The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-04
Salvation Army Head Once
Trailed Prize Ring Kings
Captain HOlbr00k Converted
After Life of True
Adventure.

Raised in the very heart OF the
days when the great championship
battles were fought AT the Olympic
club and the notorious sportina men
and gamblers gathered from the four
quarters Of the country 10 tch the
great ring contests aud play the races,
living the life as the rest OF tie sport
ing men iIved it and playing the game
With the rest, Captain Alva NJ. nol-
brook. who has recently taken the
command of the Missouln corps of the
Salvation army. one day woke up with
Il feeling of rancid disgust for the life
he was leading. lie answered the cali
of the Salvation army and has since
spent his days helping others out OF
tho same rut.
In the early COS when the ring bat
ties were at their height and cham
pionships changed hands every week.
Captain HOlbrook, who was then
known in the sporting world of New
Orleans as THE Duke" from ring
side seat saw John l.. sullivan lay
-down his title as champion to James
j. Corhett He saw Jack Dempsey
lose to Bob Fitzsimmons. billy Meyers
to Jack McAulliff. and witnessed the
farce comedy championship battle be-
tween George Dixon and Jack Kelly.
The Days Of Wild Gambling.
Those were the days when New Or.
leans WAS the mecca Of all gamblers
and thousands of dollars were played
on the races and finally rested in the
Golfers Of the "bookies." while many
a man made poor in one night cast
himself into the sluggish waters of the
mississippi
But il was the life Of Americas big
sporting resort and the young follow
caught the thrill and held on 10 it and
there We're attractions enough to hold
him in the races, in the prize fights
and the baseball games. with full
opportunity to become familiar with
the life that goes with them.
So he followed The game in those
days before the .big reform move
ments limited glove contests to no de-
cision affairs and o-called artists
dictated the terms under which the
dear public" could see them side step
Al 'liiii1t ~ w nun
Where Marcus DAILY Ruled.
New Orleans became one of the big
scSt racing ccnters in the country and
the finest horses We're started over the
Crescent city course under the auspices
of the Western Jockey club. II was
here that Tammany. the famous racer
of Marcus DAILY of Hamilton, se, his
pace that none could equal.
Then came the day when the racing
game received its black eye, when the
greed of the worthless followers of the
sport of kings" could no, get no with
the law abiding followers Of The sport
/ The racing game became one OF the
breeders of lawlessness and the young
/ sporting man sol the idea Of studying
! law with the view Of Kidding his state
of the sporting element.
/ Enlisted in Cuban War
| II was at this time that the Spanish
| American war broke out and Captain
| llolbroolt went to Cuba with the vol
untecrs and was with the division tina,
| planted the American flag on old Moro
castle.
! Then when the Rocr war broke out
! he decided 10 go in search of more ad-
/ venture and 50 he rounded the Horn
and crossed the Atlantic. After this
experience he returned to the states
and returned to the realm If sports.
| His Conversion to Religion.
1t was at this time that the work of
j the Salvation army caught his atten-
tion, but il was several years before
! Captain Hnlbrnok left the sportins
/ world an decided To take up the work
with the army. Then came the con
version and since thai day he con
tinucd with the religious organization
While an officer in the Salvation
army Captain lIolbrook has been il
close touch with all conditions ant
classes of men and in his efforts TO re.
lieve distress in the different homes h.
has seen life as II really is in tn,
every day world.
My work now said Captain, Hol