The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-17
Chapter II

ccNh DCAApSCy odIu
The first boisterous moment l ex-
perienced in New York was the night
that Jack Price came to our little
hall bedroom yelling:
I've got a fight for you, Jack, got
a fight at last.
My opponent was Ole Anderson.
Jack had taken the match for me on
three days notice. | was so anxious
10 fight by that time so as to get exer-
else and some money that Id have
fought a roomful of men without
notice.
My training for that battle con-
sisted of getting up at six o'clock for
three mornings and running around
the reservoir in Central Park. | didn't
do any boxing because | couldn't pay
gymnasium fee and the only rub
downs | got were those | gave myself.
"Ole proved to be whole lot
smarter in ring warfare than | did.
He had experience. | was mighty
crude He had it on me about 45
pounds in bulk, about six inches in
reach, almost as many inches in
height. But ! tore into him anyway
with everything / had and kept tear
ing in for ten rounds, but l couldn't
put him away. In those days | had
strength, but l knew little about
craftsmanship.
Jack Gets S27
81 won the newspaper decision in
that fight. and Jack drew something
like s27 for my share OF the gate. The
crowd which turned out to see me in
my New York debut could have been
crowded comfortably into a passenger
train day coach.
About a week or so later, when our
Joint bankroll was getting thin again,
Jack got another match for me. 1t
was against Wild Bert Kenny, ten
rounds, no decision, and my share was.
to be Is per cent of the gross.
Il asked Jack if he thought the per
centage arrangements would net US
that dreamed about 500.
Say, my boy, we'll get s500-may-
be $1,000 out of this fight. The house
will be sell-out.'
Runs Around Park.
81 trained for that battle as I had
| for the firstly running around in
| Central Park early in the morning.
| There was no one around then to stare
at me. Ny days were spent wander
| ing around the town-and wanting,
more than anything else in the world,
! to be back in the West. But Jack
made me stick by insisting that sooner
or later we would strike it rich.
Il was usually in bed each night by
! 9 o'clock. There was nothing else for
me to do but sleep because I had no
money for movies, no money for
! p1easures-and darned little for eats.
| Those surely were thin days-and
! tough ones.
Lonesome Existence.
Il didn't see much of my manager
! pal except when he was asleep. Id
| be up and out in the morning while he
| was snoozing. Sometimes at noon or
in the evening we'd meet up for a
meal together. Oftener | ate alone.
i Yep. mine was a lonesome existence
in those days-especially with home
sickness increasing with every day.
Jack would usually turn in about
midnight or a little later, light the
single gas jet and read for hours
under its flicker. The rafting of the
paper or the light itself usually would
wake me up and kill off my sleep. If
| I'd say anything about it, the old boy
would begin roughing me and in
about a minute we'd be at it in a
rough and tumble affair that would
wake up the entire house.
We darned near got chased out OF
that place twice because of our early
morning tomfoolery
Hungry as Wolf.
= got up at 6 in the morning Of the
day of my fight with Kenny. l woke
up Jack to explain that I'd need q
little money for meals. Jack sadly in
formed me that the bankroll was sc
low that we'd have to pass up break
fast and lunch so as to have enough
for the evening meal, which was tc
pep me up for the affair with
Kenny.
so | went for my turn in the parl
and got back TO the room about
as hungry as a wolf. | figured or
catching Jack there and coaxing {
dime or so out of him. But he hao
gone. | wandered around town unit
noon and then got so hungry that
decided the best way TO fight it of
; was to climb into bed There | stayed
all afternoon.
PaWns Suit.
Jack was to meet me at 6. He
never showed up. Seven O'CLOCK
came and no Jack Price. Another hal
= missing. l had to have something t
'eat. | paved around among .oul