The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-02
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport ' 7opics
By JAMES J. CoRBETT.

|. CORBETT.
 who gained undying fame under the
 fighting name of Young Corbett
 Born in Denver, he became very fond
 of boxing in his earliest teens. Before
 he was lo he acquired a fair reputation
 among the boys in the neighborhood and
 decided in 1897, when he was r, to be-
 come professional ringman. The kid
 left home and eventually landed in Oma-
 ha, Ne5. There he tried to get bouts, but was an unknown, and no promoter
 cared to give him chance to show his ability.
 Just about the time that the funds of the youngstel were about exhausted, he learned that certain theatrical promo ter Was putting on the town boys in nightly bouts as an added feature to the show. The Denver lad hunted him up. T am William Boutwell," he told the ! manager, "but the boys back in Denver call me Young Corbett. T would like | to box some of those boys that are ap- bearing al your theatre." The manager wasn't looking around for any new talent at the time, and he , attempted to turn down the kid But the Denver boy came back with this proposi- 1 tion:
 You don't know me and perhaps think
 that l can't provide any real workout for
 the boys. but if you give me a chance I'll show you what I can do. I'm look | ing for fight and I'll battle with any, body that you'll put up against me. Give me job on a weeks trial and I'll fight one or two or more boys every night, and if at the end of the week you don t think l have earned the money, you don't need to pay me cent"
 The manager, impressed by the sheer ity of Young Corbett, replied: I'll put you to work and pay you $15 a week. You can begin action to- night. Ii you don't make good I'll fire you without notice. Is that satisfac- tory?''
 Perfectly satisfactory" answered Young Corbett.
 That same night Young Corbett was pitted against one of the toughest of the group of youngsters who were battling in the showhouses, and Young Corbett put him to sleep in the first round In l a little more than full week he had
 knocked out practically every one of the preliminary youngsters of his own class
 and in the lightweight division. Fear ing that by knocking out all opponents in or near his own class he had knocked himself or. of his $15 job, Young Corbett went to the theatrical manager and said: Please get me some tougher boys. m take on anybody. Size won't worry me- The manager brought on fellows from three to six inches taller and from 10 to 30 pounds heavier than the 17-year-od Denver wonder.
 Tales of the prowess of the Denver "ham-an' boy were told around Omaha and in time they reached the ears of Fred O'Neill, the champion featherweight of Nebraska, rather arrogant young ster, who was peeved because some folks hazarded the opinion that Young Cor bett might give him a real battle. One afternoon the Denverite. accom- panied by the theatrical manager, went
 into d barber shop. O'Neill was there he walked over to him and said: Say, you're bunking the public by touting that dub who is meeting all com CTS at your theatre. He is the poorest looking fighter I ever saw between the ropes"
 Hardly had O'Neills speech concluded than Young Corbett jumped out of the barber chair and leaped for O'Neill Only the intervention of the proprietor and the theatrical man halted the young sters from settling their differences right there.
 If you think I'm dub come down to the theatre any night and I'll show you a