Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 289, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1912 — CALLS PACKEY M’FARLAND RING WIZARD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CALLS PACKEY M’FARLAND RING WIZARD

Packy McFarland of Chicago, known throughout the pugilistic world as the “stockyards champion,” because of his being the idol of that section of the western city, is rated by boxing experts as the “wizard of the ring,” says the Philadelphia Public Ledger. McFarland is a fistic marvel. Now at the age of 24 years, he is accumulating a fortune rapidly and has set his plans to make SIOO,OOO in the next year. This is to be done by a combination of his brains and hands. McFarland has gone about his ring contests the same as a contractor assumes a contract. If the task can be completed in three days the brainy contractor realizes that it is folly to waste six, and submit his machinery to unnecessary wear. It is the same with McFarland. If he sees that a bout can be ended In three rounds he rarely fights ten, but if in trying to end the bout quickly and decisively he feels he is endangering his tools, which are his hands, why, he simply wins by the scientific route. It is that element of uncertainty which has made McFarland the magnet to attract ring-goers. His science at times is bewildering and ardent followers of the game are ofttimes at a loss to follow his plan of attack and defense. McFarland has been boxing eight

years, has fought more than 100 battles, ranging from one round to twen-ty-five, and in that time has never taken the count. He started his career by knocking his opponents out in short order, winning his first six contests in that decisive fashion, all being won Inside of six rouhds. He continued his knockout record in the second, third and fourth year of his ring pareer, winning 27 out of 37 conrests that decisive fashion. It then began to dawn on McFarland that a skilled mechanic would be at loss without his tools, and he realized that he must nurse his hands, not slug and try to knock a man’s head 1 off with each punch, but deliver his blows scientifically, block those of the slugger and avoid punishment. Like all men who have studied real boxing, he soon discovered that it was far more pleasant to give than receive. From that day McFarland has truly been the wizard of the ring. He is proud of his defense and only during the last, year, when a New York slugger reached him and blocked one of his eyes, McFarland was so ashamed of the discoloration that he passed up a SI,OOO six-round engagement. No man had ever blacked his eye before, and it is said he remained indoors, away from his friends, until the discoloration had disappeared.

Packy McFarland, Stock Yards Lightweight.