Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-18

pleasure means today. AS an Illustration
We can 80 back to one Of the last battles
OF the turf under the old Londou rules,
that between Joe Gross OF England and
Paddy Ryan OF Troy, N. Y, for the
heavyweight championship of the world,
Nhich took place at Collier Station. w. Va.
on May 30. 1850. The New York sporting
men who undertook the hardship Of seeing
that mill spent at least 500 each, getting
to the scene OF action and returning home,
some OF them spending as much as $500
in this way. The meeting place Tor the
light fans on that occasion was Pittsburg,
Pa. where they were to be tipped off by
Stakeholder Charley Johnston OF Brooklyn
as TO the location OF the battle ground.
Try 10 Give ROwdIes the SLIP.
When the New Workers reached the
Smoky City they found a desperate gang
OF cutthroats and thugs armed to the teeth
waiting for the tip. The managers of the
mill then held a consultation and decided
for the sake OF safety 10 give this murder
Gus gang the slip by gettins away at night
TO some quiet, unknown spot. After hang
ing around Pittsburg a couple Of days,
therefore, the tip was given TO a selected
few to make their way to Steubenvile,
Ohio. After considerable lodging around
the MANAGERS and their friends finally
slipped out OF Pittsburg and were eating
a late supper at the leading hotel in Steu-
b~enville, at the same time congratulating
one another on avoiding the rowdy ele-
ment. when a freight train suddenly pulled
into town. the box cars being filled with
the tough gang from Smoketown bowling
like a pack Of wolves. They rushed into
the hotel and devoured all the food In
sight. A number OF hardy iron puddlers
| had Joined the gang on the way 10 Steu-
benville. These rough fellows had no
undershirts. their bare backs being covered
with light coats.
After looking the mob over carefully the
towns three constables took TO the WOODS
and remained there all night. There was
more real fighting in Steubenvile before
sunrise than the quiet town ha6 ever seen
before or since. II wasn't all fist fighting
either. for guns and knives we're used pro-
miscuously until The citizens called upon
the sheriff for protection. Before dawn
the managers Of the mill decided to leave
town Immediately. They secured a flat
bottomed and crossed the Ohic
river to West Virginia, How the tough mob
ever got across nobody will ever know, but
the thugs we're there just the same when
the managers and their friends landed. But
the managers hired carriages and wagons
in which they rode over the rocky noun
tains. arriving In a picturesque valley called
Golfers Station about $50 a. m. This was
a famous battle ground where many a hard
fight had been decided, also several fatal
duels.
Not TO n Denied.
A ring was soon pitched in the center OF
the valley and just as il was completed the
thugs and rowdies, 500 strong, arrive II
was the toughest crowd ever seen at a ring.
side. and when the sheriff and his hayseeo
deputies appeared and ordered the proceed
ings to stop a wild yell of defiance went up
The sheriff and his posse soon beat a re.
treat. The crooks and iron puddlers had a
few rough and tumble fights while waiting
for the principals to appear. Paddy Ryar
was first TO make his way to the ring, being
loudly cheered and the mob made him a no
favorite. one hour later Joe Goss showed
up ready for the mill. AS Goss was al
EnElishman he had few friends, although
he was extremely popular with the New
Workers., who were outnumbered twenty t
one. II they had made a demonstration FOL
Goss they probably would have been ami
hilated.
1t was a long. hard. cruel fight. LASTING
one hour and twenty-seven minutes, sixty
ner. He was severely cut up, while Goss
whose wind had given out, had scarcely 9
scratch. After the battle the mob made g
wild rush for a train that had been flasgeC