The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-27
NOW THEY'RE TALKING
OF DOING AWAY WITH
TEX RICHARDS GARDEN

NEW YORK, May 26.-Man and
boy, New York has been going to
Madison Square Garden for nigh
onto 40 years to watch the bouts.
the bucking broncos, the bikes and
What-not Madison Square Garden
has held thousand and one nights
OF varied entertainment. and now
there's talk of tearing the old place
down.
Tex Richard, the fight merchant.
is only renter. The big insurance
company that owns the sand-colored
Moorish building, surmounted by the
tower and the statue of Diana which
q, Henry used to commune with from
his park bench in Madison Square at
nlght, can arrange to close him out
on short notice if the price is right.
Richard has no romantic sentiment
concerning the Garden, which has
been merely his big store for the last
three years, and he'll go if they
make it worth his while to find an
other sales room big enough TO hold
his customers.
TammanY Young, the eminent gate
crusher, who first made himself ia
nous by backing through the en-
trance bareheaded in the midst of Il
Jam, pretending that he was coming
out, and thus achieved the ringside
at a Joe Cans fight. is fairly vel.
posted on the historic events of the
Garden But Tam for all his two
and twenty years of crashing the
Garden gate is a mere youngling and
not qualified to raise his voice IN
reminiscent strain because the Gar
een had Il history the day that he
WIS born
IN lianc>t Gambler.
Honest John Kelly, the old gam
bier, who once made Mark Twain la1-
down aces three to his bob tail
flush. and his sarrulous old parrot.
which cacklcd insanely at the Incl
dent. might be qualified to tell OF
the real old days, but Kelly couldn't
be reached and the parrot has be =
comc gibbering old fool and cant
be qneted.
There is old John, the Waterman
at the back door ordinarily to be
found by the glow of his pipe in the
darkEcss OF the Vestibule, but John
IS on sick report and more concerned
with his inability to chew steak any
more than with his recollections Of
Reggie Vanderbilt driving around
the ring on the upper deck of 4
tall%-ho opening the horse show.
Anyway, the Garden is ready TO
so. The roof garden where young
larry Thaw laid hands on the un-
Suspeetins shoulder of Stanford
White, whirled him around in his
chair and plugged him with gun.
i: Il dusty old wreck of the gay re-
sort it used to be. The elevator
which once carried the select few
quests Of White to his girl in the
pic parties up in the secret crannies
of the tower is now asthmatic, rheu-
matte and IA peril to those who use
Il to commute to the matchma kcr's
office.
!. Lonely Big Barn.
The tile-floored cafe is just lone
ly big barn of a room, with pinochle
tables stacked over to one side.
where once it glittered and vibrated
in the spirit of night life and cham
payne. There the wine agents, the
pickpockets, the gamblers. the fight
ers, the writer's and the girls used to
foregather in the nights of the origi-
nal siX-day bike race. There the
Boston Strong Boy bought drinks all
around before stepping into the ring
to announce himself as yours truly,
John L. Sullivan" as preliminary
to the chastisement of all corners.
Joe Cans, Little Chocolate, Terry
McGovern, Stanley Ketchel, Jack
OBrien, Bob Fitzsimmons. Young
Corbett, Sam Langford, Packey Nc
Farland, the Sullivan twins of Bos-
ton-call the roll of the fighters who
really were historic in the game and
you've named some of those who
spilled their own and other mems
gore on the spot where large Bill
Brennan knocked off Jack Demp-
seys left ear as late as 1921.
Wrestlers, bike riders, bronco bus
ters, wild animals. marathon run
ners, walkers. sprinters, swimmers,
roller skaters, even football teams
have had their big nights in Madi-
son Square Garden. War rallies and
anti-war rallies In '9S and II RATED
the rafte-s with the fervor of their
cheers and counter-cheers.
Last week Delmonico's went. Soon
the Garden will go. o. Henry
wouldn't know his own Bagdad on
the subway.