The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-04
TALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Sept. 4.-The other
~ night in a prize fight with one
Ernie Schaaf Of Boston, large
South American fighter by the
name Of Campolo settled in sections
and with great comfort on the can
vas and allowed himself to be
counted out.
This was advertised as a very iTupor-
tant fight for the South American. II
order to remain in the running for what
honors there are left in the heavyweight
division. It was necessary for him to
win or at least make an impressive show
ing. Conversely II he lost. he was no
longer TO be reckoned with.
In line with the pre-battle forecast.
the experts at the ringside proceeded
to write the South American out Of the
picture. There we're the usual lamenta-
tions It was to be dcplored that such
a fine physical specimen Che is bigger
than Camera as to height should fall
to make the most OF his chances It
was not only a personal failure. but the
result took something Of potential i'm
portance from the future Of the game
itself In short It was Just too bad.
stni. I wonder Most oof all do l won
der If Campolo ever wanted to be fRht-
err. There is a poetic line about people
having greatness thrust upon them.
have always believed that Campolo htted
loosely to be sure-into this category.
I mean. I don't believe he ever wanted
to be a fighter.
For one thing. he IS entirely too good
natured. There IS nothing about MN that
suggests ambition. and not whole lot
that suggests avarIce. 1t is an ola STORY
how he sat on the front porch OF a train
ing camp and rocked himself into condi-
ton for his fights. There were times
when he didn't even rock. This oe-
manded exertion.
7 have never heard how Campolo hap
uened 10 enter the prize ring. Inc sue
cess of Luis Firpo. fellow citizen. must
have had something TO do with 1t. F1rpo
came to America with round hair cut
and a round dollar and went home MIL
lionaire A lot of people will tell you ne
should have gone home the heavyweight
champion Of the world.
I can picture some native South Amer
fcan describing in detail the success OF
Firpo to Campolo and urging him to Try
to do the same thing himself some
how / feel that it must have taken
great deal of urging to get him to eaten
the boat. At heart. he is no more
prize fighter than Mahatma Gandhi or
Felix O. Oatmeal. Left to his own IN
clinations. he probably would have pre-
ferred to remain where he was lolling
in the sun. growing pulpy and contenteo
against a dangerous background OF native
wines and music-and I am told tnat
this is not hard life to take
TT Is easy to conceive that the
tales of tinkling gold, so easily
accessible, might have engendered
an extraordinary stimulus in a
slothful body, for even the most
confirmed park bencher squatter
finds it hard to resist the promise
of effortless wealth.
But this merely emphasizes the Tragedy
of Campolo-or any other sluggaro' Only
a gold button Rotarian would oehy ViiaO
a. il better to be success at hoVilinE
than failure at something EnCileN
4oo much stress is placed upon anlOiVioi4
and industry, anyway. More olten Vi''-l
not the man who stands pat raKes Il,
the not. When Babe Ruth hit MS Ieoolu
breaking sixtieth home run IN lSZi' 'iio
hall fell into the arms of an Ohio farmer
waiting for rural bus. Thls ulSVlilo
t,on such as it was. might never coN.e
- the clod hopper had he purpoSeN
trailed the Babe from city TO CITY,
be1ieve it is true that many people
arc uoaded into ambitious projects againsI
their nature and will. Certainly Do ,s1
Tones became the worlds greatest gone.
Ehroueh no set program OF MS OWL
wasn't until the Atlanta golfer canle nv
~,atnritv and his fellow townsmen stal'eu
"a bet all the houses on Peachtree street
~ his game that he settled down anu
began to win championships
Tsrop, the start. golf to Jones was Simply
- recreation. an invitation to visit an
out-of-town country club. mingle WIN wv
fellows. and have good time II II
hadn't been for the hometown pressure
and the unwelcome Responsibilities thaI
were heaped on his chances to win. ne
probably would never have entered the
monastrv of the midiron.
do not pretend to say that Jones
was never eager to win, but the times
were few when he felt that he could lose
and look upon the loss as a personal one.
Always it touched others. A year ago.
of course. the stage setting was changed.
il es knew it was his last year in COM
%. tive golf. and he knew too that the
winning of four championships was i'm
portant to his position in the films. But
that was the first year that Jones played
golf solely for himself.