Show Hir O ar 3 L d In f V UCRO OF OO TTO I I ARTICLE V. V Where Fists Were a Business Asset Asset- First Preliminary Bouts In Public Public- The Strategy That Spelled Defeat Britton Takes His His' First Boxing Lessons Lessens After Arter scouting around Chicago for tor several weeks and finding that a skinny awkward boy without any kind of oC experience was not regarded as a valuable addition to commercial houses where they J paid the money I thought my services servIces' deserved I got gota a Job hustling papers for tor the Chicago Journal SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST S Down around the circulation ro room m mot of ot the Journal I had my first experiences experiences experiences in the use of or fists both with and the tho gloves Getting first places places in the line for papers was chiefly chief chief- ly a a. matter of t the survival l lon of the rth it fittest and the b best battlers got outon out outon on the streets first with their papers It took some time before I wa was able to graduate from the rear ranks and nd the process of ot going UD UP the line step by step was discouraging and at times rather painful The he used to hang hanl out In a large room adjoining the circulation n room while they were awaiting the next edition The period of ot waiting was usually marked by many fights tights and battles t Finally the tho boss deciding eI perhaps that since It had to be a fighting i hour sr on the dail dally daily s It woold would be better better bet bet- better ter to make It more more orderly provided some boxing gloves Appearance of the gloV gloves S was taken as an indication that fighting was an officially approved occupation as a pastime and everyone went to It Crowds d used to g gather eV every afternoon afternoon after after- tt noon around r l the e eg room When e the gang gathered a bunch brinch of ot gloves glove would be tossed in among them and the battles started Out of that circulation circulation circulation cir cir- cir cir- room came some of ot th the best fighters in the Middle West Vest In later years 2 FOR FIRST FIGHT Boxing sort of oC came naturally to me I knew none of ot the fine tine points of ot the game but I was unusually fast tast on my feet teet and before long Iwas I Iwas Iwas was looked upon as one of ot the best In the crowd Bill ll Phelon now of ot the Cincinnati Times Star was sports editor of ot the Journal at that time I and he was also acting as a a. matchmaker matchmaker match match- matchmaker I maker for tor several clubs He used need to pick most of ot his preliminary boxers j from the boys DOYS In the circulation room He Ho came to tome me one afternoon and asked me If It I wanted to go on that night The lure of a couple of ot dollars dollars dol dol- dol- dol lars got me and I agreed It was that night that I got my name Brit Brit- ton n. n Along in 1903 I 7 really got my start in the ring I had never never- thought of or boxing a as a business but by going on In short preliminary bouts It ft was possible to pick up p from 3 a to 10 oneo or twice a week and that was wasa a lot of ot money for tor a youngster In those days The first classy card I got on was a preliminary to the Ryan Mel ody od championship bout In IIi those days daS they didn't make malte out the preliminary cards The matchmaker Just told you to be there and when you arrived he would tell you who your opponent was I was vas sent In III for tor six rounds with a Jewish boy named Kid Hid Sween Swee Swee- ney n I weighed about pounds then and he was a little heavier but I was faster taster on my feet teet and I won I the decision We Ve s1 a Sio 10 nur 7 1 and 3 3 I managed to sneak f Into i ia a vacant seat for tor the main bout and saw Ryan win the velt welterweight championship with one brie e punch UP AGAINST AN OLD TIMER Other bouts were offered me with more y then and I began to feel teel that I was pretty good I was not hea heavy enough to win many knockouts knockouts knockouts knock knock- outs but I was so fast tast on my feet tee that I had no trouble winning de de pistons After Atter the the- McGovern lans scandal 1 had bad s stopped public boxing I went down to the Rosemont club one ona night with a a crowd from the Journal l Danny anny Gillen an ole timer was on ow for tor a preliminary and the boy supposed sup supposed sup sup- posed to on with go not show show- up The announcer asked ked for a vol vol-i and I went on I got a draw with him and we split even a Jio 10 purse I Along In 1903 and 1904 boxing was not flot going so good in Chicago and we started hitting bitting the outskirts I went over to Hammond Ind md and and nd beat heat Grover Hayes one of ot my p pals nala ls from Chicago I then went to Mil MU- waukee aukee and got a decision from Jack Nolan who w was s regarded as a very verv good boy at that So far tar I had met with nothing I w was a getting a fairly good reputation and naturally could demand more money I was then getting from 15 i to f 25 2 for a a. a bout and I thought I was set getting getting get get- ting a huge roll and would soon be rich KNOCKED 0 T FIRST OLT FIRST AND D LAST TIME TUIE The first big s back set came after that wb when n I was T knocked SOon out for the first and last time I was matched with Steve Ninny for tor six fx rounds He Tie was a good tighter fighter had waa his had wiser a lot t h head of J experience that hat I was i ma my coy and and unI un- un it doing In the middle of the g O first round while we were b boxing I close f he be rubbed his eyes and sala to IDe Look ok at those lights I looked up foolishly and he clip clip- pod ned d m me with mith a to the he Jaw Jaw- that knocked me m o out t good good and aria cold was was my first experience er e w with S 2 74 1 the Use of ot what is generally called c strategy It also proved to me roe that a good tongue is a valuable ble as asset asset as- as set in the ring ring and and I have profited by that lesson several dimes Almes TALKING OFF DEFEAT T. Many times sport writers have re referred re- re to me one as being a a- avery very voluble worker In the ring and I will admit that I d do quite a a. little talking Inthe inthe In Inthe the ring on occasion Several times a a- aline aline line of ot chatter designed to keep my opponent from knowing I was hurt or in a bad way has saved me However I have never used offensive often offen sive language and I ha have havo va- va vanever never tried to distract an opponents opponent's attention to knock him out Being knocked out didn't discourage discourage discourage rage me ole It only made mad me feel teel like e what they term these days as a asap asap sap fir fir-ee I wend back acl to Chicago IC and still kept t at my trade a e of hustling papers with a few tew bouts on the side Public boxing as I said was illegal ll aro aroI f b but the they use used d to have many stag smokers smokers' at some of or the big clubs where boxing was permitted permUted for tor tore members e er I used to do appear frequently frequent frequent- ly on those h s sega cards for purses sen of t around 10 20 to 30 0 C There were other boxing shows being staged away from the eyes of ot the police A show was carded one night In the basement of ot a big buildIng build build- i ing log on the north side Tickets had been sold and the place was filled tilled when the police I e broke In t the doors and raided the p place 1 I squeezed u through a a cellar window that was I about third one-third my size size I was out all but one toot foot when a cop grabbed me but bat trel I kicked back in ln his face tace an and he released his grip That experience cured me I had visions for tor days of or what would have happened It If I had been forced to send word to my father tather to come and get me roe out I always had a a- horror of ot Jails About this time the Dally Daily News a new paper was started started start start- W aa r Pt rf ed In Minneapolis I ha had d decided I to quit boxing because of ot the risk In Involved Involved Involved In- In and when several of us were offered railroad tare fare to go to Minneapolis Minneapolis Minneapolis Minne Minne- apolis to hustle for tor or the new now paper I I. I went vent r along ei A fair was being staged staged there then and I remember that Dan Patch the greed great pacer pa was one of or the big bis attractions attractions at at tractions As an added feature a b show was arranged for tor the middle of the track and I wa was waS' offered of- of of ot- a bout with Mike Brown a favorite ta- ta of ot the town I took a decision from him in six rounds and got 15 it ONLY TE EVER EVEn HAD Business got bad In Minneapolis and I wen wend weM back bacle to Chicago I heard that Youn Young Griffo was working out at O'Connell's Jo Joel el gymnasium and I ell asi went down to see him I boxed with 1 t him several times and he gave guve mo me some Bome very valuable ble lessons in de Se- Se work worle H He lie showed me how to stand on a a. dime with his hands down and away ay and lodge dodge around without being hit Many of the tac dac- tics that I found toun l so 80 effective in later years were shown to me by Griffo I had been getting along without any professional Instruction and Im I'm glad that 1 didn't have anyone to toI teach leach me because I was learning a ev everything cv- cv I eil ri I a at hand first and every one Of Qt my roy lessons was practical The best thing I learned In those fg do days f was that i 1 Is a great t mistake I fe tg to do too much work r In a g gj ium lum Boxers in fn these days work out day after atter day in gymnasiums and burn themselves out I seldom eldom had any gymnasium work because I had to earn a a. living and practice at box box- fog ing when wien I 1 got the c chance tb i et nf Had I burnt myself out oud in a gymn gymnasium gymnasium gym gym- n or on the tho road I would never neeJ have havo been able to stay in the game for 20 years vears years dod and nd I am not through yet Something tr n roo happened P t then tr that se caused me to leave Chicago g by y the tho back door and that exit will be re related related re- re In the next chapter Note In the sixth chapter of ot otI My I Twenty Years Years' In the Ring fling Britton tells of or the accidental knockout that made mado him become a professional boxer how boxer how he was forced to leave Chicago ahead hea of ot the sheriff and hl his ad antu in Philadelphia IP Ia |