The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-07-12

"t"'4 NN@~tW " - 80 -
,rba bir brother is Jacob Baer.
- and he answers to the name
81 Euddv. The boy recently
>,..sea hia 18th birthday at the
kSs9s 81 his parents here on ~;
1890 drive. He Is at least a nan
41eS taller than Max and weighs
: {oSIn6 26z mounds. Tim McGratn
me veteran San Francisco, ngn.
,,,en. Nae dubbed him the Camera
Of the Coast. And Buddy looks the
part
Max His Model
xounr Jacob intends to follow
MI alder brother into the proles-
) 9f6nal ring. He was asked the otner
@c1 what he would do II Max were
.<sHampion and he stood out as the
1ofical challenger. $3.50
& ssI would say" replied BUDDY
effer some thought, keep It.,
brother. / think Max is a cinch to
stay at the top Of the ladder just
about as long as Jack Dempsey
II was hard work that gave Max
his SPLENDID physique, and Buddy
Is following the same plan. The
other day when a reporter came
20 Interview Mamma Baer, BUDDY
was in the back yard saving down
Eucalyptus trees. His mother rem
onstrated: "Thats too big job
for you, Bud"
Jaw, I don't want to be a sof-
tie," was the reply. Max was do
ing harder work than this when
he was only IA years old. 1t will
harden me up"
Buddy planned his professional
debut in Oakland recently, but
has postponed 1t until he hears
from Jack Dempsey. The Old
Mauler believes Bud will be a
great sparring partner for Max
and may take the two of them on
. tour.
Max Baer has seen lot of coun-
try since his birth "a years ago
IN Omaha. His mother insists his
birthday Is Feb. 16. and not Feb.
II, as the boxing books show.
When the heavyweight chal-
ienger was six months old, the
family moved to Denver. When
he was two years old his father
bought him an Indian suit and
Max was so proud of it that he
slept in 1t.
When Max was three, the Baers
moved to Koehler, N. NJ, where
the Papa Baer took charge Of a
packing house. They moved back
to Denver when Max was six.
About that time Buddy was born.
Max was 10 when the family
moved to California. After he
had finished the eighth grade, his
father became Ill and Max left
school to help him in the slaugh-
ter and packing business at Rus
sell City, and delivering meats to
Lorsnzo.
In business with Max's dad was
l.. Santucci of Livermore, who
married Max's sister. Max is the
proud uncle of twin girls born
to the Santuccis.
It was a dance hall fight that
Max won by a knockout after a
dispute over some wine (Which
Max never cared to drink, by the
way). that gave him the idea he
might succeed as q fighter. The
young challenger wen to work
in Q gravel pit near Livermore.
where the family then resided at
the Twin oaks ranch. He toiled
IA hours a day so he could buy
boxing and gymnasium equip
iment.
Max knocked out the partitions
in shack on the ranch property.
erected a ring and bleachers and
invited the countryside to come
and watch him train and box.
Papa Baer finally became in
hny n r.
land, where the veteran Ray Pei
key became interested in him. To
support himself In Oakland. Max
worked at the Diesel Engine
Works.
1t was in 1929 when Baer had
his first fight, at Stockton,
against Chief Cariboo, a crude In
dian. That was one-round
Knockout.
Bright Future
The rest of his career, his steps
up the ladder and frequent set
backs, which more often than not
were due to his own carelessness
are shown in the record books.
Briefly that Is the story of the
boyhood of the man who stands
out as the most colorful heavy.
weight since Jack Dempsey, and
the most formidable challenger
since Tunney slashed the Old
Mauler that rainy night in Phil
adelphia.
The rest of Max Baer's story
lies ahead.
col