Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-20
SONNY" PYTHTAN

SUNNI lillian
Hayden Sonny" Pythian was as
nifty q high school backfield man as
Montana high school has turned out.
Pythian played with Billings in 1918,
1919 and 1920 He went to u. S. c.,
playing end for the varsity team three
seasons. Gloomy Gus" Henderson was
coaching the Trojans then. Henderson
had more backfield men than he could
use and positioned Sonny at end who
was heartbroken because he wasn't in
the backfield. He was q good end. He
was also a good boxer, winning the
coast collegiate heavyweight title.
When Sonny" graduated he became
athletic director at the Los Angeles
A. c., quitting that job on the advice
Of Jack Dempsey, who predicted that
Sonny" would be a heavyweight cham
pion. Dempsey was Pythian's manager,
but the plans didn't work out. Two
years ago Sonny" drifted back to Bill
lings and was matchmaker of g box
ing club in the old home town. Nine
months ago he was called to Los An
geleS by Bobby Cobb, former Billings
boy, who is one of the owners and man
ager Of the famed Brown Derby restau-
rants Sonny" is learning the catering
game under Cobb. His duties over a
five-year course involve dish washing,
checking IN supplies, checking dishes
GClNC0r tIAAQAAAH Dt4As Wc4l4AA5 1aA trAb4Sg
cashier, q course in dietetics, purchas-
ing, head waiter duty, and long hours
each day. AS former U. S. @. football
star and an ex-Hollywood bowl per-
former, he is very popular with Brown
Derby customers.
Cobb Always . Hustler
Cobb and Pythian were Billings high
school classmates When Sonny was
in his senior year at y. S; 9, the TrO-
JAMS were to play at Seattle. That year
the Huskies had "Wildhorse" Wilson
and the two Tesreaus in the backfield.
Cobb was employed at Catalina. He quit
his hotel job to accompany the Trojans
10 Seattle. He had $235 in his pocket.
ALI of it went down on u. s. @. The
Wilson, TeSreau and company crowd
oreezed in. Cobb was stranded. pythian
saw to it that Bobby got back to Los
Angeles, but the accommodations were
hose Of stowaway in the teams Pull
man car.
Recently I visited L. A. and dined
With Cobb at MS honywood setup,
which is the pearl In the Brown Derby
;hain. The place gets a heavy trade
rom two classes, celebrities and those
Who want to look at celebrities.
Cobb as a kid In Billings, as recall
him, was newsboy of talent. 1t was
seldom he sold a nickel paper for that
price; usually he got dime, quarter
u more because his clientele liked the
Engaging youngster. He's @set" now
md there's no doubt that he knows the
;afe business from soup to nuts. Pyth-
an, too, viii know his soup to nuts.
Cobb's partner In the Derby stringl
s Gloria SwanSonS daughter, Inherit
ng the interest from her father, the
marquis, otherwise known as Herbert
;onbornlne.
HE'S FARMER-REFEREE {
A triple threat man in the realm OF
ing retirement is Joe Simonich, a
weet welterweight of a few years ago,
Tho spends his days and nights raising
attic, farming and refereeing ooxing
outs. An authority on all three sub
ects, Joseph can and does address ag-
icultural meetings, as well as oraclingl
t fan sessions.
From his ranch In Jefferson county,
oe travels to this and that MontanaI
ity to attend agricultural meetings
nd to referee fights. In his heydayI
e was a regular globe-trotter.
He has fought at Camp Lewis and
omewhere In France during the war
avS, as well as appearing almost
verywhere in Montana. Australia, New
ealand and the Philippine Islands are =
in points In the travelog of the lad 3
no climbed into ring fsHfS under the +
ON de plume OF Butte Butcher Boy. -
4 the United States Joe has appeared :.
Madison Square Garden, New York, y
lso at Newark, Philadelphia, Cleve- =
md, Youngstown, Wilkes-Barre, San y y
rancisco, Scranton, Spokane, Seattle, =
ancouver, Oakland, Los Angeles, Ia !,
lme, Portland and other spots
Joe's opponents belonged to the y
Who's Who" of the welterweight di-
sion. He fought Pete Latzko, Mickey =.
Talker, Tommy Freeman, Billy Wells, e
ave Shade, Morry Scheaiffer, frankie =,
Turphy and a host Of other lads who :.
ere stamped as good" =
In all Of his fights Joe never was n
nocked TO the floor, let alone let a Y
fierce sing his song of 10. That N IT.
IL Is quite record, and something