The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-19
LIFE OF JOHN |,
His Love of Fair Play Made
Him Popular Idol.
Career of Dead Champion an
Inspiration to Many.
BY H. c. HAMILTON.

A history of the life of John L. Sui
livan must necessarily be a story of
great endeavor, of singularly applied
powers of concentration and achieve
ment-and of romance and pathos
and tragedy and comedy. For there
never was another like the famous
old gladiator who died a few days ago
in Massachusetts,. The rollicking tales
of the old pirates, the adventurous
songs of the caveman, the thrilling
romance of early days in American
history, and the absorbing human in
terest of Mark Twain all are COM
bined in the illustrious life of the only
man the prize ring ever produced who
could lay claim to such popularity as
John L. Sullivan
A battler of men he was and bat
tier of good and bad liquor. He
downed men in his best days and in
his turn was downed by one of them
But his triumph over John Barley
corn and his neighbor, Fred X. Hang
over were complete and lasting For
fourteen years John L. had not al
lowed himself a taste of the grape
that Omar khayyam and some others
made famous. He died wholly clean
and free from the effects of his worst
enemy.
Exhaustion Got Him.
There is no a question in the minds
of the older followers of pugilism but
that John l.. would have retired an
undefeated champion had he trained
along the more faithful lines of some
of the present-day glove wielders.
Sullivan's strength was SO crushing
his dashing energy SO overpowering
that no man could stand up against
him for any length of time while he
was in his prime. And when the time
finally came for him to be counted out
at New Orleans, with the youthful
and 1.-the James j. Corbett standing
over him, it was not because he had
been beaten down, it was because the
shell of the once powerful fighting
man had dropped from exhaustion
Even in his losing moments he had
driven himself at top speed, straight
into the ripping and cutting left hand
Jabs shot at him by Corbett. His legs
finally collapsed. refusing to function
under such utter exhaustion.
The story OF this wonderful old
fighters life is an inspiration. 1t
brings an echo of endeavor that
should ring true to every youngster.
To gaze over the history of Sullivan,
to follow his struggles, first against
poverty as tinsmith, plumbers help
Ell, tow-boy, then to fortune, fame, the
black bottle, and again popularity and
the retiring life of a gentleman farm
er, is enough to make any man know
he cG.n win if he applies himself
Victory Only Object.
sullivan, a demon in the ring, was
SO only because he had one object in
view-victory. He was the champion
and was frankly aware of it. The fact
meant one thing to him-that he
must prove it when the opportunity
offered itself, just as quickly as he
could. He knew nothing of present
day methods OF champions+to stand
in ring and defend himself against
Knockout as long as he could
1t was his honest, fair-play tactics
that endeared him to the hearts of
American sport lovers. Wherever he
went he was greeted with cheers. No
sports champion before or since has
gained the following that mourned
the death of John L. Sullivan.
John L. Sullivan is dead, but he
| leaves behind him the Marquis of
Queensbury rules to govern champion
| snip contests He leaves the memory
of a true fighting man who hated to
acknowledge his last defeat He sleeps
in the Massachusetts cemetery near
where he was born, but his name will
/ ever blaze on the pages of pugilistic
hiStory-(Copyright