The San Francisco call., 1913-08-10
COLOR LINE NOT
CLOSELY DRAWN
IN PRIZE FIGHTS
Langford Incident Provides
Text for Comments on
Ring Battles Between
Whites and Blacks


was willing to fight black or white
man for a modest purse.
Tommy now declares that he has
drawn the color line for his protege.
Arthur Pelkey, and that under no cir
cum stances" will he consent 10 Pelkey
doing battle with negro pugilist-
Tommy cites his own experience with
Jack Johnson. when he was abused be-
cause he wouldn't fight Johnson. and
after he had fought him and lost was
lampooned because he had given the
black a chance 10 win the champion
ship.
How about the days back in Tacoma,
Wash. when Noah Brusso. now known
as Tommy Burns was under the pro-
fecting wing OF George Shredder In
those days Tommy would have fought
"a negro, Siwash. Chinaman or
South Sea islander for SO and split the
purse with George.
AFRAID OF LANGFORD
Might as well tell the truth: The
white hopes, including Pelkey. are
afraid OF Sam Langford- They know
his ability and respect it, 1t isn't his
color Oh. no. II he were red instead
of black it would be just the same
then 1T would be objection TO fighting
an Indian.
Charley Miller of San Francisco is
entitled TO much credit for his willing
ness to take on the Boston tar baby,
even for four rounds. for Miller must
have known that four rounds would be
enough for Langford If the smoke was
working.
Langford was not barred because of
his color 1t was feared that he might
hurt the boxing game by knocking
Miller cold. as he did Flynn Why not
say SO?
BLACK AND WHITE
This is not intended as a defense of
mixing coIors in the prize ring Per
haps it would be better to segregate
them But to draw the color line
when black boxer Is a good one. and
at the same time put on meal ticket
black lighters next time. is somewhat
of trayesty-
And Ii is also joke TO listen TO
Tommy Burns dilate upon the evils of
matching white hopes with black GER
tainties-such as Sam Langford- That
I.angford is PeIkey's master in the ring
is the belief of large majority OF fol-
lowers of the game.
Give the Boston tar baby his due
He is a great fighter
SOME RING HISTORY
Away back in 1910 Tom Cribb. the
idol OF the oldtime English ring. de-
feated Tom Molineux. the great Amer
lean black boxer in 40 rounds One
year later Cribb again beat Molineux.
in II rounds. and 10000 people wit
messed the battle between white and
black
But enough of long ago Coming
down to more recent times:
John 1. Sullivan. who often declared
he would not f9ht a negro. met and
beat George Ga1frev. in Boston. be-
cause he had beeh taunted with reports
that he was afrUd of Godfrey.
Bob Fitzsimmons fought the Black
ored boxers. including Jack johnson
CORBETT AND JACKSON
James j. Corbett got his first real
glimpse of fame BY his battle with
Peter Jackson.
Jim Jeffrfes fought Peter Jackson,
Bob Armstrong. Hank Grifin and Jack
Johnson
Tommy Ryan-he of tonsilitis fame
met in the ring Frank Craig, the Har-
lem Coffee Cooler"
Stanley Ketchel fought Jack johnson
and Sam Langford-
Jack (Twin) Sullivan met in the ring
| the big black. Joe Jeanette
Jimmy Barry fought Sam Langford,
Sam Mcyey. Joe Jeanette and other
lcolored boxers.
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. Bat Nell
son. Joe Choynski. Marvin Hart, Jim
Flynn. Bill Lang. AL Kaufman. Jimmy
Britt, Tommy Tracy. Jack Skeily. Joe
IMcAuliffe. Patsy Cardin. Jack Ashton.
Joe Goddard and a host of the most
prominent fighters have engaged in
ring encounters with blacks.
All the white feather weights of his
day fought George Dixon. colored. and
all the white lightweights fought Joe
Cans.
The way 10 draw the line is TO draw
it taut-either not dodge the dangerous
smokes" or cut out all contests be-
tween black and white boxers and let
the blacks fight among themselves and
the whites the same
lINSTNCERITY A HANDICAP
There is NOTHING that will so quickly
queer any sport as insincerity. In the
immortal words OF Lincoln: You can
fool some of the people all the time.
all of the people some of the time, but
you can not fool all the people all the
time"
sued in stopping the proposed bout be-
tween Miller and Langford. for there
was danger of the Boston tar baby
treating the big carman very rudeIy.
But the bluff Of the color line" was a
Joke, and did not fool all the people
all the time.
FADING GLORY OF RING
No matter what may be said about
the @old fogeys' who prate of past
glories OF the ring it has not been
so many years since there were fight
ers who would tackle anything in the
shape of a man from a white hope TO
gorilla, and without demanding a
fortune for doing II.
We are progressive The horseless
carriage has supplanted the good old
steed and brougham- The telephone has
brought humanity IN closer touch We
wear better clothes. eat better food
fperhaps) and our boxers demand more
money for 90 rounds with pillows than
many of the oIdtimers OF the ring ever
dreamed OF getting during lifetime.
with ! battle : week with bare
knuckles-
And some day there viii be a change.
And the nghting game will 90 on just
the same And there will be better
nghting. and more glory and less vau-
deviiie-
expected by local enthusiasts 10 win
- hraaI