The Washington times., 1934-05-29

NHSoA VAu uhO JuSL pOSSQ 4Ot
the first cinematograph pictures
OF q boxing contest. His op-
ponent was Peter Courtney and
the filming was staged in Thomas
EdiSon'S studio in Orange, N. j.
They made small booklets of the
films, and by holding it firmly
and pressing the index finger to
the bottom of the booklet you
were reeling off the match. There
was not male in the State that
did not carry the Corbett- Court
ney fight. And in special cases,
in secluded spots, there young
men bold enough to give the
girls . glimpse. But, horrors, If
you were caught! The parents
pf the girls barred you forever.
4 was $500 miles from home,
$500 miles from Market ST., San
Francisco. But that was nothing,
because was not Jim Corbett, a
Frisco boy, the hero, the toast
of New York? And did, I not
carry the booklet with our hero's
boxing joust?
In 1894 Tommy Ryan picked
me for his right hand and pre-
ferred me to his manager, Billy
Madden, because Madden did
not want him to fight "Mys-
terious" Billy Smith, and bluntly
told Ryan that the "Mysterious"
one would kill him. When Ryan
more than held his own for eight
rounds, and Madden, with sudden
enthusiasm, jumped into Ryan's
corner to second him, Ryan
loudly ordered him away, and
next day severed all connections
with Madden. And what a
fighter Ryan was-with Jimmy
Murphy, 81 rounds; Danny Need
ham, up in Minneapolis, 76
rounds, and later heavies like
Dick Moore, Jack Root, Jack
O'Brien, Dan Creedon, Jack Bon
ner, Tommy West were no match
for Foxy Tommy. What night,
the night Kid Mccoy beat Ryan
over in Maspeth,- L. I.
In 1896 Gus Rubin, Jim JET
fereiS, Tom Sharkey, Peter. Ma
her, Joe Goddard, Mexican Pete
Everett and few others began
to attract bit Of attention.
What a thrill that night in '96
when George Siler offered me a
job to be with him at Carson
City, and sure enough, two days
later we were off for Nevada for
the Corbett- -FitzsimmonS fight.
The Considines from Detroit
were just opening the famous
Metropole at 42d st. and Broad
way, George, John and Jimmy,
with Bill as the kid brother.
Never will 7 forget the opening,
with George Kessler paying his
respects by paying $1,000 for a
bottle Of White Seal. Upon leav-
ing the place a waiter tore madly
after him and, catching him by
the door, almost out of breath,
painted: ''Mr. KeSSler, you forgot
the ten cents telephone charged"
At the MetrOpOIe
Nat Goodwin, Joe Weber, Lii
liam Russell, Diamond Jim Brady,
Pete Daley, Lew Fields, the
Dryers, Al Smith (not the gov
ernor), Blanche Bates, the Drews.
the Barrymores, were almost un-
noticed in the throngs of famous
stage and sports celebrities, and
in the same throng a sprinkling
of gamblers, bookmakers and vari-
GUS folks who had peculiar ways
of earning living.
Yes, I saw all the high spots
from coast to coast and felt at
home in Pool Alley, Chicago;
Boyle's, in the same city, or at the
Hoffman or GilSey House in New
York.
Often it was a case Of turkey
today and feathers tomorrow.
With the passing of the Horton
law, headquartered in Chicago,
but continued to trip the country;
for a period Of IS years averaged
$50 nights a year on sleeping cars.
OF course, there was q long time
before when we did not always oc.
cupy lower berths. A box car was
often luxury, and as Hype 1goe,
Of the Journal, often expressed it,
1--WE often travelled higher than
the uppers and lower than the
lowers"
What a change early this cen
tury, when on one of my visits
beheld the Knickerbocker Hotel
going high up in the air. Where
are they going to get enough peo-
pie to fill such a placer" asked
Paul Armstrong Of me as we stood
in front of the old Metropole, gaz-
ing across the street. Paul was
just then graduating from one Of
the best sports writer's into the
drama. I think "Heir to the Hoo
rah" was his brain child at that
time. Later he came on with such
hits as the ocean Greyhound"
"Alias Jimmy Valentine" and
deep Purple" Don't ever let
anyone tell you that Paul was not
q genius. Of course, his collabo-
rator, Wilson Miner, was also
great, and the two proved unbeat-
able.
My first big wrestling venture
N New York at the old Garden
was tn2l904, with the late Harry