The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-03
SHORT PEGS

Senor Luis Angelo Firpo. the emil nent Argentinian economist, has been elected grand exalted keeper Of the sacred fetish by the American Order of Nickel Nurses. The sacred fetish ig mildewed nickel, discovered be- hind the back bar of the orders char ter nursery, otherwise known in those days as Tom Sharkey's saloon. The order sprang into being sspon- taneously one night. Several of the customers had been opening wine Without warning, Tom offered to open something himself. Two men tainted and one went stark mad Suit ing action to his words, however, Sharkey opened window.
 No less a position was considered adeouate to express the orders ap- preciation of Senor Firpo's contribu- tion to the science of nickle nursing. The office is entirely honorary, no expense being involved. It is rich in tradition. The scroll of names of those who have held 1t before reads like a record of all the progress that has been made in this important science There are the names of Harry Lauder. Jess Willard Sharkey, Rockefeller. Georges Carpenter, Francois Descamps. Carnegie, Buli Montana and, at the top. as patron saint of the order, the name of Ben Franklin, inventor of thrift. The particular service for which Senor Firpo was thus knighted con sisted of his recent refusal to take along his trainer and tutor, Jimmie De Forest. on the trip to Cuba be- cause of the expense. As De Forest was largely responsible for Firpo' s amassment of $1OO,oo in the ring, this feat of jitney -coddling obviously merited the bestowal of the highest distinction the order could give, the Nobel prize of thrift.
 Among other old men who are frisking about on baseball cleats or paving for business openings in the ring this summer there's Johnny Xiii bane of Cleveland. You won't begin to realize how old this old fellow must be until you've had glimpse of the silver-fox trimming above his face wrought by the delft tools of | time.
 In years Kilbane is only 34. but his years don't tell the age of the man. You get the angle better by glancing back over his record, replete with the names of long-forgotten kids who once were brave with ambition Some are dead. some perhaps in prison, some have long since retired and gone to work. and one has become substantial bootlegger in large way of trade.
 His record in 19OS-that's 15 years ago-notes a win in 10 rounds over Young Saylor. Remember him? Came from Indiana; good fighter. but mean tempered and full of shady tricks Fought some good bouts in Australia; made himself sensational as a lightweight later by his loop the-loop punch. a long wallop that whacked a man on the back of the lungs and punched his breath out.
 But here's an item which makes Kilbane look positively juvenile. Joe McGinnity pitching for Waterloo in the Mississippi Valley league, beat Marshalltown, 1 to 0. allowing four hits only. McGinnity is 52. He pitched and won a world series game for the Giants in 1905. two years be- fore Kilbane had his first prelimi- nary bout.
 Then there's Tommy Kilbane, no kin to John, reminiscent of the years when "skiddoo" was modern, and Biz Mackey. another name which clanks like the chains of haunting ghost Young Ghetto, Monte Attell Patsy Brannigan-what a dusty old list that is!