The San Francisco call., 1913-07-27

1873. Green, who is now in his forty
first year. is boxing instructor in the
Olympic club. and has forgotten none OF
his oldtime cleverness and fine points
Of the game George has been out of
the ring limeHght many years. but when
he was there the spot was right on him
Like many other boxers produced by
San Francisco Green was a star in his
cIass-the welter weight. He was ever
willing to fight. and the matter of a few
pounds failed to stop him. He was
never known to quibble, and this is
illustrated in his battles with Tommy
Tracy and Dan Creedon.
BEAT THEM BOTH
When Green met Tracy that splendid
athlete was under the managerial wing
Of the late Colonel John y. Hopkins OF
theatrical 10. 20 so fame. Dan Creedon
Tracy's foster brother was also in the
Hopkins string. Tracy was a welter.
and a good one, while Creedon classed
as middle weight and was really a
light heavy weight.
simmons in the Olympic club. New Or
leans. found it so difficult to make the
then weight-15S pounds-that he had
Tom Mcnamara, the st. Louis shoe
maker who made all of John l. Sulli-
vans lighting shoes make him a pair
that weighed ounces. Clad only in a
silk cIout and the aimsy shoes. Cree
don tipped the beam at exactly 15S and
had not had a drink of water in -
hours
Green defeated Tracy, and Honkins
declared that Tommy was too small for
Green and that the latter should meet
such men as Creedon.
suits me-" said Green (hts favorite
expression). the men were matched and
Green won.
RESTORED BOXING HERE
To George Green may be accorded the
credit for the revival of boxing in San
Francisco after the unfortunate Dal
Hawkins Miller tragedy. For a few
years after the death of Miller there
had been no boxing in San Francisco.
Even theatrical boxers were not per-
mitted to spar in their acts without
special sanction from the chief of
police
The first fight attempted to be pulled
on-along in 1S92-was between Green
and Danny Needham. 1t was stopped.
Four years later Green and Needham
met in the first battle under existing
fight conditions. Green won in eight
rounds.
JACK DEMPSEY'S BENEFIT
The way the revival Of boxing was
brought about was upon a suggesio
that benefit be given for Jack Demp-
sey, who was in need. George Green
was one of the committee appointed to
arrange for the Dempsey benefit.
Some one suggested that four round
boxing bout would prove a feature that
would pack the house and yield hand
some sum for the gallant nonpareil. 1t
was up to Green to arrange for it.
Green's next door neighbor at that
time was Jim Groom. who had consid-
cradle influence and wide circle OF
friends. Groom got from the super
visors a permit for four round box
ing bout.
The house was packed and evezything g
moved so smoothly that boxiag again
came into public favor.
GREEN AND NEEDHAM
The Olympic club at that time saw a
chance to put a little money into the
treasury and sought to arrange a battle
between Green and Danny Needham.
Green was willing and Needham said
all right, but the Olympics would not
meet Green's terms. Green told them
that another club about to be started
in San Francisco would do better, and
the olympics, thinking Green was bluff
fng, told him to box for the other club.
George again saw his friend Groom.
who went ahead and arranged for the
match.
Out Of this incident grew the forma-
tion OF the National club, before whom
Needham and Green battled.
Groom and Gibbs were practically
the club.
The event was success and opened
the way for general boxing.
LITTLE JIM FUND
Groom called upon Mrs de Young,
who q t that time was patroness of the
little Jim hospital fund, and proffered
q percentage of the receipts for the
hospital The offer was accepted and
a neat sum went to charity.
For years after that every flight ar
ranged gave some money TO some char
ita ble cause The Balboa Boulevard
club was one of the charities receiving
a share of the boxing proceeds, its por-
tion being 10 per cent.
This was during the hard times. and
the boulevard project had afforded
bread and butter money to many a
poor workingman who might have
found it difficult otherwise to provide
for his family.
sport, which had been so sorely hurt
by the Hawkins Miller tragedy.
couple of years later the legislature
passed bill legalizing boxing.
GREEN'S RING CAREER
George Green was the original
Young Corbett," he having taken that
title because OF his admiration for
James ]. Corbett, who was boxing in
structor of the Olympic club when
Young Green became a member of that
splendid athletic organization.
Green came of an excellent San
Francisco family. his parents being
possessed of an ample share of worldly
goods, and young Green was given q
liberal education in order to fit him
for place in the social circles of his
native city. Santa Clara college was
where he did most of his work along
educational lines.
AS a youth young Green was an