Life and Reminiscences of a 19th Century Gladiator

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. ROUNDS OK THE PUGILISTIC LADDER. Young Ambitions And Old Battles ? Anecdote Of Hkenan And Savers ? Yankee Sullivan's Heel As A Talisman ? Strong Where Achilles Was Weak ? Double Victory Over The Champion Of The West ? I 've Seen A Foot Race ? Ryan Says, Go And Get A Reputation The Sporting...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. ROUNDS OK THE PUGILISTIC LADDER. Young Ambitions And Old Battles ? Anecdote Of Hkenan And Savers ? Yankee Sullivan's Heel As A Talisman ? Strong Where Achilles Was Weak ? Double Victory Over The Champion Of The West ? I 've Seen A Foot Race ? Ryan Says, Go And Get A Reputation The Sporting World Surprised ? Steve Taylor, Geo. Rooke, And Flood ? The Champion Rank In Sight ? A Glance Along The Line. sHE unbroken line of victories in boxing, on which I entered at this time, served to increase the feeling of interest which I had felt from boyhood in the champions of England and America, and the ambition to write my name among their records with my own hand. Two years before I entered the ring of life the famous Yankee Sullivan, who had encountered America's first champion, Tom Hyer, and had fairly outfought Morrissey, was murdered by the Vigilance Committee at San Francisco; yet his deeds were still rated by many as those of one of the pluckiest fighters that ever stood in a ring. But the pugilistic subject that was freshest in the public mind in my early boyhood was the battle betweenthe champions of America and England, Heenan and Sayers. Although I was only two years old when it took place, the remembrance of it was so well kept up by the pictures, songs, and controversies about it in the years following, that it was still a matter of common talk when I became old enough to understand such things. Speaking of this battle I am reminded of an odd incident told by one who saw it, which has an interest here, as it connects the event with the popular traditions of Yankee Sullivan, who has just been referred to, and serves to show the prevailing fancies in regard to him. The account says: ? It was a curious sight to witness the meeti...