Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-28

either amateur or professional His
gymnasium was quite a resort, and
there never was any lack Of amuse-
ment with novices, smuggling heavy
weights and men who had already
made their mark.
Foley had a curious way of master
ing them and was looked upon as a
father. His prestige was wonderful.
and any one who was taught by him
and spared at his place was respect
ed, or rather feared. The Larrikins
(hold-up toughs). who go about in
bands Of from a dozen, to twenty in
Sydney and Melbourne feared Foley
and any one who was known to be a
Foley man.
1 am quite sure that Larry and a
choice little band could have cleared
the streets and the outlying suburbs
most effectually. For one thing, Larry
although a most respectable citizen
himself, perhaps would have obtained
far more information than the police
and this Is said in no way disparaging-
ly concerning the intelligence OF the
force.
Larrikinism was a terrible scourge
at one time until four Of the ruffians
Of band OF eighteen who perpetrated
terrible outrages. do not wish to
enter into gruesome details. but they
were light in weight-that quartet
and did not die quickly. am men
tioning this because Foley did q good
deal Of unconscious work to stamp out
this ruff1anism.
Larry Foley was taught boxing by Jim
Mace, who at one time had boxing room
attached to his hotel in Sydney. The long
rn<,1 II A. D,.p
he was able to teach even better than
Mace-much a. a son Of the great Sims
Reeves, the wonderful English tenor Of q
past generation, was acknowledged to be
Tar better instructor than his father.
Foley turned out Peter Jackson, Fitzsim-
| mons, Slavin and many others. It was
| he who gave the sendon to Jackson when
the colored man went from Australia to
San Francisco. A lot Of his other men
| came to America, too. including Young
Critic.
Nearly all Of them had q new style. As
| has been generally acknowledged. II was
Mace's art transmitted through and pol
| iShed UP by Foley to pupils who could
grasp the significance OF everything. II
was these men who taught so much to
America Boxing certainly would not
| have been Of the high standard which II
| is today but for that Australian adapta-
ton of the English style.
One does not wish to pass over those
| 3
| Fftzsimmons and all the others Of diff
ferent weights instructed many, both in
| dividually. and demonstrated this art II
public. All honor. therefore. to Jim Mace
who did SO much.
Incidentally, I was much interested II
| the cutting from an eastern paper which
appeared some time ago concerning jim
Mace's son. It was to the effect that III
turned evangelist and I read that he pre-
| sided at q revival meeting and made q
great impression by his clear and straigh
| way Of talking. It was NEWS to me. fo
was not aware what had become OF tn
champions son.
Australia, as have mentioned. hal
been the nursery Of many fighters. and
somehow the country has infused extra
ordinary spirit into them. Battling ha:
become a strong characteristic OF the PEG
pie. They are keen sport lovers and hav'
done excellent work in time OF war. Box
ing always will be popular and the pro
moters have q wonderful field. Not only
that but there has been any amount o
material to recruit the ranks of the ex
ponents Of the art
Australia Is not slow in recognizing
what II owes to the MAce-Foley combina
ton, and America also can pay homage