Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-26
DEMPSEY LIKES
BOXING CAME;
ALWAySFIGHTS
Jack Declares That Love Of the
Nit Game Was Born In
Him Early.
,8OxED WITH BIG BROTHER
o.arted to Work in Mines With
ov BrOthers-Miners Knew Him
ngs as a Fighter.

'FJuIy 4 may give the world a new
pheavyweight champion, always was
fighter. When the Jack Dempsey
of today came into existence his
parents named him William Harri-
son Dempsey. Fighting as William
Harrison Dempsey did not appeal
to the man who is to face Jess VIII
lard in battle for the title. That's
why he annexed the Jack to take
the place of his own first and mid
die names.
A quiet little chat with Dempsey
in a corner of his clubhouse revealed
much that is interesting. For In
stance, Jack, in telling that he al
ways was a fighter, offered proof in
the form of a declaration by his
parents that he was the scrapp1est
baby they ever had in the family.
Likes Game and the Money.
my father and mother often told
me l always wanted to fight, so L
guess starting out that way de-
termined the career that l was to
follow" Jack said.
I'm fighting today for two rea-
sons. The principal reason is that
I like to fight; it seems to be IN
born. Another reason is that I'm
lust about like all other folks. 1 like
the money, and the boxing game
has opened the way for me to gain
wealth.
"Of course, there is that thing
they call glory. To be champion,
of course, is a mighty nice thing
People will look up to man and
say as he goes down the street:
There goes So-and-So, the worlds
heavyweight champion"
"But what is a champion, any
way? He's just a human being, like
any other fellow. Perhaps he has
been gifted with a physique that
gives him an advantage over most
other men. Perhaps this man may
have been gifted, too, with quick
thinking and reliable brain. to help
use his superior physique"
Jack Surely is Confident.
But let it be understood that Jack
Dempsey is not considering as
paramount the glory that goes with
Dugilism. ''Of course, would be
To lIO
and please don't hold me boastful
when l tell you that expect to ac-
compHsh that achievement on July
f."
"why should I be so confident?
Well, haven't told you some men
are gifted with the stuff that gives
them an advantage over others?
Then figure out for yourself why l
am in the position I am in today in
pugilism.
'As for-the glory end of it, you
can put me down as human be-
ing. with much to gain in a finan-
cial way. as well as the honor
that is bestowed on a champion. AS
champion 1 feel sure 1 won't feel
any less human than 1 do today, and
I'm sure l won't act otherwise"
Boxed With Brother First.
Going back to the early days of
Dempsey's fighting life presents an
interesting little story. Jack attend
ed a grammar school in Colorado
at the same time he took a gram
mar school course in boxing. His
older brother, who had some of the
fighting instinct, also was a boxer,
and the two Dempsey kids used to
don the mitts and wallop away at
each other in long sessions after
school was out.
But Jacks brother, whose name
was Don Bernard Dempsey,
strangely enough annexed Jack for
fighting name to take the place of
Don Bernard. They had read of the
notable bouts of the Jack Dempsey
of many years ago, THE Nom
pareil'' And so that name proved
acceptable.
Gets Plenty Of Fighting.
Jack wasn't any more than or
S years old when he put on the
gloves to spar with his brother, an
age at which few kids know there
is such a game as boxing. But
Dempsey had plenty of fighting aft
er that 1t was the kind for which
there is no gate, no purse, the only
reward being a possible bloody
nose.
But after grammar school there
was work to be done, and so Kid
Dempsey started to work in the
mines of Colorado. He likes to tell
about the miners. Some of them
were gold mines, some silver, and
others coal. The returns were not
gold mine returns, but what Jack
earned went home to his mother.
And today Jack doesn't forget that
same mother, with greater returns
from his fighting.
A couple of years later. the
Dempseys moved to West Virginia,
and there he continued his mining
work as we'll as his fighting. The
underground work had given him a
rugged frame and powerful fighting
ability. Jack says he thinks some OF
the miners he knew in those days
will testify that, then he gr1nS
knowingly.
Dempsey might have been the
Youngest professional boxer in the
game if he could have had his OWL
way. But he couldn't make any
money for home consumption by
fighting, and so he stuck at the job
of mining.
well, Jack, how did you happen
to engage IN your fight for the
money! was asked.
@Oh, that makes long story
was the answer. Come around to-
morrow and I'1steli You when we
have more time"