The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-06-17

IT KNOW JUST THE MAN you WANT"
SAID WHITE TO coRBETT.
heavyweight. a husky fellow named
Van Buskirk. formerly member of
the Olympic club and amateur cham
pion. but now q professional and we'll
thought of. One or two people told me
that Van Buskirk would eat me. but l
didn't think so. He was a big fellow
with shoulders that would have touch
ed each side Of a doorway. These
shoulders sloped up to his ears. leav-
Ing him without any neck worth men
t1oning. He had big blue eyes and
pulled his eyebrows up until his fore
head wrinkled. He stuck out his low
err lip and looked as savage as he could
when he talked about fighting. and his
head was so fat behind that his thick
neck bulged out beyond it.. If you
rolled a marble over Vans head from
front to back 1t would drop into his
collar. He had long arms like goril-
las and fists like hams. They thought
he was terror, and he thought so too.
We made the match.
l was very anxious to fight Van Bus
kirk and go after the next fellow. who
ever he might be. But here my luck
shifted. ! don't know whether 1t was
the change Of climate or some foolish
stunt or other. but anyway suddenly
went down with pneumonia. After a
hard siege Of 1t l found myself out on
the street. thin as rat and feeling so
weak that l could hardly walk.
month ut home for visit and a
hunting trip. and then. feeling so
strong and well that | couldn't stay
idle any longer. l went north again.
looking for trouble.
The first match l was offered was
with Jack Steiner Jack was fair
ly good heavyweight IN his time and a
fine fellow. He was big. strong
younGster who left firing locomo-
tive back east in Missouri and took up
fighting. He might have had better
luck in the ring If he hadn't attached
himself to Bob Fitzsimmons for sew
eral years as sparring partner. Fitz-
| simmons was rough man to work
with. He battered Stelzner up so
much that 1t took many good fight
out Of him. Steiner was in Carson
with Fitzsimmons. He was hard at
work. and the match fell through.
Just about this time a little thing
happened that changed my whole
fighting career. II l hadn't become
acquainted with Harry Corbett in San
Francisco l might have gone along for
years fighting second raters.
| Harry Corbett was one Of Jim Cor
|
boys in the Corbett family. all inter.
ested in sport In one way or another
Joe about that time was pitching for
| the Baltimore Orioles Jim Of course
was worlds champion and was about
to fight FitzsimmOns a championship
battle up In the Sagebrush State. Har
~ was no athlete. but Il good sport
| He owned cafe on Ellis street In
San Francisco and In the rear of the
large room had pool room. Harry
was known as an absolutely honest
sport. | never saw the day when
| would have hesitated over handing
him every dollar l had and simply tell
ing him I'd come back for 1t when II
wGs needed.
Naturally being the most prominent
sporting man In Frisco or IN the west
and being brother to Champion Jim
Corbett, Harry Corbett looked as big
as the president Of the United States
to me. So when one day he asked me
II I'd like to Join Jim at Carson and
work with him the idea hit me about
right. Harry sent for Billy Delaney
who was with Jim and had handled
him in the great fight with Sullivan al
lew Orleans. Delaney came from
Oakland, and Harry introduced us
Delaney looked me all over and then
In his dry way asked me If thought
l could stand hard work.
Because" he said. Jim is nerv
Gus sort of fellow and likes to drive
hard. He doesn't want any late sleep
ers In his camp"
"Well" said, II don't know about
Corbett. but no ironworker could evel
ret too hot pace for me-"
"And he's hard man to- work with.
Delaney went on. trying to throw
scare into me. you'll be lucky If hi
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