The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-02-04
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Pugilistica de Luxe as Interpreted
in Old New Orleans

.
w deal of Dragging about
the manner and magnificence
with which fistiana conducts it's
bashing affairs. The latter-day
fans who hail the heavy, weller,
light and feather weight nobil-
ity know not of the past glories.
Recently at a Garden festival with
my old friend, John Kennard, once
of New Orleans, where he practiced
law in the grand manner and moved
among the ante-bellum aristocracy,
was much RECALLED by his descrip-
ton of the Corbett-Sullivan mill that
rocked the nation in 1898.
SIN those days." said John, "the
manly art, purely masculine en-
tertainment, one might say, was
conducted on high scale and at
tended by gentlemen only. The
thought of my lady sitting in the
New Orleans Olympic club, under
a rain of rosin dust and within
sound of the gong, was preposterous.
Not until came to New York, years
afterward, was it my lot to behold
woman parked within sight of the
squared circle, there to be thrilled
at a knockout as delivered by the
abysmal brute. However, we men,
folk made no bones about turning
a prize fight into Roman holiday
with all its pomp and ceremony.
Well l remember the announcement
that John L. Sullivan, then world
champion, would fight Gentleman
Jim Corbett, the California panther,
to finish. An added feature, in the
same ring, on succeeding days,
matched Jack McAuliff with Billy
Myer and George Dixon with Jake
Sicily. A Fistic Carnival at $50
per ticket for the three battles, SO
for Dixon-Skelly, SIS for McAuliff
and S25 for the main event between
John and Jim.
SOcialites Make SpIurge
GAS a member of the highly So
cial Boston club, it had been my
practice on previous occasions to
secure prize ring tickets for my
associates. The Olympic club IA
vored us with choice seats provided
my requirements were made known
well in advance. With considerable
alacrity, I made up a list which
totaled 81 1850. We pretty much mon
opolized the chairs in the ringside
section, distinguished on that occa-
sion from the back rows and bleach
ers by several coats of fire cracker
red paint.
'To further celebrate the carnival
spirit that had seized upon us we
ordered at a cost of $3.50 a special
dinner to be served at the Pickwick
club, from which point we were
driven in five horse-drawn carry
alls to the Olympic club on Canal
street, some distance from the CEN
ter of the city, in a quarter not
particularly well policed. Fact is,
twas the custom of roughneck
prizefght patrons upon leaving the
club to seize upon other peoples
vehicles, throw cab drivers from
their seats and drive away with an
amateur on the box, the passengers
singing popular songs and water
front chanteys. To guard against any
such reprisals directed at the boys
in the red chairs, engaged at S25
private detective to guard our carry
alls that we had hired at a cost of
500 for the night.
Mighty "John LIS" Waterloo.
"Another little item was SIS for
boutonnieres set at the right angle
ir our dinner coats, then in vogue
for all championship affairs at the
Olympic club. You need not draw
upon anything other than your i'm
agination in order to visualize the
magnifcence of forty-odd New Or
leanianS in dinner coats, decorated
with gardenias and seated in bright
red chairs around ring containing
the persons of Sullivan and Corbett
engaged in a finish fight for the
heavyweight championship of the
world. Can you see them?"
Perfectly, and never calmer
VI luSl1. w lldNS UGSll
magnificent.
''With the exception of one men,
ber," retorted Kennard, "who, at
the end of the second round, asked
me how it happened that there were
only two principals and four ref
erees in the ring. AS a problem in
optics that question to this day re-
mains unanswered. However, I
want you to know that otherwise
the delegation from the Boston club
was beyond criticism.
''How was the fght?"
eff you ask me, nothing to brag
about. Sullivan came out of his
corner like a tornado bent on WHIP
ing out the California STRIPPING in
one devastating onslaught. Corbett,
like feather in the path of lorna
do sidestepped to safety and kept
side-stepping for twenty-one rounds,
never at any moment in danger,
sticking rights and let's into Johns
face at will. Boston's Boy saw the
handwriting on the wall. The San
Francisco phantom cut him down to
the point of exhaustion where Sui
livan, weary but willing, though red
jowled and putting, sank upon his
broad launches, wiped the sweat
out of his eyes and was counted
out, exclaiming while still seated,
I'm sorry I lost the fight. Glad an
American won.'
@-wNU Service.