The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-10-31
DANE TO RETIRE
IF FANS SAY So
Battling Nelson still Willing tc
Fight But Will Quit Game if
Followers So Elect.

We probably seen an end of the
fighting career of Battling Nelson, one
of the toughest and gamest men that
ever entered boxing ring. II Nelson
himself needed the lesson that Adj VOL
east taught aim IN MilNaukee the fight
fans certainly did not, tor most OF
them had ,oDne 20 the conclusion that
the Danes fighting days were long
since passed.
Yet su,h remarkable magnetism
has this old fellow for the followers OF
the lame that they turned out in
droves to greet him and wish him well,
knowing iuIi well that Bat couldn t
possibly have good battle left in that
tough old carcass of his. IL was piti-
full TO see him struggle along against
his younger and almost tou.hei OppO
nent
1t was Jack O'Bricn of Philadelphia,
who once said after looking at one OF
these murderous affairs that Nelson
used to put up that he considered game
ness of that type merely a form of
insanity. He WAS more than half right
about it, too. Everybody admres
gameness, but there are several forms
of it, and the helpless, blind kind that
forces man to permit an opponent to
make mincemeat of him certainly is
not particularly Illuminating for the
boxing game. Bats stamina was ad-
mirable when he was fighting his way
to the lightweight title. Now that he
is going down the other sidc of the hill
it is merely pitiable
When Nelson left the ring he stopped
where Jimmy Britt, who boxed him
four times, was sitting and chatted
with him for minute "ls this your
lastl'' the one time white lightweight
champion asked Nelson steadied him.
self, thought minute, and then with a
tinge of sadness in his voice answered:
If the public wants me to battle
again ] III do so, but not unless Then
he pressed on through the cheering
throng of admirers to his dressing room
and the attentions of his trainers. Mel.
son needed attention for he was bad
ly banged up veteran when the final
clatter of the gong came.
He has found that he doesn Z respond
to treatment as quickly as he used Ia
and this tip is the strongest that has
been given the old timer that he ism I
kid any longer and that he cannot
afford to take a kids chances against
the strong youngsters of the ring.
That Nelson has really made up his
mind to quit the fighting business and
go into something was evident from
the talk that he made after he got
dressed. 81 we got the check that rep.
resents my first earnings in the ring
he said, "and will take the check
get tonight and have them framed to-
gether for it is likely this will be the
last money ! ever will earn as a fighter
We been at IL since 1895, and guess
the public is well satisfied with my
work. SO / guess wen have to lei
1T 60 at that and be content after this
with ringside seat and watch the
younger men go to it,
The Dane is thirtyone years old and
has had ring career of close to seven
teen years. But he has lived longer
than that considering the vast amount
of punishment he has assimilated. Win
ming or losing, the Dane always got hi.
and doubtless has stood up under NOR,
harsh treatment than Joe Grim and the
rest of the human punching bags put
together. His appearance shows it ant
his ring work better than anything tell.
of the effects. He's only human aftei
all, and the human frame can stani
only SO much before it begins to droop