Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-11
BY WILLIAM RIFT
Central Press Sports Writer
Copyright, 1929. by Central Press
Association, Incl

Association, Inc.)
NEW YORK, Jan. Il.-A small
sport cartoon hastily drawn in the
hustle and furry or q fight camp
drew the first beam of the sport
worlds spotlight on Tex Richard. Ir
turn IL gave the most famous Of figh,
promoters his first taste Of that
gold-lined delicacy which has become
the bread and butter Of all profes.
sional sports publicity.
The cartoon as a cartoon WASN'T
much. RUDE Goldberg, who drew il
and who since has become famous
HIMSELF was just then learning the
arts Of his trade. But it had ire
mendous effort for the ring and
those who live by IL.
Buried on an inside sports page
OF a San Francisco e spapsr, the
DRAWN: introduced Richard TO the
fight world. And il gave Tex his
first idea or the value OF the baily-
hoo, which powerful medium brought
him riches and international fame.
The cartoon vas drawn By Gold.
berg In 1906 ~ he acted 81 a sport
correspondent in the training camp
OF Joe Cans. colorcd lightweight. al
Goldficld. New. where Cans vas 10
fight Battling Nelson.
i purse Of sc0,00O-a Tremendous
sum for such things in those days
had been put up for the battle. A
mild hammered, quiet saloonkseper
named George l.. RisSard had been
selected stakeholder though fighters
and fights were all Greek TO him.
a sports editor had a bright idea.
Why not 4 story and cartoon on this
queer fellow who handled the purse
Of a big fight and yet didn't know
what II was all about? Goldberg
got the assignment and filled ii.
The fight was a success. IL made
money and gave Richard. WHO had
cen the csricatGre OF himself, an
idea. By Gre. this boxing business
vas q gold mine. RI a fellow ran
his shows right and got enough
notices N the paper he'd make
money.
SO Richard pulled out or the .aloon
business aud catered san Francisco
as 2 fight promoter. The cartoon
had done its work. The fighters and
the fight fans knew him.
Coupling his uRcauny luck and WA
sense OF publicity. Eicksrd gave the
other promoters a tasty beating. He
was the greatest gambler OF them
all. lie pat up bigger parses. Pre-
pared for bigger crowds. He took
bigger chsnces. And nearly always
nc came out on top.
The fight game had been the sport
Of loWhroVs in San Francisco as we'll
a. everywhere else. Richard went
in for reform -hscausc reform mcant
more and better customers, and that
meant money.
Tex drove ont the buns a. best lac
could. lie made sure that when .
man bought 4 reserved scat At one
Of his shows Ne got u and didn't
hsvc 10 kick . dsunken bum out OF
~ first. lie made the fights safe
fer ono 10 attend. He even
brought the stiff shirts 10 his thors
a most remarkable thing.
The spotlight OF publicity around
Ficksrd grew bigger. less willard.
the heavyweight champion, needed =
fight. Tex matched him with Young
Jack nenpsey. a huge crowd saW
the hzttls ~ Toledo. O.. and paid =
fortune nearly q half n~fillion-fcr
the privilege. Eiciard. pho put the
show ever. was a national figure.
The sport world gasped. Eickard.
in New York nov. matched Champion
Jack Dempsey and Georges ,arpen-
tier Tor Whist vas known q the Rat
tie of the century. over = million
and a hair resulted IN gate receipts.
though most everyone knew before
hand the Frcrrhmsa hadn't a chance.
Richard luck, Iicbsrd brains and