The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-18
Al PLACER MAY Be
White MANS HOPE
Rise Of the Young Iowan
Has Been Very
Rapid

New York. March 1S.-From bus
driver to the position of most promi-
nent white hope" in the pugilistic
world is a long step. but it has been
an extremely short one for AL Palzer,
the aspirant who Is being groomed to
wear the crown which seems SO solid
~ lodged on the head of the black
champion. Jack Johnson. Only a lit
tie over three years. with not all of
that time spent in pugilistic endeavor,
would cover the period in which Pal
Ger has made such wonderful strides.
This young fighter who has come
out OF the west to battle for the great
est honors in the game Of fisticuffs has
just turned his twenty-fifth year. De-
coarh. a., claims him as its own. If
his GROWING achievement is the de-
feat Of johnson, Palzer will have
made the state of Iowa more famous
than his fellow-statesman, Frank
Gotch. worlds champion wrestler.
In the evolution of bus driver to
big part. There wasn't anything
greatly exciting in driving a pair Of
inags hitched to the st. Cloud hotel
bus in DEBORAH. Before that life was
equally dull to young Palzer, who
spent his time doing the work that
comes to n Iowa farmer boy. He
got up early in the morning to start
the daily work. and did not stay up
late at night: Between times he hand
ed himself three Squares" AS a re-
suit he aournished and grew to be a
6 feet 2 inches in his stocking feet,
and is a double century" plant.
In accordance with the other
growth Palzer acquired a huge pair
of feet. When driving the bus at De-
corah his friends dubbed him big
Foot" Palzer. The name stuck, and
1owans refuse to call him by any 9TH
er. Bus driving isn't likely to cause
mental unrest or great physical activi-
~. and Al got to leading a drowsy and
lazy existence.
what the future had in store for "Bie
Foot" in those days. He perhaps
would still be back there driving the
bus or doing something equally unim.
portant II he hadn't been found" II
SO happened that a newspaper writer
on a Sioux City paper. named O'Brien,
blew into DEBORAH n day. He dis
covered AL leaning up against the
state Bank building. and was attract.
ed by Palzer's size. The next mo.
ment he was talking to Big Foot"
Ever do any fghting?" he asked.
Nav, never did nothin'," was the
reply.
Halt an hour later Palzer was ovel
at the hotel being inspected by the
newspaper man, who with a critica,
eye said that he looked good"
Tho Wrestling Game.
But Palzsr didn't go in for fightine
right away. Taking O'Brien's advice
he started to get a few pointers or
wrestling. and went to Minneapolis TO,
q tryout at the mat game. He engag.
ed In a few bouts Of minor character
and then went to Des Moines, where
Under the name Of Gustavet he met
Ordeman, the Minneapolis grappler
The result was a draw, and SO over.
joyed was big Foot" that he started
out to find greater worlds to
He went to New York to find bis
game.
Landing in New York Palzer had
youth. strength. and q good physique
to boost him along, but nothing in the
fghttng line. He was awkward, and
the most astonishing thing about him
was that he thought the only thtne
ne could do was wrestle. He was alb.
solutely ignorant Of the fact that he
possessed nearly every essential from
which a good fighter could be model.
ed.
That New York was no place for
mat man Of Palzer's ability he soou
discovered. Then he needed the ad.
vice OF new made friends to take a
whirl at the fighting game. After
meager training he got on with a bic
negro named Jack McCardell at the
Sharkey A. G. Crude as he was, Big
Foot" licked the tar out of McCardell
knocking him down almost too often
to count. Once. when the negro was
hanging on the ropes, AL turned to his
seconds and asked: "Can 1 hit him
now?" That was evidence of how
much the big Iowan knew about the
game. He was just 90 years old then,
but the way he walloped his opponent
made some Of the ringsiders sit up and
pay attention.
Among those who sat UP was Tom
O'Rourke. the promoter and manager
OF lighters. Tom lost no time in TAX
ing Palzer into tow. O'Rourke saw
the making of a champion then, and
unless all signs fail his dream may
come true. for big Foot" has made
wonderful advancement in boxing.
and has little to remind one of his
awkwardness Of two years ago, The
tutoring he Is getting in New York is
fitting him to face the crucial test
some day. and already he has accom-
plished things. the mos important be-
Ing his disposal of AL Kaufman in iiR
time. which means five rounds. He
has met and beaten others of lesser
Importance. and is working, his a
toward the one objective point--Jack
johnson. But he is In no hurry and
can afford to wait a. little while long.
er, which he is doing.