Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-26
OLD CHAMPIONS.
BY p. r. Knox.

Mike" Donovan, Onetlme mlduto-
weight champion, is still more active
than many a man of less than half
his years. Although he has passed
his sixty.fifth birthday he says that
he has just reached his prime and
will not consider himself old until he
has turned eighty.
There is no reason why we should
not live long and be hale and strong.
1t depends entirely upon ourselves.
l have always been a clean liver. I
take plenty OF exercise, keep myself
on diet and get my proper rest. In
other words, l have discovered the
elixir Of life."
Except for the fact that his hair IS
white and a bit sparse, the famous
fighter Of the seventies and eighties
looks to be all that he says he feels.
It ia a revelation to see him working
in his capacity as boxer instructor for
the New York Athletic Club with his
pupils, the majority of them huskier
and all Of them a generation OF two
younger.
Finds Tartars Among His Pupils.
He has lost little of the agility
which enabled him to beat most of
the men he fought when at his best.
J He is still shifty Oh his feet and with
his hands. His defence is that of
the old master, depending almost en-
tirely upon the quickness of his eye.
A lead is blocked and he counters
with the best Of them.
He boxes on an average Of thirty
rounds a day. "And you may think
that It is easy" he remarked, "but
let me tell you it isn't. 1t isn't any
easier than he way the modern box.
ers make their. money-big money
at that--by boxing ten rounds. Some
Of these men who come III here to
box are adept themselves and they
can hit. They don't mean to cut
looss with their punches, but they
do, and If I should happen to be slow
in protecting myself or getting out Of
the way l might frequently take the
count.
"You know when I first became a
professional fighter it was a case OF
bare knuckles, and when the custom
changed and I was induced to don
padded gloves ! regarded it more az
a frolic than a fight. Don't think
that l mean l didn't train for glow:
fights, for I did. l trained just as
hard as in the old days.
"At that time we fought more fol
glory than the money there was in
it, tor the purses were mighty small
compared with what the boys get to
day. Just think, when I fought "Jim
my" Murray, Of Philadelphia, bacl
in 70, on an island in the Delaware
we battled forty-thrae rounds, on,
hour and five minutes, and then tn,
police interfered and it was called
draw. We got 500 and l gave tn
whole amount to Murray because h,
was married and had a family an,
was a care-free bachelor.
Old Time Ring Ethics.
incidentally, Murray was one o
the %cleanest fighers that ever tool
part in a fistic combat. In that figh
there was no ring pitched. 1t wa
watched by only a small crowd be
couse we were afraid the police woul,
interfere. The crowd circled aroun
us-mind you, 1t was bare knuckle
and as We battled, surging frs
this way AID then that, we got nea
the edge of the clearing. A tree ha
been struck by lightning. A stun
with huge splinters sticking up wa
all that remained. I had my BAG
. toward it and didn't notice It.
| "As Murray was about to rush m
y he saw the stump. He stopped an
3 backed away, exclaiming as he did 5
4 Move out a bit, Mike; there's
2 stump behind yau.' l glanced bac
4 of me, and there 1t was. l droppe
my hands and, walking toward Mu,
, ray, gripped his hand-he had tn
:. = hardest hands Of any one in tn
. game-and said, and meant it, to,
:. Jim, you're the fairest fellow l eve
; fought
my first professional fight wa
with Billy Crowley at st. Louis.
! lost on a foul. I wasn't very COZ
4 versant with. the rules gover1in
2 pugilism at that time, and it aggr
2 waited me to have Crowley contin
ally slipping to his knees. Finally
insisted upon pulling him up to h
feet and then hitting him. The r
fierce warned me, and l retorted:-