The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-20
BRITISH LOVE FOR SPORT
 DIFFICULT TO ERADICATE

British devotees of soccer, boxing and other sports have lately come in for much criticism because they have persisted in indulging in their faVor- ite pastine while the nation IS in dan ger While many of the leading boxers of England have enlisted, the game still hourishes more or less. It was always thus, for British love of sport is mighty hard to eradicate. History affords a. noteworthy instance to invade England, just as the Ger mans are now doing, the sportsnen of the tight little island refused to abandon their pastimes.
 It was just 110 years ago, come tomorrow, on Feb. 20, 1895, that depths of his Teuton soul by the l threats of Bonaparte, called upon all his subjects to fast and pray, in or der that the Lord might look with favor upon them. The old monarch spent most of his time on his knees, I begging the Almighty to stay the in- 1 vasion of his reals. The masses of 1 the English people, while vigorously preparing to resist the enemy. which had already the mouth of the Bristol
 channel and captured number of British merchant ships. were not in clined to follow the kings advice that they abandon all sports and amuse- ] ments.
 On the day of the solemn fast ap- ] pointed by the king, the Lords and 1 Commons listened to sermons, be-
 cause they had to, and two aldermen accompanied the Lord Mayor to the services at St. Paui's Very few males I attended the meetings held in chapels
 all over the kingdom, and the king
 became so indignant that he declar- l ed war upon all sports, but especially < prize fighting.
 The very day appointed by King ! George for fasting with essed many 1 private pugilistic bouts and meetings l of convivia1 souls to arrange for 1 other matches. The laws against l irreHgion were so severe that these s meeting had to be hedged about with secrecy. One of these sessions of l sporting men was held in the up-
 stairs rooms of the sJolly Brewers, 2 1 a place of liquid refreshment then I kept by lem Be1cher, the former l champion, who had been forced to
 retire from the ring by the loss o1 l one of his eyes Among the boxing l bugs who thus did violence to the
 kings wishes were many notables, in
 cluding Lord Save and Sele. Lord I EardIey, Sir Harry Vane Tempest Il and many officers who later dis l tinguished themselves in the field
 The purpose Of the gathering was tC
 make a match between Hen Pearce
 ..the Game Chicken who then held
 
 ! coppersnaith whose pugilistic ability Ii had attracted the attention of some of the gentlemen present. With pipes
 and cigars and plentiful grog the Il Corinthians celebrated the t'fast' and made arrangements for the II match. Several wagers were made including one of $s.5o0 against $2,-
 900. with the odds favoring ths j ssChicken.''
 Rumors of this affair reached the
 king, and he organized 8 horse pa.
 trol charged with suppressing prize fights. The ingenuity. of the sportI was greater than the vigilance of thu
 authorities, however, and the battle was staged at Moulsey Hurst-th, first of many notable battles tough E on that spot. Pearce bested tho coppersmith in thirty-f1ve minutes In spite of the prohibition of the kin; |1-perhaps because of it-threa othe,
 battles for the championship, as wei as scores of minor bouts, were tough in that mem orable year Of 1895. Ant Napoleon never set his foot on Brit 2 iSh soil.