The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-16

pistols, and that got Jem's goat.
 From that time on the Irish were almost supreme in the American ring Those famous early champions, Yan- skee Sullivan, John Morrissey, John Heenan, Joe Coburn, Make McCool and others, were all Of Irish blood. At later period the heavyweight ranks included such stellar Irighnden as John L. Sullivan, Paddy Ryan, Jim Corbett Jim Jefries. Tom Sharkey and Peter Maher
 In the other divisions of pugilisrn the Irish have been almost as preva- lent and triumphant. Among the great iddleweight contenders of the past have been Jack Dempsey, stthe Non pareii,'' who was a native of Ireland; Jack cTwin) Sullivan. Philadelphia Jack O,Brien, George Gardner. Pete AGcCoy and last, but not least, Mike Donovan, who was recently given great benefit in New York, in recogni- ton of his thirty years of service as boxing instructor at the New York 4. c
 Paddy Duffy of Boston was the first welterweight champion. Jack Demp- sey, afteward a mfdd1eweight, was the chief of the lightweights early in his ring career, and was, succeeded by a native of Cork, Jack McAuIiffe, who retired undefeated. Since McAuIiffe quit the ring, however, the lightweight honors have circulated about among two German-Anericans, a weIshman, French Canadian. and the Irish haven't had a 1ook-in.
 Ike Weir, the first featherweighr champion of the world, was born near Belfast One of his greatest contem- poraries was another Irishman. Frank Murphy. with whom he fought eighty rouns to a draw quarter of cen t1ry ago. Ike lost the title to s.Aus- tralian Billy Murphy, who was the son of Hibernian parents. Jack Ske1- ly. another great little Irishman, fought George Dixon for the title at New. Orleans in 1892, but was whipped by the African. The Irish had an- when Dave Sullivan captured the hon. ors. Eddie Santrys who was recently elected to the Illinois legislature
 claimed the title for a time. Terry McGovern, one of the greatest little Irishers of the ring, then got into the Hmelight, and another Brooklyn Hf- bernian, Tommy Sullivan, copped the title in 1904 4 Jew, Abe Attell, tenn porari1y annexed the honors, but
 Johnny KiIbane restored the title to l the Irish.
 Gn the bantanpweight division, Jim my Barry was champion from 1894 to 1899 and ree1sed without ever having been defeated. Terry McGovern then l held the title 3. little while, but soon entered the featherweight division.
 Frankie Nell, 8 San Francisco Irish man, won the title in 1908. and was
 succeeded by Jimmy Walsh of Bos- ton. Johnny Coulon, who held the u- tie until he met defeat at the hands Of Kid williams, the Dane, this year,
 was Of mingled Irish and French blood.
 Such list of champions. however, l by no means tells the tale. The Hi
 bernian influence pervades the whole boxing game. and as much today as ever Many other nationalities have been attracted to the sport in the last few decades, but they have to take a back seat for the Irish.
 It is to the everlasting honor of the
 Irishman that. he takes so naturally
 to hstic combat. While other peoples
 seek to slice the enemy with swords or blow off, their heads with shells the Iriehman, if left to follow his natural
 bent, it quite content with giving his
 foe a black eye, or, at worst, a cault-
 flower ear. The Irish way may not l be so cultured as more destructive
 methods of fighting. but 1t has it's ad-
 vaptages.