The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-17
SCUM OF THE WORLD"
Amlable Observations Of q Physiog-
uOmist at n Fight,


To THE EDITOR OF TUE SuN--Sir
Eight O'Clock on n moonless night. Fifth
avenue is almost deserted n few stra,
automobiles hurry their occupants I,
the Shows" which are soon to start
Few pedestrians cross our path. A few
belated shop attendants scuttle along
Persistent beggars accos' us now and
then. Here and there we see police
man in the centre OF n crossing. Al
We go further down town tho higher
ONCE buildings add to the monotony o,
the scene Sinister. awe Inspiring Is tho
atmosphere out OF the bystreets lead.
Ing into Madison Square dash slen,
shadows across the avenue. Their
hurry. their silence and their secrctivs
walk recall a trip down London's OK
ford street at night into the deserted
business sections, when countless mum.
bers OF the repellent rodent. the rat
dart to and fro-rats. the scum of the
animal world.
We follow the footsteps OF the ever
increasing and increasingly hurryins
shadows until We turn the corner OF
Twenty-seventh street. when we discern
the dimly lighted entrance to Madison
Square Garden. Policemen are every.
where. The rahble of Madison Square
have not yet taken to the benches and
sorrowful sight in their rags, they
try to pick up n stray penny by open
Ing the doors OF the automobiles OF their
moro fortunate but hardly less repul.
sive brethren.
1t Is gala night. The lightweight,
champion Of the world ia to defend hi.
title. and every believer In the gen
tlemanly art" Of self-defence hastens ia
pay his tribute. The box office Is
thronged none but s. box seats are
left unsold. The entrance IL balus-
traded into three rows. which devour
the newcomers like stock yard deiin-
ouents. An enormous. distressingly
dirty curtain hides the arena until two
attendants open II sufficiently wide 10
permit an entran,r.
What q sight The air IL as thick
as a London fog before sunrise sub
dued murrnur, like the distant roaring
or thunderstorm. ereets us; now and
then a shrill whistle from atop the gal
leries Interrupts II like lightning Thou
sands of ferociously smoking individuals
promenade In the arena through which
We finally force our way TO our box
our seats overlook the whole amphi-
theatre. The first tier Is dimly Visible
tho rest IL hidden in smoke. The arena
Is divided into stalls, resembling the
stalls of "A pig market. Their occupants
mostly men who pad up to SEQ for the
doubtful privilege OF inhaling the sweat
and the dust of the ring inhale the
smoke or their cigars az only the fur
naces Of the Homestead Steel Works ex-
hale their smoke The eve gradually
pierces the opaque smoke and perceives
In the centre OF the arena the ring
unlIshted as yet hut already the object
of thousands upon thousands of eXpec-
tant eyes The ring. a square platform.
Is hedged In with poles and ropes Two
sand heaps in opposite corners indicate
the resting places OF the comhatants
An enormous round light shade almost
covers the whole platform II and the
oval amphitheatre are undoubtedly the
only things resembling a ring every
thing else IL square
The jaws, the contours. the foreheads
Of the audience are square: the shout
ders. the feet. the hands and the very
cigars seem to he square. The eve wan
ders further Il discovers the first. sec.
ond and third tiers with their over
crowded spectators resembling PIN
cushions covered completely with pins
Of which the heads only are visible
"pinheads"' Finally our glance CEN
tres upon our immediate surroundings
and permits US 10 study the individual
Al our feet We discern 4 faw college
boys. noisy. cyuhcrant evidently out for
a spree and assuming tho airs 81 adults
To our right and to our left the same
physiognomies. square contours wher.
ever We look. criminals, booze fighters -
saloon keepers At best A stray dinner
jacket enlivens the scene AT Intervals
but behold not far away-a woman and
Yet another woman. and behind us a
" hole box full of women. Young women
AZ that, with foolish. dazcd expressions.
logged out in their finest. with pen-
cilled eyebrows. smiling IN a disturbing
manner and chaperoued by an elderly
woman. the mother. Wherever We look
We find the same satisfied grin on TIE
faces OF tho onlcnkers, ne - the smoke.
the turmoil, the sweat. the dust. the vile
odors, the breath Of thousands OF people,
were tie attractions they had come To
behold
Suddenly a gong sends its -~souudirr
ton" through the garden tho noise
ahatcs until The auuouuNcr announces
with St"ntoriau voice the pr.limuaries
\ German band. pcrchcd high upon the
second ter. iutouites the latest dtty
the galleries soon join In the refrain
aud the second verse finds tho whole
audience yelling. whis;ling and gestlcu.
latiug -paniemoulum. At last the pre-.
llminaries appear. the band stops and
tho disgusting. demoral!2inE. detestable
and disGraceful spectacle Of two under.
sized. underfed and sickly looking
youths trying 10 knock each other out
begins Curses and profaue exclama.
tons. impossible to repeat. spur the
fighters again and again until n boil
calls the round. Through three weary
hours the spectacle repeats Itself. but
instead OF sickeninG II inspires. enrtp-
lures and olectrhes the audience, The
srum OF the world
AuGvsr SrESp.r