The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-02
AMAZING STORY OFAN AMAZING
LIFE LED BY TEX. RICHARD
Big Fight Promoter
Has Outbarnumed
Barnum

NEW YORK, July .. = Tex
Richard went broke during the
klondike gold rush. He lost every
thing-beCause he ran a square
gamu."
That's his reputhtion-"he al.
ways runs square game" It's
the chief reason why he's now go.
ing to cash in on the millIon.dol.
lar Dempsey-Carpentier fight.
Millions of people are excited
about the big fight. All except Tex
Richard. He's carrying the whole
burden himself, yet he's not only
not excited about 1t, but he has
found time TO transform Madison
Square Garden into the biggest
swimming pool in the world.
Richard Is the modern Barnum
the worlds greatest Snowman!
He became SNOWMAN by accident
and he has made a fortune out Of
It,
He's the most sought after man
In New York. He sits behind barred
doors up In the tower Of Madison
Square Garden, calmly smoking
big fat cigars and watching the
golden flood pour In.
Seaside In City
Out through a little door in the
back Of his office he can step on.
to a balcony high up among the
rafters OF the great building and
see the indoor seaside resort on
which he has Just spent 100000.
Nobody has ever been able to
make Madison Square Garden pay
because It was a white elephant
In the summertime. Richard made
bet with himself he could make
|! pay.
Richard always bets WITH him.
self-and ON himself.
If he ever worries he doesn't
show 1t. II he loses his temper he
keeps It to himself. He has a good
poker face" He is always calm
and unafraid and he has nerve.
"I'll take a chance on anything
that looks like an even chance"
he said turning with satisfied
twinkle In his eyes from a desk
strewn with letters marked Per
sonal" and filled with checks.
He's Just so
Richard Is just so, is medium
sized and slightly chunky, has thin
hair carefully brushed over large
bale spot, wide smile that shows
even teeth and An unhurrIed. I'm.
abrupt manner.
His Midas-like touch has turned
everything into gold since the day
In 1906 when he turned from his
gambling house In Nevada and put
lEoldtield on the map and his own
name in the newspapers by stag
ing the Nelson.Gans fight,
Since then he has staged 30 ma
tional and international bouts and
not one has been financial fail
ure.
He took in $2so,OoO at the JET.
fries Johnson fight in Reno, $780,
600 at the Willard-Moran fight in
New York and $452,0O0 at the
Dempsey. Willard fight in Toledo.
Now he sees a million.dollar gate
in Jersey City.
Born In Missouri
The fight promoter was born In
Kansas City, Jan 2, 1871. and was
taken to Texas as a child. His
father was an Illinois millwright.
At 70 he was left alone to support
a widowed mother and two broth
ers and three sisters. lie became
a cow.puncher and at 81 was elect
ed marshal Of Henrietta, Tex.
Tex went to Alaska In 1894 and
was at Circle City when the Klon.
dixie kold rush started. He hur.
ried there, staked a claim and sold
It for $4,000. He opened a gam
bling house and went broke.
In the winter OF 1898 he and Rex
Beach, the author, sawed wood at
Rampant for a living, Later he
went to Nome and finally to Gold.
field where he opened another
gambling house and fell accidental
~ into fight promoting.
Cattle King
His first love-the cattle game
still remains. He is a partner in a
cattle raising enterprise in South
America. A syndicate he heads has
100000 acre ranch In Paraguay,
1.-THE people have played square
with :1e, and | try to play square
them for suckers"
The man who has out.Barnumed
Barnum has another name besides
"Tex." His first name is George.
He Is married and his wife is his
with them" says Tex. ~ don't play
last advisor.