The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-02
TohnL.asZnepH McJanlos J.CorbeH

Editors note: This is the thirteenth
 chapter of a series of articles which
 MT. Corbett is writing on 'John l.. As tofore unpublished incidents in the life of the great warrior The next install
 ment will appear tomorrow)
 John l.. Sullivan's second appearance in San Francisco was late in 1886, when
 he fought Paddy Ryan. By that time was regarded as one of the best boxers in the Olympic Athletic club and also kid days youngster develops rather quickly between the. ages of II and 20. The first time saw John l.. in action, as related in previous article, l sat in the gallery and to make sure that l was going to get good seat, begged my way into the place six hours before the fight began. But when Sullivan fought Ryan in 1886 I was the proud possessor of a rngside box seat. And that night I was all "doled" up in natty suit of clothes, a nifty hat and I carried a cane. on, yes, I felt rather important. But just the same, I was still wildly anxious to be introduced to John l.. and to gain the
 honor of shaking his hand.
 No one in the big audience watched the
 movements of the champion with greater
 interest than did Those were the days
 when some of my warmest friends in the
 club were telling me that I was destined
 soon to be a topnotcher in the ring. And
 it was just about that time that Jack
 Dempsey had predicted some day, Jim
 Corbett, you will be champion" So
 followed every action of Sullivan in the
 hope that he might uncover some of the ring tricks that had helped to make him
 famous-and which I might copy.
 Sullivan, in that second fight in San
 Francisco, got chance to show some of his terrific punching. power. Ryan came into the open and fought him. The big
 champion sent some smashing lefts and rights to the head and body of his an-
 cient rival. Almost from the outset it
 was obvious that Ryan was doomed to defeat" The bout wasN to go only four
 rounds, but it terminated in the third
 when Ryan went down-and stayed
 there-under terrific right-hand bonn
 bardment by the mighty champion.
 The thought didn't enter my mind then
 that 1 might have chance with Sul-
 livan. Always, until along in the nine
 ties, I felt that he was absolutely un-
 beatable. But the showing of Ryan
 QlQn impress me dL dll. Ill ldCt, T Wdc so confident about it that went to the
 Olympic club the next day and made
 this request of one of the officials:
 ''Try to get Ryan 10 box me four rounds in this club think I can put
 up pretty good showing against him" The Olympic folks showed their faith in my ability during those early days by taking my proposition seriously and going to Ryan and putting it up to him. But Ryan's answer was:
 Nothing doing. I am not trying to get reputation by boxing kids" And so ended my hope of trying con clusions with the man that John l.. had dethroned.
 The champion remained in San Fran cisco for several days after the fight and every waking hour of mine was devoted to trying to get an Introduction to him. But I failed. Every afternoon I would go to John LIS hotel in the
 hope that I might meet someone there who knew Sullivan and would intro
 duce me. But fortune wouldn't smile on me and John l.. swung back toward the east with my ambition unrealized. And it was a long, long time before l saw Sullivan again.
 A short while after the Ryan bout,