Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-24

You'll find the Australian right. in
step with you when it comes to
knowing the fight game. You can't
put anything over on them. They've
been at the business as long as we
have, and If you attempt any fly
stuff with them they'll come right
back at you.
If you do put one over. they write
1t in a little book, and you can bet
your sweet boots that IT will never
be slipped over on them a second
time. l like Australia and want to
go back there some day with a stable
OF fighters just TO renew old &C.
quaintances.
Watson Gained Fast.
/ took Red Watson over withAme
on my trip, and it was my opinion
as well as theirs that he would have
been a champion had he taken careof
himself. He had his own ideas about
draining restrictions, and in the end
he blew up.
I had him matched to fight q
wild little Frenchman named Guam
dou. / sent Watson up into the back
woods to train. McGoorty went with
him. | don't know where he got it.
hut he came back not a lightweight.
but a full-fledged middle.
/ was stumped. Cussing wouldn't
do any good, though IIll admit turn
ed on quite a blast of II. l blamed
McGoorty, but what was the use Of
squawking now? The thing was to
get him in there in the best shape
possible. There was way. / had a
pretty stiff weight forfeit up, but that
wasn't worrying me. / was certain
that the Frenchman's manager would
kick over the traces about Watsons
weight and we'd get none of the
big gate. / ran some of 1t off OF
Watson before weighing in time
came. but still he looked as big as Il
house.
We came to the weighing. The
French manager, a fretful little bird
was here. there and everywhere. l
never knew any one to approach him
in that respect. unless it was Des-
camps. the man who helped make
Carpenter famous.
Well when | got look at the old
fashioned scales with the cast iron
weights, an old tank town trick came
TO my mind. / had three silver dol
lars in my pocket. and decided here
was a good use for the old iron men.
No smart manager would think of
going into a weighing room without
the handy wad of gum riding be-
tween his jaws. l had a good quid
of it ready, and, slipping piece Of
gum between each dollar IL made
them stick together. Then the largest
piece went ON top of the upper coin
When Quandou had stepped on the
scales they were placed at 135. He
didn't make them even CULVER. didn't
mind that. 1 didn't care what he
weighed. 1t was what Watson was
going to register that had me worried.
/ knew it wasn't even going to be
close. He was a good % pounds over.
and the Frenchmen were chattering
madly about it. Then l acted quickly.
Palming the silver dollars. i brushed
the Frenchman aside and started in
spectinS the scales.
These scales are not right" l
squawked. '1Iow can they he right?
Look at the frog. He weighs a ton
Do you mean to tell me that these
scales show this man to be but 49,
pounds? There's something rotten
here and you're not going to fool
me- I bawled good and loud. Nothing
like diverting all eyes away from my
big chump to the man who really
did weigh 1875 or less
Fixed Scales For Red.
Give me look at these scales"
I shouted louder than ever, and. stoop-
ing over them so that the Frenchmau
had none the best Of il, / stuck the
three silver dollars under the little
metal disk that supported the iron
counter weights. They stuck like
they were glued. Good old gum and
likewise good old silver bucks from
home.
I kept storming and iawinE about
! the hopelessness of getting a square
deal on any such set of scales.
Get aboard, Red" I finally said.
well have to stand for these bum
scales ] guess. No telling what that
frog really weighs but you can't be
any heavier than he is. That's
cinch. ] know that" All of this, of
course, for the Frenchman's benefit.
Watson, stepped lightly onto. the
scales and the Frenchmahs eyes
popped right out of their sockets when
he saw that Watson came just under
the weight. In fact the bar floater up
and down in perfect balance. Red was
Il little under. Scales never lie?
There you are. gentleman. My man
is under. Not much, of course, but
under. l doubt that these scales can
be right, as | know he weighed just
1921 one hour ago on a pair of
| scales that can't be questioned. But
you see for yourself, bad scales or
good scales, he just makes them bal
ance. Jump off. Red. You've made
the weight old dear"
Red jumped off, is right! The
fathead took me at my word He
did jump off with such an awful Jolt
that the silver dollars were dislodged
and clattered to the floor with a
dreadful jingle.
Copyright 1920