The evening world., 1911-08-30
Famous Referee Tells How Dix.
on Started His Ring Career
and Of His First Bid for Popu.
larity in His Long Fight With
Cal Mccarthy.
George Dixon.
,CUpyight. 1911, BY the PreAs Publishing 70
TIN New York Wohd).

'o''''''As' III H. Nv +. ' H:.I f' w.d ssSsn'A''' Co.
w yHILE George Dixon was still a
NJ young boy his parents moved
w from Halifax. Nova Scotia, to
Boston. At the 81 Of twelve or thir-
teen the little colored boy secured m
ployment a. . messenger boy in q pho
tograph studio conducted by Elmer
Chickering In Boston. All Of the nota-
BILE fighters IN and around. B~oston-and
there we're many Of them In those days
came to Chickering's studio to be pho
tographsd. Young Dixon saw them all
and was frequently transported 10 the
one Of them say a word to him. He
could Give clever limitations Of most Of
them. On the walls Of the studio were
hung pictures OF John l. Sullivan. Peter
jackson. Charley Mitchell. Jake Kilrain.
Mike Donovan. Jack Dempsey and many
others. When no one was around to
observe him. the y%oungster would stand
before these photo apis and initiate as
best he could the fghting poses OF his
.favorite fighters. The ones before which
he spent the most time were the pic
lures of John L. Sullivan and Jack
Dempsey.
In trotting around to the newspaper
onices and the sporting clubs with
packages OF pictures Dixon came to
know all the sporting editors and fight
promoters in Boston. He lived in the
fighting atmosphere. In 1886 he went
back to Halifax for a short time, and
while there fought his irst ring bat
tie with a local boy called Young John
son. whom he knocked out In three
rounds. For this fight Dixon received
the munifcent sun of $3.50. After his
return to Boston Dixon Joined q little
athletic club at which he boxed fire.
quently.
Finally. after much coaxing and plead
ing with the managers of the fighting
clubs in Boston. Dixon got a chance
to show what he could do. He was
matched In q preliminary with Elias
Hamilton and fought him on Sept. l.
1887. at the Athenian Club. George got
the decision in eight rounds. The purse
vas $50. He made SUCH a good show
ing that he was given a match on Sept.
2s with Young Mack for a purse Of sci
before the same club. Dixon knocked
him out In three rounds. His next a
tie was on Jan. 2. 1855. with Jack Ly.
man.. a New York boy. for a purse OF
$50 before the Athenlan Club. which bou'
he won In five rounds. On Jan. 20 he wor
over Charley Pastor. an English feath'
erwoight. in six rounds for a purse o.
s75. and on February II he bested Bar
ney F1nnegdn In seven rounds for q
the Athenian club. as did also the one
on March 70 with Ned Morris for 6
purse Of So, which Dixon won in thre,
rouuds. In all Of tbese battles anal
gloves were used,
On March Il Dixon fought a fifteen
round draw before the Crib Club for &
purse of 800 with Paddy Kelly. 'IAttl,
Dixon weighed nlnety-three pounds anC
Kelly 116. 1t was at this fight that Ton
q O'Rourke. who afterward was Dixon
manag for a years. first saw tn,
Blanchard, the proprietor of a boxin,
club in Boston Ind author OF tn
Blanchard Fair Play Rules. O'Rourk'
was induced to take the management O
Dixon.
On April q Dixon fought an eight
round draw for a purse Of $b befor
the Athenian Club with Tom Doherty
Before the same club he battled' min
hard rounds to a draw with Tomm.
Kelly. the Harlem Spider" of Ney
York. Kelly weighed l6 pounds IN,
DIXON not more man ullty-nVS o
ninety-six. The purse was $3.50. an
Dixon was given SIS, He won owe
Jim Bracket Of Boston before a privat
ciub In Ave rounds and won sl3. The
came Hank Brennan. with whom n
fought three hard draws. one of -four
teen rounds before the Pelican Clu
on June q. n Of nine rounds on Dee
II end one Of fifteen rounds on Dec. q
both before the Athenian Club. Brenna
was one tough little Irishman and a.
ways rave Dixon a hard fght. II
weighed about los pounds.
Lost First Fight on a Foul
On Jan. q. 1889. Dixon bested his oil
opponent. Paddy Kelly. in ten round
bs6ors the Pelican Club for q purs
Of QN. Feb. a hs had Q ten-roun
drew n . private sxhtoedon With Fran