Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20
KETCHEL A GREAT FIGHTER
Has a Chance to Be Champion Of the
World.
SKETCH OF HIS YOUNG LIFE
Not az Years ola, hut Has ~Indulged
In More Than 800 Mills with one
Defeat-COnhdent He win
Beat johnson.

Ketchel be the champion fighter OF the
world7 VIII he be the first white man to
lower the colors OF the negro Jack John
son, present holder Of the title7 Sporting
men all over the world have heard Of the
remarkable young man who has battled
his way to fame and the worlds middle
weight championship. They are also dis
GUESSING his bold plan to win the highest
honors in the ring. They know that he
is Hon hearted, that he Is a natural pugilist
and one Of the greatest punchers the world
has ever produced. Two practical knock
outs over Jack o'Brien prove this.
Ketchel is a quiet, unassuming fellow,
with nothing of the %toughness and swag-
ger Characteristic Of the old-time bruisers,
When he has finished a hard days train
ing and gets into his light bath gown he
looks more like a clean cut college student
than q husky, fearless prize fighter. Ketch,
as his friends call him, is merely a good
natured big boy. full OF life and activity,
always ready to box. play base ball.. golf
or indulge in anything that means Open air
exercise. He wants to be on the Jump all
the time and his wonderful capacity for
work often tires out three or four trainers.
He's a Ftend at WOrk'
In his daily boxing bouts with his
sparrinE partners Ketchel is a fiend. Husky
Andy Walsh found him such a terror thai
he had to give up the job, and, min you
Walsh is a pretty tough man at fisticuffs
himself. Big Bob Armstrong, who stood
off JeffHes in q ten-round bout eleven
years ago, has his hands full boxing six
rounds with Ketchel. Armstrong knows the
manly art from A to 2 and is a hlgh class
boxer, but the way Ketchel tears into the
big colored fighter and smashes him around
the gymnasium is a caution. These bouts,
by the way, are no sparring affairs. The
are real fights. but Armstrong wears stom-
ach n chest protectors, which prevent
him from being ammere into bits.
Ketchel has been In steady training near
woodlawn for many weeks. Every morn
ing, rain or shine, he hops out Of bed at
o'clock and in half an hour he is on the
road for a brisk run or walk. He may
start off with a dash of two Of three
miles at a fast clip or may jog along at a
dog trot. II all depends on how he feels.
In an hour he is back at the training camp
where he takes a cold shower bath and a
good rub down. Then, in a few minutes,
he is ready for breakfast and he puts
away a big meal, too, for he generally has
an appetite like a wolf.
But after breakfast Ketch has no regu-
lar system of training. He just works at
anything that may suit his fancy. He may
play golf for a couple of hours, or ride
horseback for many miles. Then again he
may go out and play base ball until he is
sweating like a Marathon runner. But he
always reserves the afternoons for his
boxing and gymnasium work. In all his
exercises the Michigan Lion, who will fight
johnson in California next October, shows
boyish enthusiasm and abundant good
nature.
Ketchel has no advisor of chief trainer
to tell him when or how to exercise, for
he does not need one. Ke knows how ia
get in fine form and works 'away with
wonderful speed and vim. He is as strong
physically as an OK, but also has plenty OF
good, hard sense.
Born in Montana
81 was born at Butte, Mont, on Septem-
Der IA, 1887, said Ketchel the other day,
land not in Grand Rapids, Mich, In 1856.
as the record books have It. My father Is
a native Of Russia and my mother is Siav.
She was married when she was 10 years
old and I was her first child, born a year
after my parents marriage. My mothers
maiden name was Olbrisky and her mother
was a full blooded native Of Poland. ]
have three brothers living in Grand Rapids
with my parents and working for small
wages IN q furniture factory.
AFTER a little schooling at Grand Rapids
I went to work for "a a week polishing
furniture for the concern that employed
my father. AT the age OF IA 1 had worked
SO faithfully that 1 received the sam
salary as a man, But I began to be rest.
less, and as I wanted to see the world
went further west, working my way by
harvesting and picking hops. / had q lot
of hard experience during this roaming
trip. I became a COW puncher and learned
to ride like a dare devil with the rest Of
the boys. Then I went to mining hard roch
quartz until I finally struck Butte. my
native town, where 1 got a Job as bell boy
In a hotel.
His First Watch.
"One day a fellow named Mauric'
Thompson became disorderly in the hote
and I had to make good before the boss
so I threw Thompson out bodily. He wal
something OF a bully about town and
posed as a fighter. They raised a twenty
five-dollar purse and asked me II I would
meet Thompson for six rounds at th'
Casino theater. This coin looked big t.
me then and 1 quickly consented, but
didn't know / was up against a brace
game. They called the bout a draw afte
/ had almost annihilated the bully, ant
Of course 1 felt sore about 1t. But I began
to get wise right there. I was only /
years old at the time and was natural!
green at the fighting game.
"Oh, yes. I fought many battles through
r Montana before and after 1 met Thomp
son. though I never kept any record o
them. Some were with COW punchers
miners IND other fellows 1 ran up agains
during my travels. There were prObabl
$50 battles that were never included in m,
, ring record. I think my first fight wa
with a miner in Washington with bar
knuckles. 1t didn't last but two rounds
T as 1 knocked him out without nue.
trouble. / don't remember his name, bu
/ know he was a full grown man. while
, was only a boy.
Earning His Way.
= After my go with Thompson the man
. ager of the Casino gave me a job meetin
all corners at $40 a week. I used to answe
4 bells at the hotel all day n fight ever