Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-01-17
MORE PALzER DOPE
County Boy "TOuted" by
New York Papers to Beat
johnson.
is A GIANT IN MEASUREMENT
The Story of How Palzer Got Into the
Wrestling and Then the Fight
ing Game, and What His
Chances Are.
of PalZer and Johnson

Johnson Palzer
6 TT. IA in. =. Height 6 TT. 2 in.
~ in. Reach. ..72 IA in.
II IA in. Neck -. IT in.
81 1-2 in. Chest, Normal "A IA in.
AZ ga in. Chest, expanded 40 IL in.
80 in. Waist. 81 in.
23 in. ........ &. Thigh 49,. 81 in.
15 in. 49,. Calf. =. .16 1-2 in.
16 in. ...... .Biceps. .13 "a in.
IA 1-2 in. -. Forearm. IL IA in
Johnson is thirty-four years of age
and Palzer is twenty-five.
Have you ever heard the story of
how AL. Palzer, "Bigfoot" as every
body hereabouts knows him, got in
to the fighting game?
Do you remember when he used to
drive the st. Cloud hotel bus, lazy
and indolent appearing, sleepy and
drowsy, with nothin' to do or think
of but his three meals per day and
few clothes to cover his back? Or
when he worked for Lew Anderson
in the feed stable? Whoever thought
then that he would become one of
world, within year or two. Well,
here's the story.
One day man named O'Brien,
who sometimes writes sporting news
for one of the Sioux City papers,
showed into Decorah, little dreaming
that he would be the discoverer OF
the champion pugilist of the world.
He happened to see "Bigfoot" stand
ing over by the Decorah State Bank
corner, and like pointer dog spot
ted him instantly" He went up to
him, looked him over and said, SAY,
big fellow, you look to me like you
would make prize fighter. Ever do
any fightin'?' Nav, never did
nothin'," replied Palzer. Come over
to the hotel, let's have look at
you," said O'Brien. Palzer stripped,
O'Brien went over him carefully, and
then told him to get busy.
Palzer went up to Minneapolis,
where he stayed around little, and
got into two or three wrestling
matches of minor character. Then
he went to Des Moines, where a
wrestling match was pulled off be-
tween him, under the name of Gusta-
vet, and Ordeman, of Minneapolis.
The match resulted in draw, after
which Palzer jumped straight to
New York. having caught the fever.
We will let the sporting editor OF
the New York World tell the rest OF
the story:
Its something of a jump even
nowadays from strong, husky farm
boy to a prominent white hope and
one of the most likely candidates for
the heavy weight title, but such has
been the experience of Alfred Palzel
in trifle more than year. Palzer
has had TO literally fight his way
from the farm to the ring. He left
his home in Iowa without any knowl'
edge of boxing and came to New
York with the wrestling bee buzzins
in his bonnet.
Palzer was big, awkward lac
when he came to New York last win
ter. HIS chief assets were strength
and a physique that could endure
any amount of punishment. But the
most astonishing Thing was that ht
did not realize that he possess e(
those essentials.
Palzer was little more than TWEEN
ty-three years old when he stripped
for his first fray. He had learned tt
wrestle little, and as he had easil.
thrown the farmers of his neighbor
hood, he thought New York was
place where he could get rich quick
But he soon found there were man,
thorns in the wrestling game. s.
| - oh
boxing game. He did not know tn
first thing about boxing, but he con
sented to enter the professiona
ranks with Jack McCardell, bi
negro, at the Sharkey A. c.
This was Palzer's opening wedg
into the fighting game. 1t was tn
showing that he made on that oc
casion that attracted the attention Q
many fight fans, among them tn
writer and Tom O'Rourke. Palze
was so awkward in the ring an
knew so little about boxing that hi
actions caused the spectators t
laugh at him. But the wallop tina
he managed to send over was so har
that it commanded respect. And
was his ability to hit that cause
everybody at the ringside to sit II
and take notice of this young giaI
from the west.
During the bout, which only Taste
a few rounds, Palzer repeatedl
knocked McCardell down. McCarde
was game, but was an easy victii
for Palzer. While he was hangin
on the ropes Palzer knew so littl
about the game that he turned to n
seconds and asked: Can l hit hi
now?"
After Palzer jumped from the rim
men crowded around him and aske
him how long he had been fightinl
This is my first fight" he said, an
with the honesty Of big boy adde's
"you see i don't know much abo'
the game. think | would have dor
much better only | did not wet
: bandages on my hands, and brol
the knuckle of my left hand In Il
second round when hit McCarde
Inn tho hoad - That injured laI