Hammond Times, Volume 12, Number 73, Hammond, Lake County, 13 September 1917 — Page 9

Thursdav, Sept. 13. 1917.

THE TIMES Pajrf Nine THE GREATEST FIGHT WAS HELD JUST A 'QUARTER CENTURY AGO

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This month marks the anniversary of the greatest heavyweight championship fight ever staged in America for th world's title. The ex-champion, the conqueror of that memorable battle in New Orleans, James J. Corbett. "Pompadour." or "Gentleman Jim." as he was then called, delivered a dissertation on the event Sept, 7. the anniversary day. The pugiJlstlc contest at New Orleans made Corbett a. theatrical star, as well as a world champion. Between rehearsals h manages to get away on furlough for lunch. It was on one of these so called furloughs at the Friars' i"luh. in New York, that he reminisced on the fight of twenty-five years ago. He told between gulps of the fighters of olden times, the, sports, bedecked with diamonds, who gathered around th ringside the training and the conveyances that carried them to the scene of the battle. Jchn L. Sullivan, world's champion

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knocked him from his pedestal of pugilistic greatness, once a most lavish purchaser of wine and whiskey, celebrated the anniversary on the lecture platform as a temperance advocate. Some contrast Corbett an actor. Sullivan a temrerance advocate. ".Fighting is all changed since the days when I was a youngster," said Corbett, who never seems to grow old, nor his hair grow white. "So have the scenes around the ringside. Tou never see the sports nowadays you would at fghts of years ago. Take the Dwyer brothers, Phil and Mike; Dick Croker, the boss of Tammany Hall; Mattie Corbett. Jack McDonald, Joe Uhlman and Riley Grannan. Tou don't see sports of their kind any more. Why. the Dwyer brothers would think nothing of betting fifty thousand dollars on a race horse or prize fight. Tou don't see their kind because the race tracks and big gambling houses are closed. Take Canfield's in Saratoga. Fortunes were won and lost there every night. They were simply the breeding places for oil time sports. ""VVeU I remember the scenes in the streets of New Orleans an hour before I entered the ring to fight John L. They were crowded and choked with old-fashioned conveyances of every kind. Undertakers refused to bury the. dead that day because they could make more money taking the sports to the scene of the fight. It was simply more profitable for them to carry the sports than to hire out their coaches to the mourners. In fact they refused to carry nothing but live ones that day. The prices they charged were simply terriilc. It's all together different nowadays. Those who want to get to the scene of a fight go in their automobiles or hire a taxtcab. They get there within a short time. It took two hours to go to Coney Island from Manhattan, New Tork. when I fought Jeffries. Yes. there ls

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that we use." Corbett smiled when he was asked if he had a picture of himself and Sullivan as they appeared in the ring twen-ty-flve years ago. "Picture," said Corbett, as he stopped digging jnto his melon; "why, they never dreamed of taking picures in those days. Even the newspaper didn't send photographers to the training camps or the club houses. Artipts they did send, who made pen and ink sketches. Any one who would have thought to bring a camera and take pictures of my fight with Sullivan would have cleaned up a neat sized fortune. They simply didn't. "If champions of years ago did what fighters nowadays do they would be hissed out of the ring or disqualified by the referee. By that I mean covering up. Some champions in these days cover up and show the yellow streak. They refuse to put up a good fight. They are always on the defensive. They act like cowards. If referees will stop this covering up and make fighters pitch in the public will see good bcuts. "If I had covered up In any of my fights of years ago I .would have been could understand It if somebody would try to explain it. The champions of today seem to suffer from stage fright. Boxing, after all, simply means hit, stop and get away. Fighters nowadays have their minds set on getting away. The fighters of to-day can become champions and have littW knowledge of boxing. There is one thing, however. I am quite sure of. and that is fighters are born and not made. You can't make fighters, but that's what they're doing to-day, and they're not succeeding. That sounds paradoxical. Nowadays the game is entirely too commercialized. Of com-e a promoter is entitled to a recompense for getting up a big fight, but now they know before they even begin to train what they're going to get. It's

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a case of "What do I get if I lose

what do I get, anyhow?'" What Corbett had to say on the art of training for fights now as compared to olden times is interesting. "I put in three months of hard training in the country for my tight with Sullivan. Nowadays fighters train two weeks in the city for important bouts. If a fighter in my time took that amount of training the public would refuse to attend the fight. They would think something was wrong. "Well, now listen to me, joung fellow," said the imperishable idol of fight fans. "On the level, I hate to talk about pugilism. I lelong to a clas that has rassed, and I m afraid the younger generation will say. 'What does that old dodo know about it. anyway?' Thats about the attitude some of 'em seern to assume when 1 try to tell them what to do. 'However, as they sav in Ireland nowauays, Isch gubiDble.' I'm out of the fight game now, I'm a farmer. "What's that? "Acto.-?" It was a clean-cut. decisive victory for Corbett, who twenty-five years ago was a stalwart, finely developed young man. It was one not marred by the slightest tinge of unfairness or chance. The purse was the largest ever put up for a ring battle up to that time; it was 125,000 and the stakes $20.(100. The fijjht that was to end John L,.'s championship was fought before the Olympic Club in New Orleans. When the tight was over there was a new champion of the world. Sullivan was thirty-four at the time of his defeat and Corbett twenty-six years Sullivan said himself that he made two millions in the fighting business and that lie spent one million of it in buying drinks for himseff and his host of admirers. He knocked out two hundred men of one sort or another in his fighting career, and finally he said in a saloon in Terre Haute, Ind., in 1?07, he gave the "Black Itottle," his greatest enemy, the knockout wallop. On the occasion of the decision with regard to the "Black Bottle." he said: "If I take another drink, I hope I choke, so help me God." And he hasn't. He is a temperance advocate, hissed from tin: ring. They simply would not stand for a champion failing to put up a tight. Tou would have to prove to their entire satisfaction you were a champion. When I started boxing I felt within myself that I could knock out any man living. 1 could always beat a man's guard down, and when boxing for a contest I never attempted to spar for an opening, but went right in to box, and win from the start. I did not belitfve in sparring to feel the other man out.- The other mnn was second to me at every stage of the fight; I went in to win from the very first second. "I never had stage fright; do not know what it is, and do not suppose I

KAMMQND TO MEET CULMS SUNDAY

By JTBTOOB (War correspondent wltli tha Hooslar forces, "somewhere In. th Calumet Region.") (Passed ty the National Biscuit Co.) HEADQUARTERS. Sept. 13. Much anxiety was prevalent in camp this morning concerning the unexpected news that the enemy was starting a twenty-one mile drive on a nine-man front, with the local encampment as their goal, and the latter is enveloped in a whirl-pool of excitement and activity as a result. The gladsome news was received aft

er a daring exploit by one of the Hoosier air-scouts (not hot air), who has, on three former occasions, been decorated with an Iron cross for valor in the air. I might add that this bold aviator began his reconnoiter in the latter part of August and has constantly been up in the air for a period of three weeks without having alighted once for gasoline, tire trouble, or a drink. He reports further that his trip was without mishap or interruption, except on two occasions, once, when he side-swiped a gillaloo bird and again when he was pinched for parking his machine on the wrong side of a cloud (presumably inside.) The Galligan .army was observed while rapidly mobilizing their forces for the attack, which is expected on Sunday at about the hour of three p. m. Major General Hoffman called his entire staff into conference immediately

upon receipt of the tip and they went into a session that was expected to last all night. The plan of defense has not been officially given out, but General Opinion states emphatically that there will be no retreat. Much knowledge of the enemy's unscrupulous style of warfare was gained in our first encounter with them, and it is unofficially stated that our army will be properly equipped to combat any new tactics that may be brought into piny. The heavy artillery has volunteered its services (gladly) for this one engagement and the Red Cross and hospital units will be called out forthwith. The infantry will be left at home. Possibly the cavalry will be called forth. It is sure to be called, either fourth or fifth. Considerable confidence has always been placed in the use of the Henning hand grenade, and it is expected that this, if properly manipulat-

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bardment Sunday. The secret service department, however, hsve advirsed us that the enemy arc Still using, to remarkably good advantage, the Black hand grenade (also the black-hand .rrenade). which wreaked so much damage in July, and this

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get in touch with the inventor. Henning. in the hope that he might rush us an improvement on his original invention. The re-organization of our army proved its advantages in the battle of Albany Park, and it has pledged its utmost support in washing away the dark-brown taste of our last defeat at the hands of the enemy. During an armistice, the Galligan official staff promised us that their forces would not include the "Legion of Death," the 'ladies' unit which offered so strong a counter-attack in July. Anyway, the Hammond Baseball Club will meet the snappy Galligan team at Parduhn Tark next Sunday, and endeavor to even up one of our only two losses of the 1917 season.

THE STANDING

AMERICAN LEAGUE. W. L. Pct. CHICAGO 91 47 .657 Boston 81 52 .609 Cleveland 75 63 .543 Detroit 69 69 .500 New York 65 70 .481 Washington 62 70 .470 St. Louis 52 87 .374 Philadelphia 48 85 .361 Yesterday's Results Cleveland. 8; Detroit. 2. Detroit, 4; Cleveland, . Philadelphia. 7: New York. 1. Vs nhinrf "n. 1: Ftns-. 1 1 (nn(rrl.

NATIONAL LEAGUE. YV. L

New Tork 56 Philadelphia 75 St. Louis . j. 75 CHICAGO 7'i Cincinnati 6) Brooklyn - 62 Boston Pittsburgh 45

Yesterday's Eesulta. Cincinnati. 6: Chicago, 4. Pittsburgh, 2; St. Louis. 1. New Tork, 9: Brooklvn, 0. New- Tork. Brooklyn, 1. Philadelphia, 6; Boston, 3.

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LANSING PLAYS COLTS The Lansing Junior play the Lucas Colts at Lansing Sunday, Sept. 16. lor games call Landing IS.

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Ls. 11. 15. H 1. West Park Add.

Pet. W hiting Land Co. to Herma

.612 j Fehinian 850.00

f-tandaid Add. Frank R

."fUi vi,- 10.00 .4!6iL I". H ?. Birkhoff's Add. .?il j Sadie C. Hoff nan to Engle-

liardt Cll'trh 1.00 L 8. B 5. Hyde Park Add. Joseph Swint ' t' William Havenaar 1.P0 L 2. S'b L 19. B 1. Frank S. P.etz 3rd Add. Frank S. Hetz to Frank Lahas '. . 275. PO INDIANA HARBOR. S HO ft. L 17, B IS, 4th Add. Clarence C. Smith to Xioic Fundumlic - L 34. "B 2, 4th Add. Robert A. Vihlein to illiam E. Costello 3,P00."O I. IS. P. 14. 4th Add. Fast Cho. Cn. t J.zef Trznpelc

TOLLESTON. L 44. B 47, 2nd Oak Faik Add. Clear Title land Co. f I'riTiio Tullio L 13. B 2, Frankel's Suh. Herman Fehlman to Whiting Lnnd Co Ls. 25. '26. B 6. Oak Park Add. Louis H. Glveke, et al.. to Snell-Sitnpsnn Co L 42. B 6. 2nd Loean Park Add. Zenove Matau to Susana Mata J HA XT MONO.

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