The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-07-17

Butte DOXer, VINO III Tic carry Aoov
was about as tough a lightweight
as you could find in the Intermoun-
tain region; a kid who engaged in
more than 100 fights? Howard IS
still among those present, and con-
tinues to reside in Butte. hen
Howard was Is months old, his
parents moved to Butte, and he has
found no fault with the choice made
by them. To MIR. Opie. after 81
years residence in the greatest
mining camp in the world, there's
no place like his home town.
Every town has had its good Old
days" To Howard Opie, those golden
DAYS that were Butte's, were IN the
span of years that he was a boxer;
when he earned big money; when he
had a large following; when he barn
stormed with champions; when ne
PLAYED football; when he taught boxing
to kids in his block, and. when he pre-
sented his mother with a coffee can
containing almost $4,000, his accrued
earnings in his first ID OF ooA,
ing. Those were the good old days"
in the log book of Howard Opie. In a
town that has been familiar with ups
and-downs, Howard, like all mining
camp optimists, recalls only the good
days.
Some incidents. episodes, stories and
happenings that I have ron RON
Ll1t oplC 1l1Cl1lOAy CANAAN ~S "
for the reading. I know you will enjoy
the Opie tales. Here they are:
Historic Scraps With Wade
Opie's record shows three fights with
Jack Wade, the Utah lad who o the
lightweight championship OF Montana
Most of his defense matches were
staged in this state.
It was in 1906 that Wade knocked out
Opie in five rounds in their first meet
ing. It took Howard nine rounds TO
dispose of Wade in their second en-
counter. Their third bout was a lallo-
palooza. It went 16 rounds, with Wade,
Spent and injured. winning by a l:ayo.
The bout was held at the Five Mile
roadhouse. Those who saw 1t paid IS
to sit or stand, as and where they could.
There was a side bet of $500. Because
of the size Of the room, the ring was
far from being of standard proportions,
which bothered the boxers no little.
Last Opie-Wade Fight -.
In this fight, Wade and Opie did
everything in the book. They fought,
wrestled and argued. Dune" McDon-
aid, the referee, had all he could do to
keep the pair from violating the rules.
It was one of those fights, some writers
describe as a "grudge bout"
In the final round, both were leg and
arm weary. They wrestled around the
ring more than they fought. After Opie
had tossed Wade to the floor, he grab
bed a rope to brace himself. Wade's
head hit the floor. He also wrenched a
knee in the fall; Wade Just got up as
bones that it was all over, that he was
q beaten a AS Jack got up, he saw
Opie still dangling over the ropes, ap-
parently all in. The champion. just
looked at Howard for almost a minute,
without attempting to attack or de-
fend. To the crowd, both fighters were
almost "out."
Both Near Exhaustion
Upon being urged by his seconds to
move in, Wade cautiously advanced to
within a steps length of his opponent.
Still Opie didn't move Deliberately.
Wade threw a right to Opie's jaw. The
blow Jared Howard loose from the
rope, and down he went. A few seconds
previously, it appeared that Opis was
and then Howard was counted out.
After the fight, it was discovered
that Opie had three broken ribs. two
black eyes, a swollen mouth and was
minus several teeth. Wade Jared in like
manner. plus a wrenched knee, the re-
suit of being thrown to the floor
THAT fight took most OF the starch
out of me-" said Howard, land from
then on, I became a trainer"
ERA OF PRIVATE FIGHTS
Charles W. Clark, son of Senator w.
A. Clark, was a patron of the manly
art, though he preferred private match
es. Charley was a Santa Claus to a
group of boxers residing in Butte and
Helena. at night Clark sent word by
messenger or telephone, to boxers to
appear at such and such a time at Bar
ney Levy's Reception roadhouse or at
the Five Mile hotel, prepared to box
four six, eight or more rounds. Opie
recalls frequent messages from Clark
that he received around midnight or
after. Being awakened from his slum-
bers didn't bother Howard. for it meant
money in his pocket. Fol four rounds
the boxers would get 500; for six
rounds, the going scale was $3.50; and
for eight or 10 rounds, the pay might
be $500 or even 81 900. A few minutes
notice was all the boxers needed and
received.
Clark's private boxing parties were
seldom private. If a line Of hacks were
seen leaving Langlois livery stable on
Granite street at night. it meant that