracting money on the
loan basis. Grace, like many another
of the pug class, never thought he had
to pay back what he borrowed, and
when you loaned Grace a dime or a
dollar that was the last of it, as far as
he was concerned.
He was willing to fight anybody and
for anything in the shape of money.
When he was broke and out of j fight
anu he ItdIu u any QUIET pug training
for a coming battle Grace had the habit
of kiting to this other fighters camp,
offering his services, and generally sue
ceeded in sharing in all the good things
of the camp while the training stunt
was on. His happy disposition made
him welcome every place where fighters
congregated, and, while he was a bore,
he always seemed to land right side up,
no matter how far wrong he was
financially.
There is many a story told about this
fellow, but lone so interesting as the
one told by Tom Mccarthy, who was the
man who first brought out Austin Glib
bons, the New Jersey lightweight cham
pion, and who held the title of light
weight champion of England until he
died a few months ago.. Mccarthy was
in camp one day getting the Paterson
boy ready for his battle with Jack
MeAuliffe. The training camp was in
the basement of a Paterson brewery, a
queer place, to be sure, but fitted up in
real fighting style by Gibbons's hackers
While the party was taking a lay-of
after an hours hard work who walked
in on the crowd but Jack Grace. He
hadn't seen Gibbons in years, but thai
/ AllClAAG Ap h1iARAAA1ts A. q bAoHCf dAtN
he had to have some place to stay, Sc
he made himself at home. Mccarthy
asked him about his luck, and Grace
only smiled and said everything wa.
/ coming his way, even the police wert
coming his way, and the crowd under,
stood that Grace had turned off somt
trick. The story told by Mac ran thii
way: Grace went South to meet a light
weight and got half the purse. The club
men wanted him to find a 125-pounC
boy to meet a Southern champion, an
Grace said he could furnish the yer!
man. Grace went back to New York
took off several pounds of flesh, am
had his hair cut, and his mustach,
shaved off. Then he wrote q letter Il
the club managers saying that hi
brother would meet the 125-pounder
That was all right, n the night o
! the fight saw Grace back in the sam
} club where he had fought the 1876
!, FOUNDER. He met the 125-pounder, In,
|, got half the purse again, and then whei
} the club management commented on hi
likeness to Jack Grace said that h
!, and his brother resembled each other S
) much that persons could hardly tell tn
I difference. That gag went. and Grac
I to this day is afraid to go back to tina
! town for fear some of the old-timer
! would get after him.
I Grace had some of the money fror
! that fight when he landed in the Gih
I bons party, but they didn't know 1t un
Z til it was time for him to seek neN
fields. He lived high at the expense {
D his friends, and the day he babe HI
z friends good-by he remarked, "Sorr
: that l can ask you to have a drinl