The Washington times., 1923-10-26

BOSWOrth had fought sullivan, EAlle
rain and Mitchell. He wasn't q
world beater, but he was mighty
good heavy at that. Nowadays the
champion or challenger of champions
has q soft and velvet time of it book
ing with the vaudeville houses, salts
flying his audiences with a bit OF
bag-pnching or an exhibition OF the
ner points of boxing with a Cociie
sparring partner.
But up to the, time of Jeffrtes the
custom continued Of a champ or
near-champ touring the country.
principally with burlesque attrac-
tons, and offering form $50 to 500
to any local man who could stay tor
four rounds. Sullivan, Corbett, Nc
Coy. Fitzsimmons and many others
did it.
These earlier tours die moro to
develop the huge army of tight
fans across the country than any
thing before or since. In those
dayg' the newspapers did not print
ring news SO IayishIy- hardly at
All. Most Of the newspapers
though IL beneath their dignity to
print much about the sport.
But the advent and appearance Of
the noted men Of the ring always
started in every city and town a big
wave of excitement and stirred the
youth to emulation. The art OF box
ing in any degree was so scarce gen.
orally in those days that Sullivan,
Mccoy and the others would send a
boxer ahead as a plant" In order to
make sure Of offering a lively attrac-
ton and draw spectators.
The plant" q second-rate fighter,
would be sent on to some town that
boasted no local strong man celebrity.
He would talk fight for days around
the saloons, arrange Darkroom bouts,
and after he had knocked out cny Of
the huslxies he could bet to stand be-
fore him would have worked up such
a reputation that he would be urged
to challenge the oncoming star billed
to appear at the local theater week
or so ahead He would write the
challenge and receive a favorable re-
ply.
great excitement and come whooping
to the theater to see their man wha4e
the champion to sleep. And about
the second round the plant" would
gracefully take sock in the jaw
and go by-by himself. Frequently
enough OF the public would be
worked up to a point of excitement
where they'd do lot Of betting.
Those in the know, Of course,
cleaned up, and the plant" Ieav.
ing one town in disgrace, would
shoot ahead to some other town ]
to work uD under another name
q new reputation for himself
against the coming Of the cham
piOn.
I regret to say that the honest
to-goodness local aspirant had
about as much chance generally in
these encounters as has. a baby in
a lions cage. The boxing stars
wouldn't have cared so much about
letting Them stay the four rounds
If 1t weren't for the cost of it
$50 to 500 If it happened. \
These tours brought for the first
time into use tape for fighters
hands. Under his gloves the cham
pion, when he faced the local boy,
would have a quarter of pound Of
electricians tape wound around each
hand.
Sometimes, inclosed in this would
be pieces of tea lead Tissue lead
used to line the inside of tea boxes).
1t could be moulded nicely over the
knuckles. It meant that the local
boy was gayly going up against
a pair Of sledge hammers.
And If he proved a very tough
one, If he weathered all that, and
was still on his pins in the fourth
round, there was something else
coming to him.
He would be tented BY the
champ until the lad was backed
against the scenery and the signal
of a peculiar yell or the shout Of
q fixed phrase given. Then a
man back of the canvas drop
would come down for all he was
worth. with circus slap stick.
AT the same time the champion
would let 60 a mighty punch.
TheEe'd be sharp thud and out
the boy would go.
The spectators would be sure they
had seen the champions famous
knockout delivered and the local lad
coming out Of his daze,
would be sure himself that he'd re-
ceived 1t. l never observed one of
them yet that doubted 1t. Nothing
but a slapsttck was ever used, be-
cause there was no danger of doing
serious injury with it, and besides,
for the loud and impressive 'sock"
1t sounded when it landed.
But sometimes the champs or
lesser stars didn't eat the canary.
I remember a lumberjack in st.
Louis that walloped Bosworth to his
knees for the count with a wild hay
maker, and 1t Is still fresh in mem
nrv how Jack "MIInroe the miner