South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-11
BY ED. HUGHES.
The Famous Sports CartOonIst.

The Famous Sports CartOonlst.
Joe ChOyiniski was probably the
most successful failure that ever
graced the prize-ring. Choyinisk
did a twenty year hitch" in the
squared circle, met the best heavy
weights and light heavies Of his pc
Rod and retired with but two really
great and conclusive triumphs over
first class men. He was beaten by
Hall and Major nearly every good
heavyweight Of his time. His draw
fights constitute some of his finest
achievements in the ring-Bob Fitz-
simmons, Dan Creedon, Kid Mccoy,
Tom Sharkey, ana the then practi-
Cally unknown but hardly less form
idable James J. Jeffries being includ-
ed in this list. Despite repeated re-
verses Joe Choyiniski was a moral"
success in the ring because of the
wonderful fights he made. usually
against tremendous physical odds
Handicapped by being scarcely
heavier than a middle weight Choy-
iuiSiti overcome the drawback 10 a
remarkable extent by his keen ring
craft, terrific hitting, and unshak-
able pluck. They called him Game
Joe"
Joe ChOyiniski, a Hebrew and the
son of a Rabbi. took up lighting
sometime back in 1884. His father
was a learned man and Joe inherited
considerable Of his erudition. He
was the only one in the Choyiniski
family who didn't engage in a life
pursuit Of an intellectual character.
4 thoughtful sage once said that the
boy is the miniature OF the man and
the deduction seemed to fit ChOyin-
iski's case exactly. Joe began fight
ing when he was a mere boy in short
trousers. when other youngsters
were closing in" on the catechism
in Sunday school little Choyiniski
was enjoying fights as spectator and
participant at a picnic ground at
North Beach, an isolated section of
Frisco. Although billed as amateur
exhibitions these settos were genuine
fights and nothing else. TOw-headed
Joe came through" several of these
tournaments and laid the foundation
for his spectacular exploits in the
ring.
-
was with Jim Corbett. The two were
reared in the same section OF Frisco
and were bitter from early boyhOod.
The fight was TO have been staged
across the bay from Frisco in Marin
country in n barn loft. Some 80
sports accompanied the principals
and the betting being brisk each
tOted a siX-shOot in case collection
of the debt requared force. The
fighters had been at it for four
rounds when the police appeared
and boxers and spectators disap-
peared. A few days later the battle
was resumed on a barge out in San
Francisco bay where interference
was out of the question.
Motley Mixture.
About TWO hundred people. a mot
ley mixup of pror-' 1ent business
men, politicians. pro -essiOnal folk
and plain "toughs" witnessed the
fray. Not Goodwin who was show
ing in Frisco at the time was behind
Choyiniski. The bout started early
in the morning but Nat wasn't row
ed ashore until late afternoon. He
missed the performance for Nat
wired the theater: Cant make 1t
in time tell audience 1 can't appear
and dismiss them.
As for the fight itself that was one
OF the most vicious on record. BY
many il is accounted Corbetts best
ring feat Notwithstanding the fact
that his opponent was twenty-five
pounds lighter. When the men were
ready 20 begin il was found that
ChoyiniskTs gloves were MISSING.
One of the spectators contributed
his driving gloves and Choyiniski
donned them. Corbett wore a two
ounce mitt which afforded the ne
cesSary protection 20 his bands and
was withal q Furnishing instrument.
Corbctt realized this for when OffeD