Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-27
.R|CKARD IS BOX|NG'S
GREATEST Snowman
Promoter of Dempsey-carpen-
tier Bout Has Staged Battles
Drawing Large Receipts.
~ Associated Press 10 Every Evening.

Drawing Large ReceipIs.
By Associated Press 10 Every Evening.
New York, June 25.--''B 'Boxing's
greatest Snowman" That is the title
which George Lewis f''Tex'D Rickard.
promoter Of the coming Dempsey
Carpenter bout, has earned in the
staging of several bouts drawing the
largest gate receipts in the history OF
the sport
Thrown in contact with the boxing
game BY accident Riekard, an account
Of whose career reads like fiction. &C
compiished nearly everything he set
his mind on doing and has kept going
along successfully, despite condi-
tions that sometimes made the word
quit" seem attractive.
Rickard was born in Kansas City
Mo, January 2, 1871. His father, n
rniIlwrlght, moved to the Panhandle of
Texas when the embryo promoter was
a small boy. At the age Of q years.
thrown on his own resources. with "A
widowed mother, two brothers and
three sisters TO support. Tex" turned
to the calling Of cow-punchIng, uni
versal in Texas.
Then started the travels which
have made this man . citizen Of the
world" He met success in the cattle
business. but in 1891 hit the trail" for
the Klondike. Months Of hardship
brought fair returns, but after a year
or two in Dawson. Rickard again NOV
ed. This time, he drew up in Cold
field, New. at the time when the min
ing craze engllfed that section.
But Goldfieid was not satisfied with
the local activity which the miners
brought TO that place. The town
boosters wanted national note and
Rickard suggested championship
boxing match.
The promotion Of the big enterprise
with the aid of virtually no capital
has been characteristic of this pros
pector who has tapped the gold mines
of Broadway as well as of the KIon-
dixie and Nevada. From his friends
he secured enough money to offea.
Jimmy Britt and Terry McGovern a
$50, 900 guarantee for a championship
bout in Goldfield- Coming from an un-
known, at that time, the offer was
hailed by the boxers and their man
ayers as a joke.
Rickard kept right on, however. and
the managers of Joe Cans and Bait
ling Nelson were more susceptible TO
the CLINT of $4,000 in gold pieces land
before them. The lightweights fought
a memorable battle at Goldfield. The
town was advertised nationally and
TEX" Rickard became a successful
fistic promoter.
Since that time, Rickard has pro-
NOTED from financial point of view,
the greatest ring contests ever staged.
They have been successes only be-
cause of the extraordinary Snowman
ship" of the man. Always his slogan
has been take a chance" He as
founded the country with his guaran-
tees for the Johnson Jeffries battle at
Reno in 1910. But his receipts totaIled
100000. Receipts for the willard
Dempsey bout at Toledo, July 1. 1910.
amounted TO S450,O0 a new high
mark.
Bouts staged by him in Madison
Square Garden during the six months
previous TO last March brought in
more than $1,000, ,000 Approximately
81 900 900 win flow into the box Office
before Jack Dempsey and Georges
Carpenter square of at Jersey City,
July 2. easily covering the tire
mendous outlay necessary to stage
this bout. Rickard is one Of the few
who have coaxed substantial returns
out of promotion IN the boxing game.
Take a chance" and BE square
are Richards watchwords which seem
to summarize reasons for the success
which has come to him in business as
well as boxing. For boxing is only
a sideline with him. Tex is i partner
in huge cattle enterprises in South
America. His herds roam over a
range Of more than 4,000, ,000 acres
He is general manager of firm back
ed by American financ:ers in a project
which produces beaf for American
consumption.
But despite the take a chance
motto, mere good luck has had little
part in the success of this man who
now sits in a suite of offices In Madi-
son Square Garden and directs, in
the Jersey bout. July 2. million dol
lar proposition" Starting without
capital; applying well the principles OF
credit making the forfeits of boxers
pay for the preliminary expenses OF
the earlier bouts, Rickard has been
successful in the staging of 80 battles
without single loss. In the GoIdfiald
days, he was a prospector, uncovering
his gold In box offices as well as in
gold mines. Today, this smooth
faced, affable business man is still
prospecting. But with success must
come some disadvantages. Tex.
Richards name now assures an event.
There is no more doubt and .'Take-a
Chance" Riekard almost misses the
thrill.
--e-~