The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1911-08-07

saw this he shrieked: "l'll kill you
il YOU give the fight TO Petersen
But that was all part of his craft.
When Jimmy Britt was at his zen
it'll he always had Spider Kelly in
his corner Kelly always demanded
$500 for seconding man. and was
also particular of his clientele. When
Britt beat Young Corbett the honors
were won through kelly's skill. Cor
bett gave Jimmy a hard beating, but
Kelly would not let Britt stop and
kept him right on top OF Corbett
After the battle Referee Graney said
that he gave the decision to Britt on
points. claiming that Jimmy made
Cnrbett back up steadily.
Kelley excelled in the fact that he
knew whether his man was really
hurt when hit He would watch
every blow and could give a minute
description of every fight days after
it occurred. Again, he was past
master of knowing whether his man
could beat his rival easier with body
blows than swings to the head. All
told every fighter from the west
will back me in saying that Kelly
Is in a class by himself as second
That Kelly is thought so well OF
proves that lack of judgment is a
costly deficiency for fighter.
The Boston Globe publishes an in
terview with Edward A. Wilkie. in
which that gentleman takes occa
=. haDunSn he
spectacle. the competition. the ex-
element" are their essential eie-
ments Sports are not recuperative,
Mr. Wilkie asserts: they are exhaust
ing to the spectator and to the per
former. while the ethics OF sport
runs all the way from the ethics OF
war and the ethics Of business to the
ethics of gambling" Rather strange
", we think. he classes with the
cock fighting of Greece. the gladitor-
ial contests of Rome. the bullfghting
Of Spain and the boxing of England,
the baseball of the United States
Sports as exhibited on the football
and baseball fields in this country
are something more than Manifesto
tions of the normal human spirit of
play We are not quite so sure as
Mr. Wilkie that they are invariably
manifestations of the "robbing and
fighting instincts" But ii is certain
that they mean playing to win and
il is often difficult to keep the spirit
of emulation free OF the vices or
greed and malice. Participation in
well-conducted sports, both by the
PLAYERS and the observers - for the
observers do take a very real part
in them-is quite wholesome. For
masses il relieves the monOtony or
rountine existence. and the eX'
element is genuinely recuperative.
Men genuinely crave to have their
mental activities and emotions led
into fresh channels OF experience,
during which their nerves. relieved
of the customary wear, may rest ana
find repair The stimulus OF concen-
tration upon sports may not be so
noble as that derived from the en-
joyment of the fine arts and music
and the drama. but these are not
always within the means or the
comprehension of the masses. Reilef
in the sight of Out-Of-dOOr games,
whether amateur or professional, II
stripped f their worst features, Is
incCmparably better than relief
sought through the stimulus OF al
coholic drinks and vicious associates.
or course. the bull fighting, prize
fighting and gladiatOrial contests
to which Mr.. Wilkie alludes are not
sports in the sense in which base
ball and other popular forms OF
al hleiicS aye called sport.