Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-25

''The thing for you to do, Teller"
said Tex, ''is to come down to
Florida with me. I'm going to
take my wife and little Maxine
down In a couple of days, but I've
got car and there'll be plenty of
room. No matter what the
trouble is, that sunshine down
there will cure you. It would cure
anybody. 1t just makes you feel
good to be down there.
You could stay at my house. You
know l built another room and bath
on that roof and planted those royal
palms we were talking about last Spring
at the gate. That's right pretty house
now. AS soon as you feel better, we
could play golf and I'm going to have
the boat down there so we could go
fshing. We can have a lot of fun"
I thanked him and told him that I
couldn't possibly go. I was going to
Hartford for Christmas. Rickard shook
his head regretfully.
How Tex Reasoned.
you ought to come" he said, "but,
Of course, you'll be down for the fight.
A lot Of them think I'll lose money on
a fight down there, but I won't. There
are a couple of hundred thousand Wis
ltors down there every Winter and they
can't play golf or polo or fish all the
tlme They go there looking for amuse-
ment and I'm going to give it to them.
Florida is the nearest place to New
York and all the big North Eastern
cities where Winter is warm and
sunny" continued Richard earnestly.
1tS gong to be the playground of the
country. There will be every form of
amusement there that you can find
anywhere. golf, racing, fishing, bathing,
tennis, polo, boxing, anything. Some
gay am going to spend most of my
Iime there: OF course, I'll come back
here in the hot months and make
necessary trips in between, but I can
NIX things so won't have to be here
much OF the time. I have all sorts
OF plans for Florida. have wired
Dempsey and he's going to meet me
down there. Jack and I will 20 In
some things together. I don't think.
nell ever fight again, but he can make
lives at an expensive rate and I'd like
TO see him make money.
Dempsey Greatest.
Dempsey is a born Snowman" said
Tex; the greatest drawing card there
ever was in this world. They talk of
the romance of business. Do Won know
now many millions I've taken In at
the gate with Dempsey In a Compare
lively few fightst You'd hardly believe
1t. I've just had them take off the
DOCKS the figures for every fight I'VE
promoted at the Garden. Here is the
list. Look at it."
We looked over 1t together, and Rick
ara corrected Few totals which he said
III ffNle l1f
performance the figures argued. and
asked him whether they had ever been
printed. He said they had not. but that.
there was carbon copy which he would
give me. Getting this from his score
tary, Miss Naomi Lowensohn, he PEN
cneo the corrections on 1t, handed it to
me, and said: w
Print that sometimes when you think
the proper minute has come"
4 printed it about a week after his
death. He urged me again to 20 South
with him, and again told him could
not: We said good-by and good luck
ana made date for some FEBRUARY
gon AS hobbled out of the Garden I
saw the usual line of men waiting for
Tex to emerge. These were men who
oldn't see him in his office, but didn't
mino waiting. Some of them hurriedly
ana 1urtlvely stopped him for an instant
almost every day, but any hard-iuck
story was good for dollar. Tex used To
carry special roll of bills in his pocket
just Tor that purpose. Like MANY gam
piers, ne had staked people all his life.
Richard Revealed.
I like to think most of the doll 70
Wnicn 1 saw him stake a child in the
station at st. Louis. have told YOU the
story before. A tiny girl, clinging TO her
small brothers hand, with her nose
nattened against the glass of a show
case and wistful eyes fixed on the
gorgeous toy she knew was far bevond
ner utmost hopes. On a bench nearby
sat her parents, apparently working
people waiting for train.
Rickard glanced around to see that
neither Mayor Walker, Roy Howard
bernarr MacFadden nor any of the
party who had been with us in the sta
lion were watching him. He didn't see
me. Then he spoke swiftly to the shop-
keeper, gave him bill and, taking the
ooll, laid 1t gently in the little girls
arms which raised unbelievingly to re-
ceive 1t, and walked hastily away.
Farm boy, cowhand, marshal. miner
proSpector, cattleman, gambler and
promoter, Tex Richard had his faults
But It may be that the child to whom
the three wise men brought gifts re-
membered that doll.