The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-12-30
STORY Of INTEREST
BY JIMMIE COLLINS

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4$25 reward offered the winner was al
that time not at all hard to take for
the young pugilist who was then
struggling to reach the top rung OF
the ladder that has since brought
fame and fortune.
1t took considerable persuasion to
convince the promoter that a match
between Dempsey and some other
man his size would be pleasing to
an audience of fight fans, but finally
Tom consented, and the largest man
that could be found at Copper Fiat
was selected as an opponent for
Dempsey and the match was made.
On the night OF the big show. how
ever. the man from the mine who
had signed articles in which q de-
posit as an evidence of good faith
was not required. failed to appear.
The crowd was eager to see a go be-
tween two big men before the scien-
tifc lightweights came on. and once
Tom Chambers starts something he
Is going to finish 1t. The SOS. was
sent out for a real big man to meet
Dempsey.
No qualifications were required
other than size, and the Terrible
Swede expressed his willingness to
step inside the squared circle and
slay his worthy opponent for the
sufn+ofered. He was conducted to
an undressing room and a few min
utes later appeared wearing only a
pair of red wooden socks. a suit of
B.V.D.s. and a broad smile. AS he,
crawled through the ropes his meas
urements taken by the eye were eight
feet over all, with a five-foot beam.
The night was cold and the fire low.
so the Swede's trainers kept their
man at fever heat and in the pink Of
condition by passing to him at inter-
walls of every three minutes a pint
flask, from which he imbibed quite
freely. Dempsey entered the ring a
short time later and was not met
with the outburst of applause to
which he is now accustomed.
: Opening ceremonies were dispensed
with and the referee CAV the time
keeper the signal to go. Dempsey
came to the center of the ring. but
the Swede did not seem filled witt
any consuming ambition to leave his
corner. One of his seconds put his
foot through the ropes and knocked
the stool from under him. and the
Swede went down before a blow had
been struck. Dempsey walked Over
to his opponents corner as the latter
'crawled up on the ropes, and said
did you come out here to fight
But the Swede, not having been for
ally introduced to the champion
stood on his dignity and made n
reply. Dempsey turned in DISCUS
to walk away. and as he did so sen
the pivot to the Swede's jaw, and Il
referee ten minutes later said Nine
So ended one of the first battles i
which the man who was destined tc.
become the greatest, pugilist in he
world participated.
Dempsey is a born pugilist, and a
far back as January 80. 1916, when
he first came to Ely. the writer of
this article SO styled him in a report
published in the News at that time
The present champion was then ia
vorably compared with that erstwhile
champion whose name he bears, and
championship honors were predicted
for him in the columns OF this paper.
April g., 1916. Dempsey was matched
against Joe Bonds and the fight.
which was a t%en-round go. was staged
In Bio hall by the same promoter
who had brought the champion to
this district. 1t was at the earnest
solicitation OF the writer that the
big fellow was given a chance to
meet q nan who would bring out
whether or not he had the real metal
in him. Bonds arrived in the dis
trict; the articles of agreement were
signed, and the men started to train.
Bonds was just fresh from Austria
liza, where he had won an enviable
reputation by defeating some OF the
best men in the heavyweight division.
In his training work he showed con-
siderable class. and the general opin-
ion seemed to prevail among follow
ers OF the game In this district that
Dempsey would prove no match for
him. Some said 1t was next to Grim
inal to let him beat Dempsey up
Others predicted that the outcome
might prove fatal to the present
champion. When the two men met
in the ring. however. there was a
different story to tell.
At the outset Of the battle Bonds
showered blows upon his sturdy op-
popspt and landed often enough to