Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-20

NluSlCs tuu ooiis
I'VE like a musical once in a while"
he said. 81 like music. And l like
casino and p1nochle-and golf. And I
like to fish and shoot; Just ike any
other young fellow" he explained.
His idea was to show me that he
was normal, with normal mans de-
sires. There was, he wished to OK
plain, nothing extraordinary about
him but his fighting ability. Other
wise he was just like anybody else.
Here Leo Flynn interposed with an
anecdote about a small boy who
wanted to take Dempsey's picture and
couldn't catch up. but Dempsey
waited for him and the threatened
tears We're dried. Dempsey didn't
think much of it. It seemed to strike
him as the mawkish sentiment false
publicity is made Of, and it embar-
raised him. 1t even embarrassed him
when Flynn told about the boys who
ORGANIZED themselves into a cheering
section and got off this one:
Two, four, six, eight.
Who do we appreciate?
Dempsey!
Jack was Of the opinion that hero
worship was a good thing for boys,
and he liked to have them admire him,
because it makes them want to be
physically fit and athletic"
But after the fighting days are over?
Il haven't planned much on that.
I don't know what I'll do, but think
it will be something to do with the
fight game. like to fight. 1t Is what
/ can do. There's something about 1t.
/ don't think I could do anything else,
for 1 wouldn't enjoy it. 1t would be
tame.
There's excitement, you know. You
make big money quickly. And there
are the crowds and the limelight.
Everybody likes crowds and limellght
if he can get them. You know, there
are between times, and then all AT
once the sudden excitement and all,
and the quick money" Jack thought
it over and shook his head.
A Fighter, Nothing Else.
mo, any other way of earning a
living would seem tame after that. m
a fighter. It's what I know and like.
know I'll be through actual fighting
some day, but think I'll stay in the
game. 1 wouldn't care to learn any.
thing else. I'd have to make myself
all over. No. don't kid myself. I'm
fighter and nothing else
There's Jim Corbett," l suggested.
eyes, but he was a good actor, too"
Dempsey emphasized the too as much
as to say that Corbett had one on him
there. I'm a fighter and nothing
else"
1 was inclined to disagree with him.
AS I sat and studied his somewhat
rugged but, in spite of heavy broWs
and broad cheek bones, rather hand
some and decidedly hkeable face, old
disagree with him.
There is more to him than a mere
fighter. There Is more than mere
bruiser to- man who can rise from
the 'bfakebeafns, from the estate of a
common hobo to be, as Dempsey I'M
qualifiedly is, fit companion for
gentlemen. Not fighting instinct
alone will do that. There must be
natural adaptability, power of as
similation.
Possibly Dempsey tried very hard
to improve his external self, but l in
cline to think it was a natural proc
ess Of deposit. AS his success threw
him more and more into the society
of men and women of less rugged
habits, their manner of speaking and
acting left it's impress upon him as
the silt of river is left in it's delta.
l already have said that 1 went
bearing - prejudice against him;
no fair-minded man could come away
with that prejudice still upon his
person. Dempsey captivates you.
Distinctly he has charm. From hop
ing Sharkey would knock his head
off, have turned about face and will
be made quite happy If he knocks Off
the heads of both Sharkey and Tun-
ney. Which will cost me money. Actu-
ally he is the sort of man who can
make you hope to lose your own
money!
No HighbrOw Aspirations.
His outlook on life is sane. He has
no aspirations to become highbroW,
and he does't wish to be misunder-
stood as man who makes any pre-
tense Of being what he is not. That
is something like basic honesty. And
Dempsey inspires loyalty. Even in
the hardy young men he batters about |
the training ring daily. And he batters |
them. 1t is as he says; he is a fighter.
He doesn't play at fighting. A practice
bout is a fight just as much as fight
is a fight, and anybody who hires out
as sparring partner wants we'll to
bear that in mind.
In the ring Dempsey Is quite an |
other person, resembling in no respect |
whatever his antagonist Of tomorrow, |
Sharkey. All the time Sharkey is |
boxing with sparring partners you |
about it and an air that this really |
doesn't matter very much after all.
With Dempsey it is deadly earnest. |
He tucks in his chin and bores in |
with that 1.-the. beautiful stride. And |
he hits with intention. Also his part |
ners hit him with intention. 1 saw in |
the afternoon half dozen as pretty |
and seriously meant bouts as one can |
ask for.
No, Dempsey Is a fighter, and he |
cannot play at it. Any more than a |
canary can play, at singing or a flsn
play at swimming. He Is in his |
natural element and there is but one |
way he can behave there.
Even after the gong rings and the
bout is over he remains grim, but II |
the partner has fought we'll and har-
Oily you hear Dempsey say, Good
Work!'
He works at the weights and |
punches the bag and lies on his back
and wiggles his legs with the same |
perfect seriousness and grim intent
ness upon his object. / would say that
Sharkey rather skimps arduous train
ing labor; Dempsey works like slave |
while he is at it. because. 1 believe,
he can work in no other way at any,
thing which touches his chosen Voca'
ton.
"Oh, yes he says. II play golf. But
I'm rotten
You can imagine him playing golf.
did not see him, but l can vision him
tearing into the golf ball with that
grim, relentless savagery which is not
the art of golf. In one thing he is !,
right, think, and that Is that he Is
fitted for no other game or profession
requiring finesse.
He's There to Sock.
/ do not mean that he is not Of good
intelligence. I would rate him as OF
natural mental ability above the ordi.
nary. But it is a direct, never a devil