| Show World W orId Fight Champion Was Physical Coward Maxies Maxie's s Brother Was Idol of Mother 1 Baers Baer's Eye Titleholder Never Learned to Swim Swint Editors Editor's Note This Is the second of a series of six articles on the life and career of Max Baer new heavyweight boxing champion of the world By PAUL GALLICO NEW YORK June 21 When When Dora Bacr Baer mother of Max was expecting Buddy the youngest member of or the family of two boys and two girls she hoped that It would be a boy and that some day he would be the heavyweight champion prizefighter of the world Dora Baer Bacr curiously was interested interest interest- ed edin in prize fighters and prize fights and used to read the accounts in the newspapers telling about them Budd Buddy duly arrived weighed 12 pounds at birth and when he lay on the table newly born as a sunrise he arched his back and bridge He was a strong baby and Mother Baer was delighted It was evident from the first that he was destined to become the heavyweight heavyweight heavy heavy- weight champion of or the world Buddy was the bab baby Buddy was the darling Buddy was the pet Big strong powerful powerful pow pow- erful Buddy Mrs Baer doesn't remember remember re reo re- re member so much about Max because Max was just going to be a fine butcher like his father There was nothing particularly distinctive about Max except that he was wa a coward Was Physical Coward The new champion admits that he hel was as a physical coward when he was wasa I Ia a youngster His mother corroborates corroborates ates it But it was not cowardice it wasn't poltroonery It was just that curious boys boy's trick of running when chased because he was fleet of foot often running into a panic and of ot getting into the habit of run run- ning Mamma E er did not want Max to tobe tobe tobe be fighting with the other boys but when they chased her eldest into his yard ard day after day when Max l used to come home from school with torn lorn pockets where his JUs pursuers had hook hook- ed their fingers and he had yanked free in terror ripping his clothes when the elder sister Frences a big strapping girl used to have to step outside the enclosure of the yard jard while Max cowered inside the house panicky and panting and slap some bullys bully's jaw and send him home Mamma Baer lost her patience said Defend Max She yourself dont don't run from those hose boys You are areas areas areas as big ble and md as strong as 15 they are If you OU ever come running home with torn pockets again jonIl you'll catch It U from me Mamma Baer must have had bad visions of what oung young Buddy would do to such tormentors when he grew up Max lax was as nine at the time and Cuddy Buddy three One day a playmate Clyde Clde Mor Morgan chased Max home Max 1 ran into the house flushed and breathless He said Clyde Morgan says he can ean lick me in my own yard jard Mamma Baer Bacr blazed She said said Well Well full of or om om- portent Young Max lax said As soon as 35 I take my ray clean blouse of off Im I'm going out and whip him He took off his clean blouse and ran out into the yard with h his s right hand cocked Clyde Morgan fled led to safety and from a distance allowed that he had not wanted to fight any wa way vay That was the closest Max ever came to a fight as a youngster He started school at seven did this strange boy Max and was an average pupil He loved to ride when he could get on a horse but was afraid of the water because an uncle once threw him off the deep end to make him sin sink or swim and he sank tank He cannot swim to this day He ate He grew He Hc learned learn learn- ed his fathers father's work work butchery butchery and liked it He loved bread butter and jam When he was 15 or 16 he used to come into the kitchen fresh from Irom the charnel with his arms covered ered with blood slice a hunk of bread butter it and then overlay it with jam am an inch thick Don Dori used to say say Max Max how can you cat eat all dirty that way Max would reply Mamma l when youre you're hungry you can cat eat any way He would do this between meals five e and six times a da day When Dempsey fought Carpentier Carpen Carpen- tier the Baer Baers read the account in the papers and Max l and Buddy pretended they were Dempsey and Carpentier took off their shoes and staged a fight in the parlor while Dad Bacr Baer whooped and cheered Max stepped off the tile carpet and ran rana a splinter two inches up under a Dad Baer had bad to call a doctor doc doe tor toe to operate to get d It out It cost him 5 Dora lIner Bacr often after that twitted him about paying five dollars dollars dol dol- dol- dol lars for a ringside scat seat to the Demp Demp- scy sey fight Baby Buddy was as pleased because he was pretending pre pre- tending lending he lie was the handsome Car Car- Maxs Max's idol was Dempsey Dempse Helps Ills His I Father You could see sec as the boy grew rew older that whereas Buddy was surely going goin to be heavyweight champion of the world some day Max was going to tobe tobe tobe be just a fine butcher like Uke his father Before he reached his middle teens Max used to go down to the slaughter slaughterhouse slaughterhouse house and md watch his dad work v Then he started helping him little by little One d day Jacob Baer remained in ill bed all aU morning stricken with rheu Down in m his own little packing packing pack pack- ing plant were three steers stamping in the corral and bellowing Max went down stairs and pole axed them bled them stripped their hides split them and hung them When his father finally hobbled bobbled down stairs Max said aid Gee Gee dad you a amt aint nt mad arc are you ou thereafter for a while the two worked work work- ed side by side Jacob Baer Bacr the expert ex cx pert neat and skilled Max the apprentice apprentice apprentice ap ap- ap- ap prentice strong quick and blood bloody from Irom head to loot foot t p. p l S i V l a rIf t. fc t t LM Jt fi j r t tr l. c r t M i. 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