The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-18
FEW FARMERS AND
 GARDENERS HAVE
 EVER FOUGHT IN RING

The ranks Of the professional box CTS are recruited from all sorts and conditions of men, following all sorts of trades, but 1t is remarkable how few of the sons of the soil have ever sought fame and money in the ring. Butchers, sailors, neWsboys, black smiths, mechanics of all sorts, bank clerks. and even boys educated for the pulpit and the practice of medi- cine, have been numerous in the an naIs of the hst1c sport The farm boy, however, although he has won laure1s in every other profession, bus mess and trade, has very seldom manifested a desire to shine in the select company of pugilistic stars.
 As for gardeners, the only one to forsake his cabbages, peas, beans, radishes and other garden sass to win immortality by punching the fa- ces of his felloWmen was Tom Oliver, who dourished nearly century ago. Although never a champion, the worthy Tom was long one of the lead ing lights of the British ring, and a man whose name will be remem-
 bered long after many q champion has been forgotten.
 1 It was just 104 years ago to-day, on
 Jan. Is, 1911, that Tom had his in-
 tFoduction to pugi1ism. From his the society of vegetables, fruits and flowers his innate pugnacity remained latent He was as peaceful and quiet
 a lad as could be found in England until that day, when, having nothing | to do. he decided to attend prize
 fight which was to be pulled off in @ town few miles away. Dan Dog herty and George Silverthorne were the combatants. The curious and l innocent gardener watched them bat ter each other for hours, until neith-
 CT man could do more than stand or his feet Silverthorne had just a lit tie more stamina than his opponent and was finally declared the victor. This was one of the dercest and bIoodiest battles ever fought even 1T those days of bare knuck1es and s1aughter-house rules. and one wou16 I suppose that Tom Oliver would have lbeen shocked and mortified by thu SiIverthorne had received $500 fol has hard-won< victory, Tom decided then and there that pugfHsm was ar f easier way to make money than gard ening. He. turned to friend ant I said:
 t.So that's what ye call proize
 hghtin', is it? Why, dang me. as :
 don't think as owl could do a. bi | in that IOin meself.''
 The simple gardeners ambition t,
 become a fighter aroused great dea
 of ridicule, and a giant who had hat |
 Tom This made Tom hot unde
 the collar, and hes challenged his tor
 mentor to do battle. They tough
 the next morning, for two dollars side, and in half an hour Tom ha. stretched his opponent on the tur unconscious. Toms master, the market garden ; CT, thought hew ould discourage Ton
 in his fighting aspirations by match } ing him with a professional of hi acquaintance, but Tom showed sucl 5 natural ability that the professiona was reused to admiration of his brow ess. Thereafter he became one o , the most prominent of English pu gilists, and after his retirement as 5 fighter he was usually chosen t 3 pitch the ring and make the arrange inents for nearly all the great fight !, in the country. For more than hal ! a century after his debut as bruise
 Tom Oliver was always among thos present atzan important battle, and t ! the last he held a reputation for hon esty and straight dealing not surpass 3 ed by any other character in pugilisti ] history.