Evening star., 1938-03-31
Joe IS ONE Of FEW
TO HIT 7 FIGURES
First Dozen Pro Battles
Earned Champ $4,000.
Baer Go Paid Most.
By FRANCIS ]. POWERS.

Dy EAANS1S Js IoVLno.
CHICAGO, March 31-When Joe
Louis, the world heavyweight cham
pion, finishes with Max Schmeling in
June he will have crossed more than
100000, and that in slightly more
than four fiscal years. Joe is only
$57,938.63 short of that amount at the
current writing, and will reduce the
deficit by several thousands in his fight
with Harry Thomas, the brave engi-
neer, at the Chicago Stadium tomorrow
night.
Not many athletes ever have earned
million dollars. Jack Dempsey, Gene
Tunney, Babe Ruth and Walter Hagen
are about the only ones that quickly
come to memory And It took those
fellows considerably longer to reach
the million class than Joe Louis
Dempsey and Tunney pitched leather
for more than 10 years; Ruth was
throwing and clouting baseballs for
more than 20 summers. and Hagen
Travelled the fairways of the world for
more than score of years to get his
financial score. So Louis stands alone,
not only for the rapidity with which he
won the heavyweight championship,
but also for his earning powers.
Joe Poorly Paid at Start.
Dempsey's largest gates were in the
two Tunney fights and his memorable
battle with Georges Carpenter. Tun-
ney's greatest take was, of course, when
he fought Dempsey. So far Louis
largest cut was from his bout with Max
Baer. when he was paid s240, 1893. .99-
Uncle Mike Jacobs would not even
throw in the extra penny to make it
even money. Joe's share when he
nights Schmeling probably will be
greater than that, but still short of the
tops for Dempsey and Tunney.
In his first - professional fights.
Louis earned only $4,000. His first
hve-flgured check was the result of
his three-round knockout of Roy La
zler IN Chicago, in the spring of
1885. Then he jumped into real
money with s60,43323 for knocking
out Primo Camera in six. When he
was knocked out by Max Schmeling,
Louis was paid s14O,e5s.14 For win
ming the championship from Braddock
he received only ,684.O8, and for
beating Tommy Farr. S1o2.57s.19. He
Will receive the champions share for
hghtlng Schmeling this summer and
Mike Jacobs is quite certain that will
be a million-dollar gate
Toles' Bout Paid s334.41.
The smallest purse Louis ever has
received since becoming a headliner
was s334.41 for fighting Roscoe Toles
IN Flint, Mich. Several times he has
been paid less than $4,000, but that
was due to the fact that the Bomber
has been unusually active as a climb
er, challenger and champion.
OF course, Louis net after the
Schmeling fight will be much less
than the cool million. After his man
ayers have taken their dip, and taxes
and expenses have been paid, chances
are Louis will not have much more
than $350,000. But when Joe's earn
ings from exhibition bouts and other
extraneous items are totaled, the
champion should come out of the
Schmeling fight with close to $780,
600 to his credit in bank balances,
annuities and investments. That's
not at all bad for Negro boy who
less than four years ago was a day
hand In Detroit motor plant.
Joe seems to have forgotten the idea
OF retiring which bothered him last
summer. It's not that Joe is money
hungry, for he is a thrifty spender.
Rather, there's nothing else for him
to do but fight and fellow who won't
turn "A until mid-May cannot very
well quit work at that age.