Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-02-07 | Page 6 | How Gans Got a Start

HOW GANS GOT A START. BEGAN, AS A FISH CLEANER AND CLIMBED TO THE TOP. Many pugilists have had humble beginnings, be-ginnings, but the career of Joe Gnns, the lightweight champion of the world, is unique. Gans began life ns a cleaner of fish In a market In Baltimore, and, but for an accident, would never havo been In the fighting ' business 4 today. Several years ago a well-known sporting sport-ing man went to Ealtlmore and induced in-duced aianager Kernan of Kernan's Monumental Theater to run bo?:Ing sjiows in the Monumental amphitheater after the regular performance. In order to whet the appetite of tho crowd for some of tho preliminary and slur bouts a battle royal between negroes was put on. Although the sum offered was smnll, almost every negro with llstlc ambitions ambi-tions in Baltlmoro entered, and at every show these battles royal mado a big hit. One night Gans, who had just returned from work, made ai application to enter one of the contests. He was asked whether he had any experience, and he frankly admitted that he had not, but was willing to try. "But you know what these battles roj;aJ are, don't you?" he was asked. "Tou've got to fight nnd mix It all the time, and If you quit you don't get anything. any-thing. See?" G&na saw and went on. He was very successful and made an Impression. After that Gans entered In tho preliminary bouts, for which he received the munificent amount of ?5 whether he won or lost. Gans had a. peculiar style. While not clever then, he had a hard blow and delivered it at random. His best blow at the time was a wicked drive for the stomach, and when It landed his opponent usually took to the boards for the full count.