The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-20

afre1l And the man WnO pllOteu JaCh Dempsey to the heavyweight throne de- olares:
 within year Farrell is going to take his place among the greatest middle Farrell served as Dempsey's sparring weights of all time.'
 partner in Benton Harbor and he eer- tainly showed something in the way of
 fistic skill that none of the other mid dlewefghts in America have ever placed
 on exhibition. Amazingly fact, schoolcd in every defensive trickery and light
 hing puncher, Farrell - has just another Asset that may help to raise him to the
 heights.
 And that is ability to take punishment.
 DEMPSEY CUTS LOOSE
 Dempsey, aiways carefui nor to dam
 age sparrfng partners, seemed to walve
 the rule when opposed by Farrell. He would always tear into the youngster' lash away with both fists and pound Farrell wickedly. But always Farrell came back without faltering, mixed Il with the king of pugilists and frequently gave as good as he had to take. Farrels fistic start is really due 10 the fact. that he lived during his earliest bovhood in inc of the toughest districts in Ne wYork.
 .I always had to pass through thick ly peopled negro section on my way to school" recounts Farrell. Those dark boys always found some excuse to DICK a quarrel with every white boy that came along They used to single me out at least I thought so-with standins regularity. And the first time 1t was done I was badly mussed up. BATTLES BLACK BOYS 4 I T Vrro nnf
 with the alternative of quitting sscnooi
 oR learn how to fight my way through
 that district chose the latter course, and after time I was able to take on not only one of the dark boys at time' but very often could whip two or three
 in one afternoon without getting real workout After that the dark boys began
 to respect me and I had rather clear passage through their district from then
 on.
 "The rough and tumble battling of
 those days awakened in me a love for fighting and was keen to know all that was possible about the boxing game. My home wasn't very far from the new Polo
 Athletic Club I went there one after noon and was fortunate in meeting Mikc Gibbons He was at the crest of his
 career at the time and l was just lSnickerbocker kid. Mike took a fancs
 to me-and I became very fond of Mike used to run erEands for him and d9
 loot. of other little things As re ward Mike would box with me and teach
 me tricks on those afternoons that he
 wasn't busy working out with the other fighters.
 STARTS CAREER
 "Finally I launched upon a pugilistic career-and knocked out my first oppo- nent I whipped the next three men an fon T7a6 fTyidN ayuic in ms fifth professional fight. It was rather daring thing to do. but I was guaran teed $6O0.andi $500 was approximately s60 GOO to me in those days. The fight with Lewis took place in Philadelphia and the newspaper decision, if I recall correctly, made it a draw.
 Soon afterward I went to war and was in the army until nearly year after hostilities had concluded. When I was let out of the service Il was on the Pa | cific coast and because I needed money I hunted around for a fight in Frisca landed one got fair sum of monoy for my work and knocked out the other | fellow"
 KEARNS SAYS Kearns, taking up the story at that point, said:
 the coast and whipped all of them so decisively that not one was a real fight He looked like worlds champion pitted against the worst kind of a novice I
 met him then and took him in cahrge He had a few crudities-but now I think they have been corrected. I could have sent Farrell in a battle against some tough middleweishts before this. but wanted him to get the added experience of serving as Jack Dempsey's sparring partner.
 "Now that he has had that feel that he is ready to go out and whip the great est fighters Of his weight He beams only 150 or so now-but that won't ston him from taking on anybody up to 160. expect to work him along a little slow ly for the next few months and then let him tear lose. Tn year if he gets a crack at the titleholder, he will best him sure. For Farrell answers all of
 the demands of great fighter.'