The sun., 1909-02-21
Big MAN AT A DISADVANTAGE
WHEN HE GETS INTO 4 ROW
WITH 4 LITTLE MAN.
Popular sympathy Against Him From the
start-Crowd Always Ready TO Jump
In 10 Help the little Man-smaii Men
VINO Garry Chips on Their shoulders.

Popular sympathy Against Him From the
start-CrOwd Always Ready TO Jump
In 10 Help the little Man-Smali Men
Who Garry Chips Oh Their shoulders.
Said the aggressive, undersized. physi-
cally undeveloped man to the easy
going, big. athletic man:
'Must be a fine thing to be big husky
lummox like you. II had your shoulders
wouldn't take anybody's back talk
"Oh. you wouldn't, eh2' replied the big
man. well. that's where you and all
the rest Of the shrimps entertain mis-
taken idea. In tho common run Of fights
or mixups "a big man hasn't as good a
chance for an even break as a snipe like
you"
'Show me- said the small man in
oredulously. ...
Easiest thing in the world" said the
big man. Il don't mean, of course. that
in "a regular fair stand up fight the
trained big man doesn't win from the
small undeveloped man.
I'm talking about the involuntary
scraps in which the big man and I he little
man become involved. In all such af-
fairs the little man has the bggest kind
of a shade on the big chap.
Now, | don't know whether you We
noticed it or not, but Il big man who looks
as il he might have had athletic training
always is unpopular with the average
bunch of unlocking men when he gets
mixed up in a row in public place. The
average bunch Of men want to see the big
fellow licked.
80 from the beginning of the show
which eventuatCs in a scrap the big
rugged fellow is at a decided disadvantage
30 far us the sympathies Of the crowd are
cUnOe rned
The big man. no matter what the
provocation and no matter how out
rageously the small man may abuse him
with Lis tongue is debarred by several
considerations from hitting the small
man. Knowing the little fellow 10 he so
enormously his inferior physically, he
feels that il would be a sin and shame
for him to haul of and paste him, and so
he has to stand there and permit the small
man TO throw dirt on him before every
body, and ho il in a way of speakin g
powerless 10 resent the abuse.
If the big man, losing his temper, does
reach out and hand the little fellow a jolt !,
why. in nine cases out Of ten he's in bad
right then and there. He's hopped by
the onlookers. All Of them scramble TO
take the part VI the little fellow.
Then follows very often an all hands
around melee ia which the big man, not
being able for all his bigness to lick the
whole population is bound 10 find himself
ls,ga l.A he phnl 10
idea oil the crowd is to down the big fellow
who is picking on the little man, and while
swsyed by what they consider this vir-
tuous frenzy for the under dog, as they
term IT,, they're entirely ready TO murder
tho big husky man II necessary.
Now from the big mans point OF view
the mesneSt part OF the situation Is that
small men are thoroughly aware OF the
edge which they possess and work that
edge right down to the handle. They
know that no matter how loosely they may
use their tongues when they get mixed
up in chaw with big man he isn't likely
to resent it by hitting them. They fully
understand that their very smallness
renders them virtually immune from
attack by big men and that in case the
big man is foolish enough to hit them the
onlookeps are going to be with them from
soup 20 nuts. It's because they know they
uation that small men are-so cooky.
1T took ME long time TO pick up all
of this wisdom, and I've got n scar or two
/ to show for my acquisition OF my wisdom
at that. | was always more or less wary
Of a Tunt, but there was time when !
didn't have myself under such good con-
troll as have now. and that's why came
out at the little end OF the horn in several
runins with small men,
Il was boarding an elevated train at
the Battery one afternoon nine or ten
years ago when a runt OF a man with a
bristly mustache and a very cocky and
defiant air, in Jostllng past me to beat
me to a seat. grounI his heel squarely
and mighty painfully on the Toes Of one
of my feet. Now in case like that was
! going TO smother any Groan that came
inVoluntarlly to my throat, keep my
tongue betW cen my teeth and stick out
my other foot for the little man to step
ON with all his might in view Of the fact
that his stepping on me was needless
and was caused by his hoggish desire To
get into the car before his due and proper
moment 10 get in had come alongp
Well | didn't look at il that way. All
the same | didn't behave 80 badly All
that | said, in the misery Of my ground
toes. was: Say, look a-here, you sawed
of, what the devil are you doing?'
Now he knew perfectly well that he'd
planted his heel on my toes although he
hadn't offered so much as a word of
apology for doing it, but the instant |
said that he wheeled around in the aisle
where he was just making ready to pop
into seat, and yapped at me;
who the devn are you calling a sawed
oT?'
Seeing him so Internally unrepentsnt
made me pretty sore, and | handed the
sawed-oh thing right back at him. II
10 known as much about little men and
their defenders then as ! do now Id
hever have done IL; but l did, and |
took the consequences,
The Cocky runt opened up a food of
tongue rdpS on the such as I'd never
listened 10 before m my lie from a man
of any size or shape. / was big stiff, q
piece of cheese, "A big dub, a lubl,er, "A
Clomping mutt and whole passel of
things like that, and all the time the little
man was calling Inc these things he was
sneakuy glancing around at the other
men in the car out Of the tail Of his eye
lo see II he was getting away with 1t so
far aS their opinion was concerned. Their
proving glances told him plainly that
h was getting away With IT all right.
so Juere was | IN a deuce OF a pre-
diCament. | was standing up in the
aisle, the hull six foot two Of me, and the
little chap. who was about five feei three
was sticking his chops right up TO my
face and singing out those names al me
simply couldn't and wouldn't stand his
line Of conversation, and, yet l couldn't
fetch myself 20 the point bf stalking him
10 a slap in the Teeth.