Evening journal., 1916-01-10
Br GEORGE L. STARR.

hold of worlds champions?
That's the easiest thing you know.
And after you have landed one, then
you are on the easy path to sure
wealth.
But as TO getting the future cham
pion TO manage-just go to a boxing
contest and keep your ears open.
There is likely to be some fellow in
the audience who can whip either of
the principals in the main event. When
you sec him, grab him, sign him up,
and the rest is easy.
Some may doubt that you can work
il as described above and find your
self in possession of a future cham
pion Billy Nolan did, and Billy has
located the makings of two cham
pions
1t was Thanksgiving eve, four years
ago, when the late w w. Naughton,
the dean Of pencil pushers; Billy
Nolan, the veteran boxing manager,
and myself were seated at the break
fast table in the Alexander Hotel, in
Los Angeles, where we were stopping
until after the scheduled Ad VOL
gast and Freddie Welsh fight, when
We heard the news that Wolgast was
stricken down with appendicitis, the
night before, and would be operated
on that day. When we called up and
asked Tom McCarey. the promoter of
the fight, who would substitute for
Wolgast in that nights fight, he shot
back the answer: willie Ritchie,
! the San Francisco boy"
Well, all three of us had a hearty
] uf
/ asked. Does MeCarey want this boy
! proposal that we all take the first
train for San Francisco and witness
/ the Packey McFarland-Harlam Tom
my Murphy scrap. We all went to
| the Golden Gate city and saw the
other fight When news was flashed
] across the wires to Frisco that the
| Los Angeles battle went the limit
! 90 rounds-and that Ritchie gave the
| Englishman a good walloping I took
one long breath and remarked to No
Ian and Naushton "Well, l suppose
we missed the better fight"
Two wears after Rtchie's Los An
geles debut. the writer met Billy No
Ian in Colorado. while the veteran
manager was touring the Empress
time with Willie Ritchie. Nolan re-
called the time when we slipped out
OF Os ANGELES. thinking Ritche was
a chesse fighter and hiked to Frisco
Then Billy told me how he first met
the champion and lot of other things
of interest. Here is Nolans story:
yet, with that showing against
Welsh. ] didn't take much stock in
Willie's ring work. In 1912 when
Ad Wolgast recovered from his oper-
alton. I was managing Abe Attel's
business, and tried my best to have
Wolgast and Attel mix affairs over
the 10-rOund route. But Jimmy Cof-
froth had already signed Ritchie up
to fight the champion over the four
round limit, for q trial. While
didn't witness the contest, / have
been told by experts grouped around
the ringside that it could be plainly
seen that Ritchie was Wolgast's
master in the roped arena. Yet
couldn't believe that Ritchie had the
makings Of a future champion.
However, when / heard the out
come of the Joe Mandot-Willie Ritchie
ten-round battle in New Orleans on
June 1912. when Willie outpointed
the fighting Frenchman Of that city,
! woke up to the fact that Ritchio
was to he the next champion
1T was at the ringside Of the Joe
Rivers-Ad Wolgast fight. July 4,
1912. when young looking fellow
sitting next to me made the following
remark in about the eighth round.
Gee. I can whip Wolgast myself Al
once I was curious to know who the
young fellow was. and | at once IN
troduced myself to him. And when
he said Willie Ritchie, ! could have
fallen through the floor. That was
the first time we had ever met. and
in fact. ever saw each other. We al
once made an appointment, in which
Willie was to meet me at my hotel
|. that night.
True to his word, Ritchie appeared
! on the scene at the named hour. and
after several hours of talking, Willie
and | signed q contract for me tC
become his manager. At once ! re
d ceived several tempting offers Il
= take my protege east and pit hin
e against several of the eastern light
e weights. but to all of them turned
: the deaf ear, for I felt confident, after
D watching the lad work out. coupled
r with his previous ring performances
S that had future champion, one
J, who could take Wolgasts measure.
r "Well you know the outcome o
e the Wolgast-Ritchie battle, whel
{ fhev met Turkey day. 1912. Willie
r proved without a doubt that he wa
;. Wolgast's master with the gloves
/ And there was never a happier MAJ
in the world than myself when Ref
cree Griffith held up Willie's arm il
: the sixteenth round. as token o
T victory, giving him the worlds light
G weight championship. II mean
e much to me. now have the homo
e Of giving the fight game tw
IS worlds champions One whom
e consider the gamest man that eve
8