The Detroit times., 1914-12-08
MIKE DONOVAN, RETIRED,
DOES NOT MOURN OLD DAYS
Battle-Scarred Veteran of Old
Days, Strong For New
Boxing Game
TELLS OF BARE kNUCKLE
FIGHTS OF THE LONG AGO
Famous Ring Tutor Given Nest
Egg and Told to Have Il
Good Time

NEW YORK, Dec S." Professor
Mike Donovan is enjoying the first
real rest he has had in over 80 years
The other night he retired as boxing
instructor OF the New York Athletic
club. and the youngsters OF that or
ganization sent him home TO take IL
easy after years OF hard work as the
clubs boxing tutor. with $4,000 in his
pocket as an evidence OF their ap-
probation.
He was found today in his little
home in the Bronx. Collarless, with
both feet sunk in Indian mocassins,
he was the picture OF rest and con-
tent. Ii didn't take long TO get
Young" Donovan started on his pet
theme. fisticufrs.
Its boxing now he began. with
a snap OF his solid old jaws We
used 10 kill ourselves hghting. You
don't see them battering each other
up as we did with bare knuckles. It's
impossible for two good men, in con
dition. TO hurt themselves in 10
rounds with big gloves. ON the
whole. the game has improved won
derfully There's nothing new in the
matter OF defense and offense. They
fight just the same.
The well conducted clubs OF today
make II easier for the lighters w
used 10 ride all night with the sheri
ar our heels-no sleep, no rest--ap
when the sun would peep over u
hills we would pitch ring and has
IL out In the most bloody and brul
way possible-with bare knuckles
The class of fighting men has r.
proved. You don't go to a salon,
nowadays, to find fighter In ny
time they were careless lot-no
business sense. with little prideAnd
battered faces.
1T was brutal--those bare knckle
fights. ! wouldn't look at one now.
| | wouldn't 20 out in that vacat LOT
and watch bare knuckle fgt for
$4,000. And in my day | wasrated
one Of the best OF the bare lauckle
| fighters. Here, look at my face
Look here-both eye brows ripped
clear across, and this old gar be-
tween my eyes Look at this did nose
will you, Broken four or five times.
"Oh. | tell you. boy, II took cour-
age, il we did lack common sense.
But what could you expect. was
strong husky kid and only In my
! teens
| But boxing as we conduct IL to-
day makes men OF our race. IL de-
velops self-reliance. courage and
pluck. Every state should insist on
| 1t being taught In the schools
II deplore the action of the Cali
fornia voters In killing the grea
science out there. They don't know
what they've done. The Californi
lighters were 4; fine lot-manly an
| prosperous. | can't understand (
I'm glad to hear you say that III
bill was outvoted in San Francisb
| and Los Angeles, and that Il was on
the farmer vote that beat the gam
In my time all We could hope Or
In the way OF purses was $1,000 10
$4,000. ! had ai ght with Jim Mr.
ray-all the old boys remember wat
a great fighter he was We fouht
near Philadelphia-bare knuckles. de
closed both my eyes and they wre
black for two months. and IL wassiX
months before | recovered from the
enects OF that beating He is ltil
alive-76 years old-I'm 20 myself
met him last year at the funeralbf a
relative OF mine. ! hadn't seenhim
In 20 years. He's the best fri0d |
have today. Now that I'm lafing
I'm going over there 20 see hin
We took care OF ourselves. hats
why we're hale and frisky yet. Any
man who burns the candle al both
ends won't last | met a good girl
the mother OF this large family She
was my salvation.
Ned OBaldwin was a grea. fight.
er. He could have whipped aIy man
that ever lived. So could Charlie
Gallagher. Two men you never hear
OF now and the greatest OF their time.
OiBaldwin was six foot six and
weighed 2l0. He could vault a ence
or do anything a lightweight could.
man killed him In brawl In 1876.
"Fftzsimmons was a great fighter
wonderful and unbeatable al the
weight. | hate TO admit IT, but John
son was their superior. He could
have whipped that wonderful boxer
Peter Jackson, too.
Jim Hall was another great fight
er. He knew everything. Did you
ever notice the trick used by an old
timer when he spars? He'll always
lift his left foot up as he advances.
They fought in the old days with
spiked shoes and lifted the left foot
up SO that the turf would drop OF
their spikes. That's why the old
timer can't get over the habit or lift
ing his foot
Joe Goss was the greatest body
fighter that ever lived. But Mace
was the gem OF them all for clever
ness. The only men ! ever saw who
fought like him was Joe Cans and
Billy Edwards. they used SO little
ring space and exertion. and how
they could time punch"
Bender To Baltimore.
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