The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-29
PETE HERMAN, ONCE
BO0TBLACk, GATHERS
IN LARGE BANK ROLL
BY FRANK G.. MENKE

A one-time bootblack of New Or.
leans has cracked all existing records
for ring earnings in a single year by
warriors in the lighter divisions of
pugilism
And that same lis FOUNDER likewise
kicked into the discard all the old
marks hung up by warriors as regards
travelling within twelve months.
In other words. Pete Herman, by
earning more than $4,000 with his
fists and travelling close to 100000
miles, all within single year. stands
forth unique in fistic annals.
Eight years ago he was 4 shoe
sinner in New Orleans hotel It was
in the neighborhood where sporting
men congregate and while Pete was
dolling up the bottles of the Gus
toners they talked OF things fistic in
such way as to excite his interest
in the mitt singing pastime.
One gentle P. NJ, customer, in
lieu of tip, gave Pete compliment
tary ticket to one of the fight shows
Pete was among those present that
night and became so enthused about
the noble art that he shadow boxed
his way home, in imitation of the
swingers that he saw in action.
Fought Preliminary.
Eventually Pete was able to buy
himself a membership in a gymnas-
ium Then came the day when he
got 4 chance to fight in preliminary
| for $3.50 Pete accepted-and won.
Tempus filtered At last came Pete's
/ big chance. The. man who was tc
/ fight Joe Wagner back in 1914 in New
| Orleans had to cancel his match On
account of illness. There was no one
| else to offer up as sacrifice TO Wag-
ner, who was going great at that timo,
except Herman, the preliminary kid.
! Herman went on, punched Wagner
all around the ring for 20 rounds,
won by II Or IS miles-and became a
sensation.
Came the day that Herman whipped
| Kid Williams, wAo was at the moment
I, joint claimant with Johnny Ertlc.
| for the bantamweight championship
| That gave Pete leg on the crown. He
later established undisputed right to
the title and, meanwhile, Sammy Gold
man boyhood pal from New Orleans,
began to do the managing in such q
way that Pete's annual income taE
payments began to look like state
ment involving the assets of the Fed
eral Reserve bank.
But it remained for Goldman, as
manager, and Herman as warrior, to
bump all records into the discard dur
| ing the 365 days that elapsed between
| Dec. %, 1920. and Dec. %, 1871.
Got $4,000.
|
man battled Joe Lynch in Madison
Square Garden, New York-and lost
! both the decision and the title. Bur
he got approximately $4,000 ror that
affair. Hardly had the smoke OF pat
lie cleared when Herman was on the
bonny blue, en- route for England
where he got s35, 900 for beating JIM
my Wilde.
Herman sailed back home, met four
or five average bantams. beat EN- aN
and got an average of S15,o0o LOT MS
work Then he sailed back to Eng
land and picked UP $4,000 for pound
! ing Jimmy Higgins. bantam champion
of England, into submission
| Three hours after the flsht Win
/ Higgins was ended, Herman was on
his wav back to the United States
Two DAYS after he arrived he foughI
Joe Lynch, got 100000 for it-and re-
gained his title.
Then he fought Charlie Ledoux,
frankie DAILY, Young Montreal ami
about six others, in widely scattered
nsrts of the country, getting from
5000 up to $4,000 for each OF his
efforts.
| Got $4,000 More.
Early this fall, Herman met johnny
Buff. then flyweight champion, anG
lost the decision, thus surrendering his
crown once again. But Herman got
SIS. 600 for the work. Losing the
championship simply acted as spuI
for created endeavor and Pete scooted
to all parts of the country, picking up
nifty nurses wherever he wandered.
Herman rounded out the year by
warning against Midget Smith on Dec.
| %. 1921, in the very same garden
where he lost his title to Lynch-and
he got another bulky purse for his
efforts.
1t is reported that John D. Rookie
| Teller has sent out agents to find out
how much of a financial squirt he
must put on to keep Herman from
gathering in the richest man" cham
pionship.
/ Copyright 1921 BY King Features
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