The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-27
Jim Corbett's "Find'' :, Recalls His Portland
 Bout With Campbell

According to Jim Corbett. he dis covered Tom Cow1er, his new aspir- ant for heavyweight cham pionslaip honors, in Portland, Ore. Gentle man JiIn'' was doing his refined and elevating stage stunt in the Oregon metropolis when he ran across the Cumberland Colossus who, if we take Jim's s word for it, is destined to be Jess Wi1lards successor. To one ad- dfcted to. rerniniscence, this circum- stance recalls vsit Corbett paid to Portland when he was at the begin nng of his puginstic career. before he became the champion. It was twenty-six years ago this week, on July 29, 1889, that Corbett fought Dave Campbell in the Oregon city. The former bank clerk then had two victories over Joe Choynski. to his credit, and he had whipped a mum Der of other good men. and he an- ticipated no trouble in bestng Camp bell. The big Portland fighter. who was the hero of the Oregon sports, was not so easy as Jim ina gined, however, and he fought the San Fran ciscan ten rounds to draw.
 Dave Campbell was a fine athlete and good boxer, and he had asnum- Der of victories to his credit, but he is chiefly remembered because of an overwhelming defeat he suffered in his contest with Jack Dempsey. some thirty years ago, and about four years before heSfought Corbett. The J''Non- parei1' was then touring the Pacific coast, and had whipped Tom Cleary. Tom Barry, Jack Keenan and Jim Carr in San Francisco. Tom Norton in. Sacramento and Billy Mannng in Los Angeles Having exhausted the supply of California middleweights. Dempsey then went$to Portland, but here we're no men of his weight in sight. Jack then offered to fight Dave Campbell, who was then chief of the Portland fire department. Demp- sey's challenge to the big ffre-fighter was greeted with derision by the Portland fans, among whom Camp bell was an idol, but Jack insisted that he was in earnest and the match was made.
 Campbell stood well over Six fleet in height, and was we'll built, while Dempsey was only five feet eight inches and then weighed less than 15o pounds The fight was to be for $3,000 a side, and to a finish. The Oregon fans were so certain that Campbell could whip Dempsey that they offered good odds, and big bunch of California. fans gathered to- gether all the money they could get and set out to see the fight and back Dempsey to the limit. Several boats were hired to carry the crowd up the river to a point in Washington Ter ritory, where the ring was pitched.
 Campo was d SOOd man, put ne was completely outc1assed by the clever ''Nonpareil,'' and in the third round Jack landed right to the jaw which sent the big. fireman down for the full count. It was a downcast bunch of fans, save for the Califor- nians, who were jubilant, which re- turned to Portland with the fallen hero The Portland firemen were so certain that their chief would be the victor that they made all arrange rnents to give him an enthusiastic welcome upon his return. A process sion of gaily decorated hose carts and hook and ladder wagons met the boats, and at first the firemen refused to believe the statement of Camp bells defeat. It was@not until they had received personal assurances from Dave himself that he had been licked that they accepted the sad tid ings as true.
 A carriage loaded with flowers and decorated with bunting. drawn by four white horses, had been provided by the fans to carry the conquering hero back to the city, but by com mon consent this was turned over to Dempsey, and he rode in state through the streets of Portland.