The San Francisco call., 1913-08-17
LITTLE CHOCOLATE
GREATEST BOXER
Of OLD FEATHERS
For Ten Years the Worlds
Champion, George Dixon
Died Poor and Was
Buried by Friends

weight fighters. and it was through a
yelling of affection that the great pub
lie called him Little Chocolate"
Everybody liked George Dixon-even
the men he defeated in the ring. He /
was a dark skinned boy. but clear
white inside. His generosity TO all
others. open handed, undiscriminatins
generosity. was his greatest fault Be
cause Of that he died poor, with neither
house nor home. with hardly clothes
enough to cover his back. and was
buried by strangers.
The career of Dixon. a worlds cham
pion through 10 hard fighting years.
might point a hundred morals. But !
shall leave you to draw them for your
selves when YOU have read his story.
Away back in 1889 Tom O'Rourke
went with a friend. Mr.. Blanchard. TO
see some bouts in club IN Cambridge.
At that time ORourke was proprietor
OF a cafe In Cambridge. near the navy
yard. He weighed about lao pounds
and was known locally as an oarsman.
He dabbled in athletics and kept
gymnasium, where he trained some
what Indifferent stable" OF boxers.
on this night I speak of Mr.. O'Rourke
and Mr.. Blanchard were sitting at the
ringside, a llH&e bored Suddenly both
sat up and began to take notice In
the ring was a husky white boy an
swering 10 the old fighting name of
Kelly. Against him was a small lchoco
late coiored Nova Scotia negro. George
Dixon. Kelly rushed and thrashed
about with both arms. The small negro
shifted his feet a little. met each rush
with sharp, stinging jabs and was mas
ter OF the situation in spite OF the fact
that a blow in the first round had COM
pIetely closed one OF his eyes. He
= t. 80 ha1Sfre~
the right, arm doubled against his side
as II It were glued there. But the left
was enough. AS Kelly began TO stag
ger hack O'Rourke leaned toward his
friend and whispered excitedly: My
goodness. that would be a great little
boy. If he was only taught" In the
fifth round Dixon knocked Kelly out.
Iuquiring around, O'Rourke learned
that Dixon lived In Cambridge and
worked IN a photographers gallery.
.D-RoURKE FINDS HIN
Next morning destiny. in the person
Of Tom O'Rourke. went down into the
dusky district looking for little darky
whose future was to interest the whole
world Turning into narrow alley,
O'Rourke perceived big. stout woman
leaning from an open window Seeing
no one else around. he asked IL the
lsdy at the window happened TO have
aeard of a little negro named Dixon.
He lives right here" said she.
Tell him TO come over and see Tom
0'Rourke" said that gentleman, turn
lng. on his heel.
That night after work Dixon sidled
Into O'Rourke's.
II saw you fight last night" said
O,Rourke. I'm thinking OF takiT-g
hofd of you and giving you a chance.
What about it?'
=: s'Mr. o'Rourke,'' said Dixon. IF you'll
handle me I'll fight anybody in the
world.'
GETS A MANAGER
without any further ceremony
O'Rourke assumed charge of Little
Chocolates future. I wonder what he
would have thought had some one
1,hispered that the small darky in
the worlds most famous champions.
snxincible in his time, and that under
0.Rourke's mana cement George Dixon
was to- roll up a fortune OF more than
100000 No one whispered it.
ORourke. peeling off his coat. took
Dixon into the small gymnasium and
for an hour showed him how to move
about. block and shoot across the right
eSm that had been glued to his side.
And YOU can believe me-" says
O:Rourke, in telling of 1t. IT found that
little Dixon could hit I was sore
good and sore-when 1t was over"
BEGINS CAREER
It was some months after this
months spent IN constant training and
coaching-when Dixon was sent in to
begin his fighting career. He knew
more now. His right hand was as good
as his left. He had developed remark
able skill. II was in him to be a mar
xeIous boxer and marvellous fighter as
we'll He won a few small fights and
then was matched with Eugene Horn
bacher, who had given champion Cal
NcCarty a hard fight. McCarty was in
Hornbacher's corner. Like many fights
in. those days. this was 10 a finish, with
two ounce gloves. The finish came
soon. IN round and half Little
Chocolate worked Hornbacher into his
own corner and knocked him out so
neatly that he almost fell into Cal
McCartyfs arms Looking down at
McCarty. Dixon said, You come in here
now and I'll do the same to you. A
match was made on the spot, but 1T
was nearly a year later that Dixon met
the champion. While waiting he went
to London and knocked out Nunc Wal
lace, bantam champion of England, in
is rounds and fought few other bouts
MccARTY,s PROwEss
Dixon didn't become champion in
that first fight McCarty was one of
the. best little men in the ring, and
fhey fought desperately for more
than four hours. In the SEVENTEEN
round McCartys seconds proposed to
o'Rourke that they stop Ii and call it
1 draw, and he agreed, for in the last
~ rounds Little Chocolates legs had
been so stiffened with cramps that he
had to stand in his corner between
rounds. being unable to sit down. There
never was any quit" In Little Choco-
late The yellow in his skin was all
on the outside. Although lighting for
the bantam title he weighed only sc
pounds In none of his fights al this
stage did he scale more than 1o3 or 104.
DIXON TAKES TITLE
Tt was in Troy a year later that
Dixon met McCarty again and took
the title from him at last. Dixon
weighed 1913 pounds then. Jack Nc
AuIfffe and Billy Madden seconded the
champion. In the third round Dixon
knocked McCarty down and practically
out. His seconds jumped into the
ring and lifted him up There was con-
fusion. and when the ring was cleared
McCarty was on his feet. Let 1t go
IN. said Referee Jere Dunn. Dixon
had broken his little finger IN deliver
ing the punch. but he made no COM
pIainf The fight went on. IT was
desperately contested to the end, and