The Washington herald., 1912-12-23

San Francisco. Dec. 2S.-"Boys, I am
through with the ring for all time. When
a novice can stand me on my head in
two rounds, it's time to quit"
So spake AL Kaufman to his handlers
in his dressing room after he had been
so quickly disposed Of by White Hope
Luther McCarty.
The pity of it was that Kaufman was
not aware of the pugilistic wreck he had
become when he agreed to meet the big
Nebraskan. II looks indeed as though
a suspicion that he has refrigerated never
crossed the mind of a ring man whose
biggest asset is personal courage. To
consider ones self las good as ever
seems part of the vanity Of human ma
ture as expressed in fighters.
In Kaufman's case il is said that the
fellows who boxed with him in training
camp were not long in discovering that
Al. had nothing left. but it is a brave
sparring partner who will inform prin-
cipal he is all ii.'
And so Al. went into the ring with
McCarty. Likewise the spectators wit
messed one of the 'saddest sights Of the
Queensberry game, that OF a stout
hearted fellow, whose fighting talents
had deserted him, being mauled at will
by mere recruit.
This is no reflection on McCarty's abil
ity. He may be able to tneat other just
as he treated kaufman. He has the
whole world before him. in a pugilistic
sense, and will have ample opportunity
To show his true worth. The fact re-
mains that in defeating Kaufman he
defeated n man who had become a she'll
one who appeared to have forgotten
even the rudimentary t.ctics of defense.
As already stated II was a sad sight.
that is, for the members of the old guard
of fight patrons, and it turned thoughts
10 similar experiences in other contests.
So far Kaufman is concerned. SYM
pathy is not born OF the fact that he
has grown old in service. He is pre-
maturely aged through having endured
more i'll health than falls to tn" lot II
the average man. Sickness did for him
what years Of gruelling ring work did
for others in his line. II slackened his
sinews and Slapped his vitality and left
him nothing but his fighting spirit. and
possibly the knowledge that he had to
fight TO gain a little something OF the
worlds goods.
And If his is a piteous case, what about
others who can be mentioned? II is
notorious fact about pugilism that very
few men develop at the expense Of new
men. When the cry The King is dead:
long live the King" goes up, il is gen
orally found that the new King is a lusty
young fellow and the deposed monarch
n veteran who should have been living
on his Accommodations instead of making
maudlin ringside speeches about hav-
ing tried once too often. Such is the
history OF championship events from first
to last. but the most deplorable instances
of youth triumphing over age in Nthe
rOped arena have not been seen in bouts
where titles were at stake.
It's one OF the evils of pugilism that
men some times keep fighting long after
their heydey has departed. The reason
is easy to find. The money they made in
their prime has slipped through their
fingers and it's a case Of needs must
Take Fitzsimmons, for instance. Years
after ne should have been laid away he
Francisco. The poor Cornishman was
such a shadow that he collapsed in his
corner between rounds.
Years after that he faced Bill Lang in
Australia. One of the most depressing
photographs ever gazed upon, showed
the old lion. Fitzsimmons stretched on
the floor, while the referee counted the
seconds, and Lang, a man who has since
been defeated by almost everybody.
gazed supercllliously at the recumbent
veteran.
Peter Jackson's affair with Jim JEFF
fries was another pitiful example OF a
former world beater against a rising
young heavy weight, and another equally
narrowing spectacle was that OF Frank
SIavin. the Australian fire-eater slowed
up through years of carelessness, getting
battered around by Joe Butler. negro
pugilist at Old Woodwards Gardens in
this city.
As far as that goes, there were chances
at Reno that time for the kind COMPARE
sons that excite sympathy. The hope
that Jeffries might be able TO restore the
flower of fstic supremacy to the white
race added the judgment and caused
many to attach false values to things, |
but even when doping against hope one
only had to place a photo OF Jeff, as he
was then. beside one Of JEFF of six years
previous to note the havoc time had
worked. One picture showed a young
Hercules. the other a bald-headed, fab |
by-muscled man. with all the earmarks
OF middle age.
George Dixon was the saddcst OK |
ample of all in the matter OF fighting
long after the bodily strength and knowl- |