Year: 1874

porton OF some person in your vicinity, II
a diversion which, singular as it may seem,
is not wholly unknown among US And ever
in bygone days it is said to have obtained
somewhat extensively. For we read that
Dares was fond of it and Entellus
and Mr.. Butes and several other es-
timable gentlemen whose names are
still preserved to US while Spartacus
thought that if he could catch even three OF
his compeers in a handy nook by themselves
he might reasonably hope to get away with
them. This modesty on his part could hardly
have been looked for without some ultimate
benefit accruing and it is understood that he
was of the opinion that such conduct would
be pleasing to the conveyed Minerva. For
his sake we hope it was; for she was said to
be fond of this sport, and was no doubt hang
ing around in those later days when the
wager Of battle used in ancient
Britain to be deemed the best appeal
when grave matters were at issue, and the
gallant Figg and Jem Ward, Caunt Cribb,
Bendigo and the Corinthian, not with leathern
cestus or gauntlet of linked mail, nor yet
with the padded chamois of our day, but with
the nst unshielded, hard and horny, buffeted
need to look to these or Brettle or Sayers OF
Langham for memories of this gentle pastine,
nor to the land of the quarter staff and the
broadsword, for here at home, short lived as
has been our nation, we have already o
record; for who has not heard of Thomas
nd kko 1oka oCI
Or better yet, that ingenious and high-toned
person, the Hon. Yankee Sullivan, to whom
alone belongs the honor of having first intro
duced among us that habit, SO child-like and
bland, of squirting tobacco juice into the eyes
of his opponent during the progress of the
battle? And Joseph Coburn. who taught us
how to fall down before we were hurt?


But we dwell too long among these fast re-
curing memories, for now we hear of new
glories for our noble prize ring. A little
before one o'clock yesterday morning
there crept slowly away from one Of
the Pittsburg piers a steamer laden almost
gunwale down with human freight and such
precious freight For there were Tom
Allen and Dooney Harris and Butt Reilly and
Reddy the Blacksmith, and many more of
their ilk. What o sad affliction to our be-
loved land had some stray snag scuttled that
hull and sent her down like 'the Royal
George, with all her crew complete - But it
was not 80 to be. On they foated down
stream, making for the border line between
two mighty States, so that, if mishap comes,
these worthy people can step across the line
and plead to the Jurisdiction And, sure
enough, it does come; for following them
sharply go the local constabulary and militia,
and for much Of the day these gentry beat
about not daring to plant At last they grow
bold and pitch their ring-an exact square by
the way-but what do they care for consist
ency or geometry? Matters point to bust
ness. BY way of prelude the managing
man, Barney Aaron, gets into a nice fgh


do not mind these trifes and get tc
work. They are in good shape and
spelling to be brotherly. Seconds stand to
their corners-graduates, some of them.
of our benefcent Tombs. One of the heroes
leads off gayly and taps the other gently on
the side of the face, who, in return, knocks
him down. Then he does the same for the
other. Next one lands terribly on the others
face, and the blood spurts in all directions.
Then the same Is repeated, and so they go on,
battering and mauling each other, until sud-
denly the seconds of tho beaten man, whose
face is now in fearful condition, discover, or
pretend to, that the other has on his knuckles
mixture which if it gets to the eyes of
their man will surely blind him. The crowd
breaks into the ring; the referee, as usual, is
at his wits end and makes some strange de-
cision, and so ends another of the shameful
exhibitions which we bolster up with the
name of prize fight.


There now practises at the criminal Bar
of this city man who is said to speak
creditably many languages; who is
well spoken of by those who know him,
and, though not like Bendigo, going about
preaching the Gospel and trying to
save souls where he used to de-
face bodies. still a respectable member
of society. Years ago he stood up to q really
formidable man, Australian Kelly and for
four long hours fought his way through over
two hundred rounds, and, though suffering
terrible punishment, took it unfinchingly and
won. Later on o wonderfully game man, of
medium height and make, faced perhaps the
most snowy man who ever stepped into
the American prize ring, one who,
in height and weight and reach,
had great advantages, and whoever
won the fight no one out of the two great
nations which, with intensest interest, watched
every feint and blow. would deny that that
same little man was one Of the very bravest of
whom they ever knew Now, what like this
have we in this shameful affair of yesterday
afternoon? or in the miserable fasco between
Allen and Coburn? To bolster up the prize