Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-07-27

Chicago Lightweight Says Blow
on Proboscis Started Him OFF.
FIRST BATTLE IN BOILER SHOP
After Receiving Sting on Nose Packy
Sailed Into His Opponent and Made
Him Quit-Received $3.50 For His
First Professional Fight.


Him Quit-Received $3.50 For His
First Professional Fight.
"When that big fellow in the boiler
shop yards in Chicago shot his fist
against my nos something stung me
and something told me right then that
/ was a prizefghter."
That's the way Packy Mcfarland
| says be started in the slam bang
game.
II tore into that negro" says Packy,
"and smashed my right and left hands
into his face so fast that he finally fell
fat on his back, while the boiler
makers who had gathered around be-
gan to yell. The negro-h1s name
was Fox-got up and come back at
me. We both had On gloves. The men
had seen to that. Well. when his
black face showed up again, I cracked
him four times or that same nose.
This time he went down for good. In
stead Of coming back at me Fox crawl
ed yer to n side and began trying
to take of his gloves" Now. right here
is where Packy claims the original
story got its start
You amt quittin', are your" said
one of the boilermakers in derision.
"Get back in there and fight"
NAV, sir-ee!" muttered Fox through
his swollen lips. Il amt gwine fight
no more. l tells you all right now dat
1 amt gwine fight no man what don't
scatter his blows"
Packy swears that it was that fight
with the negro boy in the boiler shop
that made him a professional pugilist.
He found out that it didn't pay to
scatter his blows.
! 1t was just five years ago that a lit
tie fellow called Packy by his desk
mates slipped away from school and
went to work in a boiler shop in Chi
cago IS an apprentice. He received
as salary the munifcent sum Of $40 a
week.
"They kept me busy" says the little
fighter. chasing around the place
after left handed monkey wrenches
and that sort of thing for two weeks.
and then l was promoted until l was
allowed to hold the hot iron while a
big fellow beat it with a hammer and
stung me with the sparks. Sometimes
they would let me use the hammer.
but l never was much of a hammer
thrower. and l used to spend a lot Of
my time toying with a set of boxing
gloves that were kept around the
place.
Fox, the colored boy, allowed one
day as how he could give me a trim.
ming, and when the whistle blew l al
lowed he couldn't. and we vent into
the back yard to have it out"
Packy Immediately thereafter con
ceived the idea that he was destined
to be a hero of the ring. threw up his
job and went in search of big money
you know l had to get home early
every night" he confided. land tell my
mother that l was still working. This
went along pretty good until the time
came to come in with the money. and
I wasn't there. The fighting game
wasn't declaring any large dividends.
and l had to beat it to my aunt's
house to keep my mother from know
ing that l was not working.
after hanging around the gymna-
Sums for another month | finally got
signed up for a preliminary fight with
Johnny West. l licked him just as |
did the negro. but even then the mon
ey wasn't coming any too strong. /
got $3.50 for the fight. and my man
ager took 81 30 of it. and he had q reg
ular job too