| Show MATT MATTY Y BALDWIN TOOK TO FIGHTING 1 4 JUST T LIKE DUCK TAKES KES TO WATER l I t I I I I BY ALEC HE greatest event ent In boxing circles circles circles cir cir- THE cles Is the winning of oC the heavyweight heavy wel weight ht championship of the world All other con contests tests a at 1 other weights yield in Importance to this nut But I If we look for the second most Important event we wo will have t to go godown godown g down the scale through h the light heavyweight and welterweight welter welter- weight divisions down to the thC lightweight light lIght- weight ranks before we find th It There seems to be something In iii this contest among the little men which appeals to the popular idea of sport more than similar contests at any an other weight except as ns we have havo seen in the very highest Since tho the passing of of Battling Nelson Nelson Nel Nel- son there has been a chaotic state of affairs In n the lightweight division A Ad l Wolgast the present champion Is s by far Cal the tho most prominent figure The supremacy which ho tie has won however however however how how- ever has not been gained without a struggle and It Is still contested b by a number of or likely candidates Among this number tho the most prominent promInent prom prom- b by reason of his ills past achievements achievements achieve achieve- ments meats and recent showing Is Matty Marty I Baldwin The Boston boxer has proved his life rl right ht to be considered a l' l logical contender for cor lightweight hon hon I ors He Ile has had more boxing experience exper exper- I lance than the present champion is I full fully fulls' as game and can stand as great an amount of or punishment lie Ile hn has I won the decision over such consistent performers as Owen Oen Moran and has hastied hastied tied In a twelve round contest with the champion himself The rue showing he made on that occa occa- occasion occasion sion slon clearly clearl entitles him to a return bout hout at a much longer distance where the tho respective merits of ot the two rive men cnn can be settled permanently and decisively decisively he ively to tho tiro satisfaction of or all aU most in In- In Matty's Mattys career as a boxer has shown that this much much-criticised profession Is not worthy worth of or the hard knocks It has received ed He lie has shown that even cven evena a ring man can lead a clean life liCe be a worthy member of or society and always retain his own self seU This Is a fact which the hostile public public public pub pub- lic has so 80 often otten overlooked Most bo boxers ers are arc careful livers through nece ne ne- necessity ce H If not from Crom choice as 38 the they know all too well wall that thoy they must keep themselves In the best physical trim In n order to succeed at nt their er very strenuous profession slon Matty ol a tl Baldwin was born at Char Charlestown Charlestown Charles Charles- town pass Mass He went through I public schools and attended the local loca high school for one year ear Then as his hits father rather needed his hs aid he was obliged NI to go o to work As he was the tho oldest of ot fourteen children andas and andas andas as his family was In none too comfortable comfort comfort- ablo able circumstances aces his help was vcr very necessary So at fifteen he started In running an elevator for a well-known well concern In Boston but he lie still contin contin- continued continued continued his high school work going going- to evening cas classes es at the Boston Doston En English lIsh Ill thigh High h school Baldwin never ne took a boxing lesson lesson but as is customary at that age he lie hespa spa sparred more or less les with several fellows fellows fel fel- lows in hi his own neighborhood One of oC these Jack Bradley b by name a husk husky teamster t lived In the same with Baldwin Badwin Bradley learn Int that tatty fatty desired to become a boxer started In to show him some of tho the fine tIne points of the game hame Perhaps however vever It ia is better to lot fatty Malty tell his own story of ot this occasion occa occa- sion He Heas says as a's Jack one night invited In mo me Into tile tho cellar of or our house and started to show me the tho way In which Terry McGovern bested his opponents opponent I will never forget forJet that night for ho camo vcr very near discouraging me from ever cyer becoming becoming- a boxer In showing mo too McGovern's style style style-a a rushing slam slam- bang method he gave e me a decidedly sick sea feeling ana and when It was over I could not bear to look at a boxing glove again for 1 n month 1 However cr I went to Boston one da day and saw a n punching bag In a window marked seventy five cents I 1 had neverseen nev never neverseen r seen one used and did not know how It was suspended from the drum 1 but returned home and after aeter a good deal of oC teasing my mother gave me tho the money She did this rather for Cor she did not lII like e the idea of boxing and thought it wicked a.- a. g game me So I purchased the bag baJ and after aCter I 1 reached home lOme was at a loss as to how I was to punch it 1 Finally nail I made a pilgrim pilgrim- im imago ago to the back yard where here I cut a section of ot the tho clothes line and succeeded succeeded suc suc- succeeded In hanging the bag t to m my own satisfaction Mattys Matty's first public appearance was wasat rent at a smoke tall taU In South Boston where he boxed three rounds with a little fellow named Mills at nt the time a local bantamweight champion Matty did fairly well but as he says sas I I know knew none of the fine point points of oC tho the game and only onh succeeded In 11 stopping everything every every- thing that came camo m my way with either cither my Jaw or nose In fact tho the only onh thins thine I had In m my favor Cavor at that time was str strength and m my ability to stand pun- pun While Whilo running tho the elevator a boxer who had had one or two bouts used to como come Into the building where Matty Marty worked Hearing that he ho could box boJC a little Baldwin u used Cd to look at tho the fellow fel fel- low with pride for Cor he had seen his name In the paper and concluded If Ir he was good enough to have his name namen in n print ho must be a R wonder Tho The two would would-be pugilists b became friend friend- ly and used to spar a little One Ono da day the blows were harder than usual and finally fatty Matty grew angry pushed down the lover lever and sent the elevator ele to the top floor There the preliminary e exercise was finished In strenuous fashion Cashion There were hero repeated repented repeated repeat repent ed ed rings s on the bell from people one on tho e ground floor who wanted to go up In n the elevator ele but Matt batty Matty was I far Car too busy to mind little things like that Tho rings s kept coming faster and Ca faster faster fast fast- t- t er cr however so he lie decided he must finish tho the scrap which he did dill with a final hard blow that sent his opponent to the floor Then ho lie rode down In n the elevator ele feeling as acs ho lie e expressed It It Like a champion After Arter that Baldwin was Vas a local favorite fa favorite fa- fa and succeeded by bj b making frequent frequent fre fee quent excursions lons to the top floor flor In proving ln hl his supremacy over ver every of of- oC- oC flee fice bo boy or other member r of or the tho office force who cared to contest conte t that point Mattys Matty's first real bout occurred shortly after actor till this cV event nt It was staged In a a cellar was a ten round bout and anal was held under the aU auspices of or a It local boys boys' club The purse was 1 divided In the ratio of rort forty forty- per cent t to the lie manager and sixty bt por per cent to the boxers Tho The managers manager share according accord- accord In Ins ing to the tho tt agreement nt was to go o forr for r rubdown and tape tane for the hands The admission 1 lon was fixed at al the nominal price of or 10 cents The Thc referee through through- 11 nut ut tho the contest smoked a n T D pipe j Unlike other fighters according to the stories Matty Iatt did not give Ive his purse purtle to his mother but used It to bu buy Ice cream Instead Matty latt was sixteen years old when he rondo made his first Important match This was WI a contest with a colored boy oy named ls Javis was managed by b by the theno now no famous Camous Sam Langford patty Matty states that Lan Lang Langford rord Or came to him be before before be- be fore foro the contest conte t with it advice e which he ho offered him accompanied with his best wishes The Tho advice was s sto that Matty for the two day days prior to the n fight ht should drink all the water he possibly could Drink buckets and buckets buckets Langford said Matty Matt took the tho advice not knowing that Lan Langford tord WAS w. managing and gave Jav him the advice hoping to In Injure Injure In- In jure juro him Nevertheless o 1 s In n spite of ot this water cure which Baldwin followed strictly to the tho letter Jotter he e won tho the fight right and knocked out l his opponent Those at tho the ring said then that if It he would ho he good and go o home they would have ha hl his name In the tho papers the following fol tol- 01 lowing da day Since then Matty has increased won Von wonderfully In efficiency as a fighter He lie has fought with such sterling ring artists ar- ar artists artists ar ar- as ns Abe Abo At Attell tell J Jem em Owen Moran and Ad Wolgast He has never ne yet been knocked out lIe He has always been noted for his strength and sameness gameness the latter especial espe espe- chap cial A striking Instance of or this characteristic was shown on the occasion Occasion occasion occa Occa- sion when Baldwin fought several Reveral rounds with a broken arm against Battling Battling Bat Bat- Hurley lIure of ot Boston Matty has always always al- al ways been a support to his family and although he Is married himself and has two children since his father died two years ago aJo he always alwa's sends home part of ot his hits earnings to his mother Matty patty has one characteristic In hl his favor Cavor which cannot be said of ot some of the other leading boxers In the tho lightweight light light- lI lightweight ht- ht weight circles Ho o Is Isa s a natural lightweight lightweight lightweight light light- weight and is always able to make pounds with case This Is la an advantage advantage ad ad- vantage antaJe which such boxers as Packy McFarland and others might well envy Many Man of ot the contenders for Cor the lightweight lightweight light light- weight honors are arc obliged to starve stane themselves In order to make mako the limit of ot pounds This rigorous course of ot training training- cannot fall Call to weaken a boxer materially and anti this advantage e of Mattys Matty's Mat Mat- tys ty's is one of oC his stron strongest est assets Mattys Matty's three years years' training In high school have havo brought out some ome traits and characteristics which would not ordinarily be looked for In a typical boxer His special hobby Is music and he Is 11 an admirer of oC all an the grand opera stars Ho He never neVel talks fight It Is the thea last a t thing he refers to to lie lie would much rather discuss music and Is b by no means a poor singer He lie has hns a a. rather clear r baritone voice vice Matty's Mattys recent trip trio to the Pacific coast was wal a a. success from every standpoint stand stand- point He Ire showed very prominently among the tho boxers of or the west and wherever ho went received a most cordial cordial cor cor- dial reception He lie fou fought ht twice at Salt Lake City and three twenty-round twenty bouts In San Francisco To Illustrate Matty's Mattys activity as us a boxer he has traveled twice from Crom coast t to coast since shoe 1 Tune line 1011 1911 covering co a n distance of 1 miles He fought ht seven en long I battles In the mho hot weather eather of ot last summon sum sum- mon merl and was uniformly uniformly successful fatty Matty Is alv always alwa's as working He lie Is a hard worker b by choice and by profession protes- protes sion lIon Ho lie has his eye ec on the highest honor at nt hl his own wel weight ht and he lie will never be satisfied until ho gets It It Whatever hater hat er his success he ht belongs to the best type of ot athletes tho the man who wins b by cleverness skill and strength at a game amo me which is more than 2000 years ears old and which Is II well worth worthy of ot tho tide hl high h esteem It has always alwa's enjoyed with the American p people Baseball Baseball Magazine I |
