Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26

enced men. and was so badly handi-
capped that he was knocked out once.
and thus had his reputation somewhat
furnished.
Backers of Terry McGovern. wanting
a fight for their champion, picked out
Young Corbett as likely victim Tor
the terrific little Irishman of that day.
McGovern held place in that day
such as no fighter in this country save
John L.. Sullivan had ever known.
He not only was great fighter. but
he had his opponents scared to death
before he snapped a punch with them.
Knowing his strength and his bulldog
style of fighting. they all feared him.
everybody. big and little. He was a
lion all over the country. and tine bet
ting would have been easily ten to one
against Corbett knocking him out had
anybody cared to risk any money on
the western boy.
But Corbett wasn't afraid. To him
McGovern was no different from any
other man. He was human. He could
be hurt, and so the quiet little Denver
boy went into the thunderbolt, one
were four minutes and forty-nine sec
onds of perhaps the fastest fighting
ever seen in the United States. and at
the end of it -McGovern. the wonder or
all the little fellows. was carried to his
corner helpless
The whole sporting public acclaimed
the boy who had been brave enough and
strong enough to stow away Terrible
Terry.
Young Corbett came to New York and
Broadway opened its doors for him. At
first he resisted fairly well. He fought
McGovern again and sealed MS nrst VIC
tory by another triumph.
Then it was New York again. He had
lots of money. There was nothing to stop
him. He did the Great White Way at
top speed.
The money he had went in no time.
and, wrose than that. he began to take
on weight. The plump little body couid
only be kept down by hard exercise and
ure-ioving little roly poly. He fought
again. but TO longer was he the old Cor
bett. Half a dozen men Knocked MIN
out. among them Battling Nelson.
Nelson Well-to-do.
Nelson had no foolish notions of losing
what he made in the ring. The present
champion is no splurger. He has real
estate in half dozen states. He has big
mining interests. and his income IS way
in advance of his outgo. Nobody will
ever see the Hegewisch boy in the bread
line. He learned the lesson of sense
from those who had gone before.
Fielder Jones, the Chicago outfielder,
Win business interests so Dig tnaI ne IeIt
justified in refusing ten-thousand-dol-
lar-a-year offer from Owner Comiskey in
order to take care of them, is another in
stance of the sporting idol who has been
too wise to turn his stream Of wealth
down the gutter.
In contrast is news item which only
lately went the rounds of the country
telling how Amos Rusie had just been
d scharged from prison after spending
time there for vagrancy.
Fifteen years ago Ruse was the great
est pitcher in the country. and II is said
to this day that no pitcher ever had as
much speed. But all he made was
squandered. and TODAY all. that remains
to him of his past greatness is the bitter
experience of comfort and happiness
thrown away.
Jack O'Brien has been oil the provident
type, far more SO than some OF the men
he whipped, for example. Joe Wolcott.
Tom Sharkey saved and IS independent.
The present holder of the title is a
spendthlift, and when his title goes he
will be in a position to follow In the
path of the foolish ones. Jack H. john
son fighting in preiiminaries is more than
a chance of the next five years.