The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-08-03
Pugilism
Baseball!
Racing
HAS HAD
FINISH FIGHTS
Many Great Ring Battles Have
Been Fought in the Silver
State.
(By E. W. Smith.)


Chicago, Aug. $50 II Is TO be Ne
vada again after all. And every eye
in the sporting world may be turned
toward the Silver state on Labor day.
if Stanley Ketchel and Sam Langford
hook up in n finish battle for the mid
dleweight championship of the world,
battle that is liable TO emphasize the
present ring supremacy of the black
man.
Nevada ever has been the home of
pugilistic enterprises. Almost every
thing that ever happened in Nevada
ring, If not an actual surprise, was
matter of deep interest TO followers
of the ring. And this battle will be
no exception, for It is doubtful if a
contest Of more deep-seated interest
and wild-eyed excitement could be
framed up than a finish contest be-
tween the premier white and the
black terror.
Back in 1897. or perhaps a trifle
sooner-it probably was in the fall or
1S06-Dan Stuart widely known as
one of the richest and most powerful
of Americas sporting men, caused TO
be passed in the far western state
bill legalizing glove contests of un-
limited length. II was measure that
took nerve to father. but Dan had the
nerve and the money.
He also had motive, He was wild
TO become one of the worlds greatest
flstic impressarios. and TO that end
dreamed of untold wealth in the Silver
state when he would be able to have
practically monopoly of all the big
championship battles I'm the world
Dan also had an ambition, strong at
the time. He wanted to decide a bat
tie between Jim Corbett. then cham
pion of the world through his defeat
of John l.. Sullivan and Charley
Mitchell, then champion Of England
or claimant of the title, and Bob Fitz-
simmons. This WAS what was general
ly termed at the time as "the battle OF
the century, for the negotiations open
ing In 1906 and eliminating In 1907,
leading up to the fight. were full OF
unusual terms The men were match
ed in Mexico, again in Texas. and
finally were ~carted 10 Hot Springs.
Ark, where II was thought possible to
decide the struggle at Wilmington
Park.
Corbett arrived on the scene after
being chased out Of one state after an
other, but FitZsimmons did not appear,
and the cry went up that he was show
ing the white feather. He claimed
then that he was afraid to go to Ar
kansas because of the hostile attitude
of the authorities.
II was afterwards proved that Fitz-
-s-i,l 4 a.
no chance of deciding the contest at
Hot Springs. Stuart, in the meantime. !
having spent thousands Of dollars TO
decide the struggle. announced that
he had decided TO transfer it TO Car 1,
son City, New, and this was done,
March II, ,O07, being the date set for
the contest
For months and months the interest
was kept at fever heat and the battle
itself justified the interest, for a more
picturesque and sensational struggle
never was decided in any ring, FitZ- |
simmons won in the fourteenth round
after having the better of the milling
in the early stages, and Nevada waS
on the map for all time as a lighting :
center.
olDCG ludl ludIFtlDub CbultSl III lu'
valley that St Patrick's day there
have been many, many hard fights in
different parts of Nevada, and the !
strange glamour that surrounded the !
buildings seems TO have been carried :
over to the others. 1t is the only place
In the union that permits finish bat
ties of unlimited duration,
Ely is a mining camp, and as such T.
hopes to put on the map" and get
about $1,000,000 In fine gratis adyer-
Using through the medium of this !
great battle. Ely doubtless had min |
ing stocks TO sell and will sell much /
that Is bad and perhaps some that is
good to the strangers who will visit |
the place the first week in September |
Nobody seems 10 care how much ad- /
vertising Ely gets If the fight goes
through successfully. And as there Is
a purse of $4,000 hanging in the bal
ance, it looks as II the fighters Will
See TO II that there is no failure.
Last of all, let us hope that Ketchel
does not break any bones on the hard
skull of the black man. He will need
TO have more than he ever possessed
and have them in fine working trim J
when he faces this fellow