The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-30
DOINGS IN THE SPORT WORLD
SPORTING NOTES

Arthur "Tillie" Shafer former third baseman of the New York | Giants, is at the University of Wash
 ington naval training station learning
 to drive a hydroplane. The former | Giant is well off financially. It will
 be remembered that Shafer quit the
 Polo. Grounds and went to the Pacific
 coast because he received so many
 notes from young ladies who wanted
 to make his acquaintance. And "Til-
 lie" is such a bashful young mann
 Practically all of the great men of
 the ring, past and present, were
 reared in poverty, early acquainted
 with hard manual toll, and educated
 in the school of diversity and hard
 knocks.
 I Going back to the beginning of
 modern pugilism, James Figg, the first champion, was a boatman be-
 fore he took up the fistic game. Jack
 Slack, who won the championship in 1750, was a butcher in Norwich, Eng
 land. Jake Talin developed his mus
 cles heaving coal. Bill Darts was a sl dyer, and Tom Lyons a waterman.
 George Meggs was a Bristol coal miner Tom Johnson was a porter on the London wharves. John Jack son was runner and jumper and a T professional strong man before he l. won the big title The great lem Belcher was a Bristol butcher. Ben ) digo was an acrobat. Jem Mace was 5 an itinerant violinist before he took
 up the Diff game. Tom Hyer, the first champion of America, was a } New York butcher. John Heenan
 was a blacksmith, and for several years was employed in steamship
 shops at Benicia, Cal, hence the title
 "Benicia Boy"
 Jack Morrissey, another classy
 American heavyweight. worked in a
 Troy, N. Y, foundry. Paddy Ryan
 was also a Troy iron worker. John L.
 Sullivan, Ryans conqueror, was a tinsmith. Jim Corbett was a bank
 clerk in San Francisco. Bob Fitz- simmons was a blacksmith, Jim lief
 fries boilermaker. Tommy Burns a lacrosse player, and Jack Johnson a
 Galveston stevedore. Charley Mitch
 ell was employed in a medical col
 lege and thought of becoming a doc
 tor before taking to the ring. Jake 5 Kilrain was a professional sculler. n Tom Sharkey was a sailor, and Peter $ Maher a brewer. Dan Donnelly was = a carpenter Ike Weir was a jockey = Australian Billy Murphy was tailor = Kid Lavigne carried sacks of sal e from docks to barges at Saginaw 6 Mich. Frank Erne was employed il e a Buffalo bowling alley. Bat Nelson n was a farm boy. Billy Smith worked J in Maine sardine packing plant e Tommy Ryan ran away from homo II and became a "neWsy" in Detroit l. Joe Walcott was born in British
 Guiana and was a cabin boy on.
 lumber schooner and later a piano ', mover. George Green, one time vel ,+ terweight champion, came of { . wealthy San Francisco family ant took up boxing as an amateur. John U ny kilbane was a railroad clerk. :acl Dempsey, Jack McAuliffe and Jac1 y Skelly i were coopers. Bombardie 'L Wells had the queerest occupation o e all-he was a bone boiler. Terry Nc e- Govern was a newsboy. Packey Nc st Farland worked in the Chicago pack = ing houses. Kid Mccoy was a jacl Il of all trades. Jim Flynn was a loco
 motive fireman, while Carl Morri
 was an engineer.
 1T It was just 1O7 years ago toda Ii that Tom Oliver boxed a draw witt ', Tom MolineauX, the American negro ii in London. This was the first appear ,s ance of Oliver, afterward destined t
 rank as one of the greatest of Brit ", ish fighters, and it provoked vii
 applause for the youngster. The oc ~ casion was a benefit given to Danie Mendoza, the great Hebrew fighter A' at which a number of pugilists volun 7i teered to perform. Molineaux boxe '- with Isaac Bitten, Hebrew, and tn " Virginia darkey soon gave the Is 'd realite enough of it. The negro the ly challenged anybody present to mee
 him, and Oliver, a husky gardener to offered himself. To the surprise C s' everybody the novice held the blac of man even, although it was a brie r. bout with the "m1ttens." and Olive rs thenceforth determined to be a prize
 fighter. Oliver's battle with Ne
 Painter, in which he was defeated
 was immortalized by George Borro, ,S in his novel 'Lavengro."