Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-21
FIGHTING BECOMES
NEW BIG BUSINESS
Circus Men Behind Big Bat
tIe-Rickard Now Only
the Ringmaster.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch 10 The Star.

Special Dispatch 10 The star.
NEW YORK, July 2l.-Whether
New York knows it or not, the circus
has come 10 town again. Men en-
gagged in the circus business. stu the
Iarccst amusement business in Amer
jca. have taken a dominant position
in the fight game and they are be-
hind the Dempsey-Sharkey heavy
weight contest at the Yankee Stadium
tonight
George l.. TEX Richard, boxing
impresario and promoter of ring
battles of the day, the week or the
century. has been in the spotlight
as putting on the big show, but he
is only the ringmaster, as he him
self would he the first to admit. Inc
battle is officially staged by the Rick
ard Sporting Club, Inc. a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Madison
Square Garden Corporation.
The latter concern is understood
to be chiefly controlled by the Ring
lings. John and Charles. and their
close associates. In making Richard
general manager Of the corporation
for 20 wears an agreement was en-
tered into that all Richards activities
in the sporting and amusement bust
ness throughout the United States
and foreign countries, except In the
States If Idaho, Arizona. Nevada and
New Mexico. become automatically
the activities Of the corporation.
Feeding the Elephant.
The small boys, some Of them so
wears Old were up early today to
''carrv water to the elephant" as
the crowds around the fighters quar-
tiers showed, but the Madison Square,
Garden stock does not need any
water. It's operating revenue in 1925
was $5,6S4S46. BY the time the
ticket speculators close their ac-
counts prospective spectators OF the
fight are estimated to pay 81, 10000
for tickets, although not nearly SO
much is to go into the box office. The
printing of the tickets cost thousands
of dollars. while the souvenir pro-
gram. with its advertising and ring
side sales. will bring in in the neigh
borhood Of $4,000, according to many
estimates
Transportation men figure the cost
TO the spectators Of getting to the
arena and back again will be $4,000
in subway and street car fares. ferry.
bus and taxicab payments and
charges for parking private automo-
biles. This does not take into ac-
count railrad fares of out-of-town
visitors.
Vendors of cigars, cigarettes, soft
drinks. sandwiches, hot dogs and
other refreshments anticipate har-
vest well above $4,000. Telegraph
and cable companies have made prep
arations to handle hundreds of thou
sands of words to various points. and.
although much of this press matter
Is handled over leased wires, the
increased revenues will amount to
many thousand dollars.
Policemen Called i'm.
Hundreds of policemen have been
detached from other service to keep
order and direct traffic. Willing vic
tins these, although they get no
extra pay, for there never was a cop
who did not love fight he did not
have to stop.
Not the smallest part OF the ex-
pense to the circus management IS
for the ballyhoo and the barkers.
Much of this barking to attract. the
crowd was done under cover. A man
who is as close to the New York
Boxing Commission as the waste bas-
ket into which go the unwelcome