The San Francisco call., 1909-03-22
SULLIVAN FLAY S
PRESENT DAY
FIGHTERS
Old Warh0rse Declares Modern
Glove WieIders and Com
gressmen Are Similar

The audience at the Empire theater
yesterday which expected to see in the
sparring bout of John l.. Sullivan and
Jake kilrain the usual dainty and lady
IKE exhibitions of modern fighters on
the stage were delightfully."- surprised
to observe the two old fellows sail into
each other with vim and energy
totally unexpected.
This feature of the bill was. of
course. accompanied by all the tricks
of the trade which an audience is sun
posed to like. Frank Hall. the an
nouncer, carrying as many diamonds
as jewelry store window gave the
usual eulogiums, the orchestra struck
up medley of Irish airs, an Irish flag.
supported by the stars and stripes,
Hoated down from the lofts and the
other
Neither of us mind a punch or two
N n the race, said the big fellow after
many in our lives. and, as both 10Th us us
fgure that we are lit enough to stand
a little walloping for three short
rounds. we let her go.
old school which fought with bare
hnuckies under any old conditions,
winner take. ALL
FIGHTING LIKE CONGRESS
I'll tell you how it is" said sulli-
van with an air of finality. the fight
ing game today is like the congress
game-the public has lost confidence in
notn; When a man squared up to fight
IN the Old days he was expected to
hght; when he became a congressman
he was expected to act as a congress-
man. There was no tomfoolery If he
Taxed he was thrown out. Now a man
easy money and a man goes into con-
sresS 10 DO the same thing.
fneres good hghter-that Roose-
yelt. He can take one wallop in the
face in order to give three back. He
cally."
How about Taft?" was asked
Il doubt if he's been properly
trained for the fight said Kilrain.
"Aw. He'll do" remarked Sullivan.
ne ne m had good enough trainer toward
From presidents, congressman and
senator's. Sullivan dropped back to
pugilism.
STILL IN GAME
Il am pretty fat and old myself. said
he. but L would be willing to tackle
any of these modern champions for
four rounds. They'd get me after that,
but in those four I'd give them run
of Johnson. II Jeffries can get into
condition he ought TO polish him off
easily, and If Jeff can not make it
there ought to be no difficulty in
Ketchel they say. has made a lot
of money and / think he needs a few
fortunes to carry him along with the
reputation he has earned for himself
| would not be in ketchefs place for all
the money in the mint
Who would be the man to fight
j Johnson? Why. Jeffries, of course
Whether he will or not no one can tell.
but it is hi"h time he quit bluffing and
came out one way or the other. But.
of course. that is all part of the
fighting game today. a man does not
fight because he wants to fight, but
because he needs the money. Thev
haggle over half pound of weight or
whether a man ought to use violet or
rose scents on his bandages The
nearest some of them come to a fight
is when they begin quarreling over the
amount of money they shall receive.
Then they get into ring and
charge fancy prices for seats and it is
likely as not that the fight is a false
and the public is bunkoed.
Don't think I'm trying to knock the
fighting game. 1t is a great game and
the public is going to support 1T if it is
played on the square. But already it
is falling away. Where do you find the
great enthusiasm which the old fights
aroused? Apart from a small section
of the sporting fraternity the public
does not care one way or the other
Here in California it is stronger than
anywhere else, but even here the public
is beginning to kick. l don't blame
them