Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28
WILL WORK
HIS PASSAGE OVER
Champion MiddIeWeightW
Ter Determined to Take
Part in the Olympic
Games.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June 27.-John H. Craige,
champion amateur middleweight wrestler
of America, sailed today with the Olympic
team for England on the Philadelphia TO
wrestle there in the Olympic champion
ships. But he did not go first class. in
cool, airy cabin. with stewards to walt on
him, rubbers to see that his muscles don't
stiffen and the watchful eye OF Mike Muir
ply over all, ever alert TO see that he
doesn't eat or drink too much or too little
or overexert himself or take cold from
the time he is out Of bed in the morn
ing until he is tucked into bed at night,
like the rest of the team. Nothing like
it, He went as firSt-claSS stOker away
down in the bowels of the ship. twenty
odd feet below the surface of the ocean,
where the thermometer registers 40 de-
grees ordinarily. and coal-grimed, sweat
matted men, stripped to the waist, feed
the ships ravening NAV. swinging mo-
notonously to and fro with their heavy
scoops of coal for four hours at stretch,
like lost souls in Dantes Inferno" Oc-
casionally they go mad and jump into the
sea. Oftener they go to the ships hos
pi,al. All of them are picked men, and
since the Philadelphia is mail ship her
stokers are the fittest of the fit. They are
chosen by process of strict physical Sc
lection. When Craige elbowed his way
up TO Mr.. Carstairs, the PhiladeiphlaS
brawny Scotch chief engineer, through
crowd of husky 'longshoremen. who were
also looking for a job. the engineer looked
him over. then smiled and beckoned- In
a few words he learned who he was and
what he wanted.
AN athlete, eh?' said he. well, Wei
see if you can shovel coal"
For years Craige has been wanderer
In the out-Of-the-way places OF the earth.
Born and brought up in Philadelphia, at
square-rig2ed sailing ship for Savannah.
Thence he worked his way to New Or
leans on coasting steamer, and from
that place sailed down the Texas and
Mexican coasts in a trading schooner and
made his way inland to the eastern ranges
of the Sierra Madre mountains and up
there to the American border, working at
different times on ranches and in silver
mines. Since then he has Travelled north
to Labrador and west as far as the Mis-
siSsippi.
When the notification Of his appoint
on the supplementary list to the Olympic
pared for a trip abroad. but resolved to
go nevertheless. The position as stoker
was the only one which offered him the
desired opportunity. so he took it at once.
Last night, after he had secured the job
and paid his hotel bills and other ex-
penses. he had $4.35 left.
Rich or broke he said. and hunted
up a poolroom-and there are few left.
despite the anti-gambling law. Giving the
IS cents to the first beggar he met for
luck. he put his 81 on Kitty Wells II.
1OO-to-l shot in the first race at Sleeps
head Bay. For about a furlong Kitty
looked good. and he stood to win $500.
Then she blew up. and the 81 stayed In
the little cage. while Mr.. Cfaige lit his
last cigar and strolled out at the en-
trance, without a cent in his pockets,
with his thumbs in the armholes OF his
vest, as though he owned the place. This
morning found him hard at work at
o'clock helping to get up steam on the big
ship.