Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-25

men We're figll+ ing before big houses.
No matter how often they got licked
they fought before big houses.
And after all, that was just what
brought me to Australia. Majors"
only chance to do me any injury
would have been to shut right down
on panning me.
I was for taking him home with
me for a town plant. / told him so
one day and he grew purple with
rage. Il know that | ruined the
Majors" whole life,
Johnson Aided Game.
Boxing had drifted on the rocks in
Australia, so to speak, until Hugh
Mcintosh steamed it up with the Jack
Johnson-T Tommy Burns fight. John
son, a good Snowman, helped Hughie
put over the fight the greatest thing
Australia has ever known. He
helped by pretending he was broken
down old shell Of himself. He walked
around the streets wearing blue Cog
giles and his legs looked quite I'M
steady. The fans shook their heads
and said 1t would be a cinch for
Burns.
I'm afraid that even Mcintosh fell
for Johnson's kidding. I'm not SO
T.
have known that Johnson was a
great fighter. though I'm afraid that
Burns had a pretty good opinion of
himself. He was always cockey
fellow and fearless, too. But when he
saw the bathrobe fall off Johnson's
shoulders that day he knew he had
been tricked, for there never was a
finer looking specimen stripped for
action than Johnson. He ate Burns
alive.
This bout revived interest in boxing
and on the strength of it Mcintosh
organized the three great stadiums
that now play such a part in Aus
tr7alian boxing. The pity of it is that
the boxers themselves have not kept
pace with the stadiums.
They've had as long drawn out "A
slump as any country will have in
boxing and boxing material, but the
Darcys, the Critics. the Jacksons and
the Fitzsimmonses win come again to
Australia. They may come in punches
and as suddenly as Darcy did.
The real cause of the slump is the
lack of competition from the outside
world. It is competition that makes
for boxers, and with this in mind the
stadiums have sent an agent on a
world tour to book men to Australia,
so that the home talent will meet up
with new opposition. It is certain
that a country that produced so many
champions will come again with a new
Darcy or even a heavyweight who
could have whipped Bill Land or Bill
Squires.
They treat an invader with more
than passing fairness. If you can fight
you will get along with them. Jimmy
Britt was big hit with them. They
liked his swagger, well dressed ways
and Jimmy knew how to sell himself
They have a peculiar way of letting
you know whether they like you or
not. They count you "out" If you're
a bust. Actually count over you. as if
You had been foored.
FIops Counted "Out."
Pity the bird who fops in their eyes
They don't hiss or boo. You can be a
dancer, singer, a yiolinist, a story
teller or a fighter. 1t makes little diff
ference. You come out to do your
stuff. You get fair hearing, but
make good or you go out!
They begin to count-"One, two,
three, four, five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten" You're finished. Wash up
and get your tickets on the next boat
for home. The word passes quickly, I
suppose, for once counted "out" you
don't go over in any other town. I
imagine they have their own peculiar
standards Of ability, and you've got TO
meet them,
l tell you it's terrifying when they
begin that old ten" chant on you.
And once started, out you go for
keeps. You're through in Australia.
Copyright. 1921