Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-03
Smith Unique Characters the Boxing Game Today
Primitive Many Wonderfully Efficient Many 0hers Improving
CONSIDER ROMAN
BOUT REAL TEST
Victory Means Money for
Mother While He Fights
for Uncle Sam.

lad. Just how many battles he has
had or who has been his victims he
cannot say. His complete record
never has been complied. no one even
has attempted II before. Curley said
1t never occurred to him to make "a
memorandum of his battles as they
came and went and his memory fails
him when trying to recall every one
of them The one thing that he IL
certain about Is that ne never has
been beaten From the first he has
bnttlcd with ugcrlsh ficrcencss to
maintain his unsulhed record and he
says he never has failed. Further.
moro those who have known him for
years say they never can rem -mhcr
anyone having gotten the better uf
him We tried to compile his record
from the scrapbook which he pos
scsses. II Is very incomplete and the
dates of most of his bouts cannot be
nsed from the clippings therein, nor
can ne remember them. Ia the ac-
Compauying boxes are given the mos'
nearly accurate record of hls battles
that can bc produced, yet this prob
ably Is shy a score Of engagements
The scrapbuok now in his possession
is only one of three he has had. The
other two were destroyed a year on
so ago by his mother while she was
trying to persuade him to give up
the ring game.
THAT was when | was just "A rough
neck fighter and | don't blame her"
said Curley. she threw them into n
fire in her yard and drove me back
with n club when | tried to rescue
them. crying 'ldidn't raise my boy to
be a prizefighter.'
It didn't make me quit the game
tho" he continued, but 1t made me
change my tactics. 81 felt that box
! ing was the only way | ever could
make enough money to make my
mother comfortable, but | realized
that | would have to quit barnstorm.
| ing and settle down to the logitimat,
game. That's what I'm doing now"
Roman Supreme Test.
This bout with Roman | consider
! the opportunity of my lifetime. II
| beat him ! figure | will be entitled to
great deal of credit. that | will be
drawing card that Will attract here
to meet me some OF the best boys
! In the country and In two or three
dates ! can make enough to take care
of my mother until after the war. for
/ am going to enlist this fall If con-
scriptiOn doesn't get me sooner. ia
/ like to become an aviator
Asked If his mother had changed
| her opinion of boxing since he had
discarded the rough-and- tumble kind,
he cooked his head on one side as is
characteristic of him when he Is con-
sidering a proposition carefully, and
drawing himself up onto n corner of
| the desk replied:
We'll. | don't know. You see it's
| this way: she isn't entirely over her
| pre- iudice. but Il think she Is kind
| o. proud o. me. She doesn't say much
| to me about II, but every once in n
| while when someone makes "A remark
! that 'Curley Smith has licked some
body else somewhere she says yes.
| he's my boy I'd like to have her
over here when | take on Roman. but
! I'm afraid she wouldn't come If I'd
ask her. But think she wants me
to win"
For all his hard usage and for all
his crudidity along some lines. Curley
| knows how To be perfect gentleman.
! He Is one. Fine clothes is "a hobby
with him and he possesses nine
fronts" For all his apparent igno-
rance. he IL shrewd. sharp and capable
of protecting his business interest
against any such bunch OF "sharpcrs'
he might encounter. The more one
secs and knows him - the more he
| likes him.