The Washington times., 1914-03-16
WISE man said, Initiative
wins nine-tenths Of the battles
Of life." Terry McGovern's

WISE man SAID, Initiative
~ wins nine-tenths Of the battles
n Of life" Terry McGovern's
middle name was initiative.
He knew what he wanted, and he
went after 1t with all his heart and
power from the tap of the gong.
Sometimes in his eagerness he beat
the gong.
Nearly all great men in all walks
OF life are as much characterized
by initiative as was McGovern. The
man who knows what he wants and
goes after 1t from the jump enjoys
a tremendous handicap on the ordi-
nary. average man, who Is torn be-
tween several conflicting desires and
does not really know what 1t is
wants most, consequently does
jump after anything with all
concentrated energy Of his mind l.
body
Cultivate initiative Don't be
afraid to start things. Go after tho
thing you want with a rush. and do
not cease striving for IL with all
your power as long as you can lift
a hand or stir a foot. Then some
day perhaps men will call you a
moral Terry McGovern.
To sport enthusiasts OF today
Terry McGovern is name, little
more. A dozen years ago McGovern
WAS SyuOuJ 4OT AZ HIS
fights Terry did only one thing
rush. The McGovern rush was
world famous. Sporting writer's
wrote books about 1t, small boys and
preliminary fighters initiated II. 1t
was as well known and famous as
Stanley Ketchers shift Of a few
years ago.
They used to say that Terry
started to beat his men before the
first gong rang. AS he sat In his
corner he would glare across the
ring at an adversary. his face
drawn, and scowling and ferocious.
Then when the gong rang he would
be out of his chair and across the
ring like a shot. Often he would
catch an opponent before he could
straighten himself out and get into
a defensive position. Then he would
seem to cut loose q hundred blows
at once, and most of them would
land. Then they would carry his
late adversary off. and the sporting
writers would depart to chronicle
the sacrifice OF another victim TO
Terrible Terry.
Terry spent the days OF his boy
hood picking coal (and also fights)
on the banks OF the Gowanus canal
in Brooklyn. He was proficient at
both, and earned quite reputation
as a neighborhood terror. His serv-
Ices began 10 Dt III ucHlhHt al LILO
local clubs for smokers and exhibit
tions. Then he began to fight men
with more than local regulations.
1t didn't seem to make much diff
ference who his adversaries were.
Terry went through them all. BAN
tamweights and featherweights
and lightweights. like a cyclone
through Kansas cornfield. At
last nobody who knew him wanted
to fight him.
About this time they imported
Pedlar Palmer. the English light
weight champion, to fight Frank
Erne for the lightweight champion
ship of the world. AS a prelimin-
airy gallop. to show what he could
do. somebody suggested that the
Englishman be matched to fight
the lad from over Gowanus way.
Palmer grabbed the match on tho
McGovern was delighted.
English critics said that Palmer
was the cleverest boxer who ever
affair with McGovern as a joke.
said: "Hill let i'm go along
Hi can do.
When the gong rang McGovern
was out of his corner and Icross the
ring so fast that he looked like one
continuous streak in the atmosphere.
Although Palmer had been warnen
of his rush and was expecting II, he
never got a chance to SET to meet
him. As he was still half leaning