The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-16
is MAN OF
MANY HONORS

New York. Feb. 1G-There have
been few fighters like Tommy Ryan
few who lasted half AS long and few
er vet who had his speed and skill. He
was one in ten thousand, and when
he left h anne he left a gap that
hasn't yet been filled. Tommy fought
all over the land. beat men in every
district-and yet hardly ever fought
away from home.
Paradox? Imp%ossibility? Yes, and
yet true. just the same. Tommy
fought in twenty states and forty
cities and vet did three-fourth of his
boxing in his home town.
Twas strange and thoroughly orig
inal. this name in which Tommy
Ryan managed always to he the home
boy and the native idol. Whenever
returns. plenty of easy matches and
a population of enthusiastic fight fans,
Tom moved right in. rented Il house.
brought on his wife. and announced
that he would henceforth and forever
make that town his home. A little
later he would get a good chance in
some other city-and his home, his
dear old fireside, would be changed
again.
Started in Syracuse
Tommy started out at Syracuse and
s"' ~ ~ III AkSslli LIIc "
fans still know him. Fe moved over
to Detroit to fight somebody a year or
SO after he started in the game. and,
Just before hat fight the Detroit pa
pers announced that Tommy Ryan,
the clever Syracuse welterweight, is so
pleased with Detroit as a home city
that he will hereafter make his resi-
dence among u.s."
Fin stuff. and the next time Tom
fnrrOht t1a,> e-;l.
Ryan of Detroit" and all the Michi-
ganders chcered tremendously.
Then the game grew good in Chi
cago and it wasn't long before the
Chicago papers said that Tommy
Ryan. II of the cleverist men who
ever donned the gloves. has rented a
house on the west side and hereafter
will be II Chicago voter"
Loud APPLAUSE when Tommy Ryan
OF Chicago next Went on against
some poor mutt who hadn't the same
foresight and simply was called So
and So of Philadelphia.
A little later it was Tommy Ryan
af Kansas City" and the crowds were
all with their fellow citizen when he
fought various people in that metropo-
lis. Then it was Tommy Ryan of
Dubuque" the ambitious little Iowa
burg having arranged for a lot of
DONlns carnlValS. IL Tommy
Ryan of Denven'' two months later.
Westward the course of cmpire-and
of boXing-took its way and for al
most a whole summer II was Tommy
Ryan of San Francisco"
Ryan of Minneapolis
Then it was Tommy Ryan of Chi
cago'' again and Tommy Ryan of
Minneapolis" Thus 1t went from
year to veal until. grown old in the
game and signing for a quiet life. it
became Tommy Ryan of Benton
Harbor" and the fighter was q Michi-
gan peach grower.
Here he marketed fruit and also ran
a boxing club. But there wat some
old. old attraction about that town of
Syracuse; Mr.. Ryan once more slipped
his cables sold the peach farm, and
hted him back to the city whence he
had started more than twenty years
before. At last reports he was once
more Tommy Ryan of Syracuse" and
his pilgrimages possibly might be con-
sidered at nn end.
II never minded Mr.. Ryan's chang
ing homes no often" said Mrs. Ryan
one afternoon. for he never went
anywhere unless he made money by
going-but oh. goodness! it was tough
upon the furniture!"