New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-03
By James Hopper

VoAAANo AoRP&A
Among the spectators at the ringside
i believe that is the consecrated
phrase was Monsieur Andre Fanger,
"pllote amateur" and "redacteur sportif
au Progress de Lyon" All this, which
found on the visiting card he gave
me, means that he was, during the war,
an aviator, and that he is now sport
ing editor of the Progress de Lyon.
which is daily newspaper published
in the city of Lyons, France AS in
France there is really only one city
that counts-and that is Paris-I sup
pose we are not very far wrong or in
sulting in saying that Monsieur Andre
Fanger is slightly provincial.
Well, Monsieur Andre Fanger had
landed this very morning in America
From the docks he had crossed dire c,,y
to Jersey City and to the arena so in
adequately known as Boyle's Thirty
Acres. He had seen of America only
the New York docks, the Jersey City
railroad yards, the arena, and about
five rather dreary preliminary bouts.
Then. to the sudden awakening of the
huge human bowl in clear acclaim, he
saw France step upon the white ring in
the person of it's statuesque and frail
champion. And Immediately it was
America again, in the shape of pow
erful gladiator, black matched and
gloWering.
Frenchman's View of Fight
Afterward, when everything was fini,
was sitting in the press stand and
leaning across the rough desn, was
looking far, far away. So l crossed
over to see what he thought of it all.
On his desk, all written in nice, clear,
longhand was his little story, all ready
to go off to Lyons par telegraphie sans
fiji.
Now, he did not look at all like
writer. He was stout and strong, with
hair cropped short and that brick-red
complexion often seen in the region Of
France from which he comes, where
they have lots and lots of good old
Burgundy. But you know, as I have
said before, and as / repeat now being
very stubborn person
"You never can tell what a French
man will do"
asked him what he thought of the
fight, and in return he gave me his
little story, lying there already for
the wireless which, on the wing OF
invisible sparks, was to send 1T to
France. And here was the whole thing
what had happened, told so aptly, and
briefly and with such measure, moth
ing too much and nothing too little,
and yet so completely that | promptly
swiped it, deciding that the journalist
from Lyons, France, had said it ever 80
much better than |, no matter with
what effort, could say it.
"Carpentier," this was his first sent
ence, "was conquered by La Pursuance"
Do you know that word, Pursuance?
1t means power, and strength, and en-
ergy, endurance and iron ruggedness,
all rolled up in one.
"The Frenchman," M. Andre went on,
"fought a most courageous battle He
attacked and attacked ceaselessly, seek
| ing to impose himself upon his oppo-
nent And in the second round he al
most snatched victory from the fates,
from the rude material law. Victory
for moment was before him, hanging
by thread.
"But he was pitted against most
powerful and admirable fighter, a man
who, although seeming to move slowly,
m owed all of the time and always for
ward. AS long as the Frenchman boxed,
sending in his lightning like blows
from a distance, he rather had the ad-
vantage. But in the mitigating, the
powerful American, shaking him off,
punished him severely. And after that
second round, When Carpenter almost
performed the impossible, l merely
awaited the knock out which I knew
must come"
There it all is, think, and said with
much moderation.
For the French champion, frai and
! physically outclassed, fought superb
| battle. And when at the end he law
on the canvas and tried to rise, and
could not, there fell upon the vast
arena something like a stupor. The
silence that comes to men who have
witnessed something magnificent be-
yond the gift of expression, and which
| they will never forget
When rrst he came on to the ringed
| platform he looked pale and drawn,
and the discrepancy between his com
parative frailty and the American
champions impressive strength, so
often noticed by those who saw the
men in their respective camps, was
more apparent than ever before.
Carpenter Had the Smile
- But. he smiled. AS they say in
French. "he had the smile" That
strange half enigmatc smile which
used to puzzle US whenever we saw him
IN his workouts at his training quar-
| tiers. And he continued to have il
throughout the desperate duel; had it
at its most despairing moment; went.
down with it and, 1 fancy that, even
as he lay on the canvas, unconscious,
hidden from my sight by the thunder
struck spectators, the smile was still
on his lips.
| know now what it was, that smile.
1t was the smile which dauntless
heart has for the forlorn hope. The
smile. half of contempt, with which
once faces the conspiracy of matter.
And not for moment did the French
man compromise or cajole He threw
ms whole being into explosive at