CALIFORNIA CLUB.

NZ Truth, Issue 509, 20 March 1915, Page 10

CALIFORNIA CLUB.

AN UPROARIOUS FUNCTION. The above club was packed to the doors last night, when Chiddy Ryan and Alex Stewart (better known as Scott y) , a braw Hielanman, met m a contest for 60 per cent, of the house, winner to .take the lot. As a preliminary, Mick Dooley and the Negro giant, Peter Felix, boxed four of the most funny rounds ever seen, the clever Dooley making- his debut as a burlesque artist, to the intense amusement of those who know -how seldom he misses when he is on .the job. > Then came Ryan and Ste\vart, and it was a surprise party for Ryan. The Scot sprang at him from the jump, and all the splendid efforts of the clever Waterloo lad to land a knock-out were futile. It was a fight, or rather wrestle and bustle, all the way. Stewart would not stand off and box, but rushed m, head down, butting like a Highland bull, and clinging like a limpet. This weakened Ryan, and though he had Stewart groggy frequently, he got worn out- ljimself and bled freely from visitations he stopped with liis nose. The excitement was tremendous, and • for some strange * reason seven-tenths of the crowd whooped for the foreigner. Dan Creedon, Victorian middleweight champion, was referee, and he had to get m the ring during .the third round, and continually from that to tho . end of the sixth, pull- the men apart. Stewart ..clung so tenaciously m this round that Ryan back-heeled him. Then was Babel! When at last Creedon could be heard he said that he had ordered them to fight on, but Stewart refused, and he was forced to GIVE THE FIGHT TO RYAN. Thc»i~Ryari left the ring, but Stewart had changed his mind, and- wanted to conclude; so, presumably on tho foul, Creedon changed his mind and altered his decision and returned the Scotchman the winner. The men afterwards agreed to divide the gate money. The scene of excitement at the close beg-: gars description. !■ ' ■■••-•■ • ' # That brief story will give an- idea of the possibilities of, the period,. and also of the utter unfltness of Creedon as a referee. His change of front was inexplicable, except on the grounds that a boxor iB always an excitable, incapable referee. Dan had settled the matter when he made the first award— which was wrong m the premises; Stewart should have won on a- foul— and had no power to alter It. But we were used to such little incidents m the early nineties. •In a chat last week, Billy Young asked me to toll the story of the fight at Larry JFoley's between Jim Hall and Starlight, the clever negro boxer /who was the greatest artist at the !'come back" stunt tho world ever knew. The yarn Js full of humor and absolutely .true, and I am sure it will afford amusement, so ..here goes: At Vhe period of which I write (1887) Jim Hull and Starlight had a place on George-street. Brickfield Hill, just where Hlckey's boot shop now stands, where they taught pupils the noble art and took on champions from the country who, with their party- of irlends who wanted to see Johnny from the WhO Foncc show, .these flash Sydney unchas how it was done at Gulgowwombat, would part a shilling to. pay expenses; and watch the champion get a, proper, prlde-lovelling hiding and A JUDICIOUS KNOCK-OUT.^ Starlight, black as the Earl of Hell's riding boots; with rolling eyos, swishing cane, silk hat, lavender pants, frock coat, and patont-leather shoes, used to stand m the doorway to attract attention to the portraits of pugs, and day bills, that adorned the entry. He was a great animated advertisement nllrlght. But. charm he ever so wisely, the great heart of tho public remained cold as a refrigerated wether. The little spurt of opening business fell off; the "pupils" who had got "the real ointment" at the first or second "lesson" did not return and kept others away by talking— as soon ns the bandages were off their Jaws and the plug out of their nose— of their own unpleasant experience; and Messrs. Jim Hall and Bob Roland, otherwise Starlight, found business a negllble quantity, iiic rent overdue, and a smash-up imminent. What wns to bo done or. go broke ? Then Starlight had an Inspiration. Everybody knew that they wore partners and great cobbers; and If a scrap between thorn was put on In the ordinary way everybody would laugh and stay away with enthusiastic unanimity. But what was more natural than that they should have a mortal quarrel over business matters; accuse oaclv other of breaches of the deed of partnership; of falso friendship and betrayal of guileless trust? Starlight always was considerable of

an actor and was quite a. genius m ■ THE "DESPISED CULLED MAN" ; part. I well remember how he under-:: took to scathe me m an eloquent speech, m Foley's ring, one night.. Bui that's another story that will keep for another day. We have been good friends for many long years since that little ebullition, and I am sorry the brave old fellow is not better placed to-dayV* . 'Well, Starlight put on his most "ftrnamental clobber, Hook his shljtfbst cane; and marched off down to jjoley's,* appearing wt^n he knew the^uOrningfT levee, from 11 till 12.30, Was m full' assembly. Larry was holding court, as usual, and handling his company with his unfailing tact, when somebody started singing the dear old Christy Minstrels' song, "Don* you see dat Dark Cloud"; risin'." Another remarked; m G., "WhoV dat foot a v 'burnln'?" andStarlight's intensely black face appeared m. the doorway. After a few greetings, to which the Zulu Prince responded somewhat dourly, for s him, and with an absentminded air,' he asked: "Kin I see yuh for a moment, Misyih Foley?" Larry at once swung out of the/ .bunch and into the billiard-room with' a sharp: "Well, what is it? Go ahead,! Starlight, because Tm very busy tlils morning; ye understan? Sco?" - • •Then the colored gentleman unfolded his story of Hall's partnerial perfidy and m agitated tones (kldstakes) announced that Jim had struck him and grossly assaulted his dignity, and he had challenged the whlte.trash to comr; bat. In short, "would Mistah Foley ; give Us a purso to meet m his hall,] so's I kin satisfy ma honah?" Larry was, and is, ns shrewd as they make 'em, and withal breezily blunt when ho knew his ground. So ho told Starlight the truth;* that everybody knew he and Hall were inseparable and. tho greatest of pals, and would never believe they were on the jobi-'and ha was sure • : ... y '^ ; IT WOULD BE A SCHLEINTER; " but if he really wanted honorable satisfaction put of Hall's hide, ho would hang up a purso of £5; the thinjr wouldn't bo worth more; and that was. the best Staiiight could get, outi of the astute Foley. ' .-: " Tho coldly calculating Jim Hall chose the white celebrity's timo for his* visit. Ho strode m when, under the gaslight's glare, Foley was keeping a knot of friends and patrons amused, byi his inimitable, jerky anecdotes of his experiences. If you wanted to see and hear Larry' : at his best you required to make ono of. a group of not moro, than five, when such, a veteran reconteur as old-time bookmaker Ned Jones, now deceased, and tho retired champion, whetted-th© blades of memory and vied wift each other m telling talcs of tho glorious days of Hill End and other golden towns, when the annual race meeting was on. ; I may repeat some of these yarns, some day. Jones was a partner m the firm of ■Miller, Jones and O'Brieni that laid the stable that world -famous wager of £250,000 to £1000 about the Derby and Cup double, Navigator and Gudarss. Could you get it to-day? -Not on your life! -Nor a quartor of it-, from the whole Ring! . ■: ; • '+■ Well, Hall's pallid faco/ oold grey eyes, and thin, cruel -lips expressed fierco fires of hate, as ho told his tale of "wrong" at tho hands of his" "late 1 ! partheV; and* ho so impressed Foley that, though; still openly tolling. Jim that he knew, it would bo, a schlelntoi\ ho would lot them have tho hall on the usual fifty per cont. basis, and would do tho adverUsingj etcetera. Especially- etcetera;^ : . • . .' ' So It was Settled. But Foley wasn't Inclined to risk tho popularity ot his famous White!' Horse Hall, BOXING BONANZA, by allowing a real duffing, ' friendly "fight" to delude his beloved and faithful patrons; so he set to work, with his .well-admitted skill m diplomacy, to make the bogus quarrel a real one. -To both tho principals Larry wan a sort of god, tho arbiter of an aspiring boxer's fate; and he proceeded/to work accordingly. Swearing eachfman to nbsolutc secrecy, he. told him of the other's perfidious intentions and so worked upon their feelings and fears that each entered tho ring firm m tho belief that he was to bo taken down , if Hie other fellow could do the trick. Each had been induced to bellevo that the other meant to put a cross on,hlm, knock him out, and so enhance hli owt» reputation at tho other's expense. The fight was a memorable one. Through Foley's hints of wild and woolly warfare to be seen, the hall wrji filled and tho takings targe. Even wlien they started, Hall could not bellove that his tried and trusted black brother could reitlly mean to put the double on him, and ho sparred rather lazily till Hie very father of a right wallop to the Jaw roused the devil In him. It didn't tako much to rouse Jim Hall, cither. He had the temper of a Henri, and tho appearance, of one when he was at white heat. Always deadly pal.', his small features would ko ghastly, his pale eyes gleam with a baleful rtro. and his thin lips bo compressed till they were Invisible, and alternately curl off his teeth like a snarling dog's. A vindictive rage look possession of him and ho became a ino«t undesirable person to try a cross upon. ; "Is that your game, you black r* ho hissed through writhing lips. "Allright, do your damndest;" and the fight was on for keeps. It was a splendid, blood -stirring battle. Foley had seen to It that the glove* wcro not too pillowy, and every hit told. Both were brilliantly clever: up to every move of tho game; and they put ALL THI3IR SCIBN'CK AND POWER Into tho contest once oaoh wore satisfied that Foley's "warnings'' had a'flrrft foundation. For t«l.\tocn rounds Ihftlr fortune* varied, for two clowror 'middle-weight • never waged vindictive war. Hut the morale of the while man gradually told, and It was a cruelly battered nnd di*» henrtened black man who en me up for tho seventeenth to receive hh qul««u» by means of one of Jim's fnmoun right cross- counter* to the corntr of th« mouth, that nut the Brand colored war. rlor down and out to the world. Through I*arry Foley'* keen dlplo* rnacy" hl» patrons had tho delight of tho(r llfo. while Hall had his tooi on th* ladder of fam*\ If It had been th«n n« U l» to-doy, that splendid contft£ would have Ween th« stepp!ng-Bton«M n sound fortune, If he could have keP his head nnd applied his winnings n*. nay. Davo Smith has done, to nound buplnen* and property lnve»tm«nw; nnd had kept clear of a meeting with Bob Flusimmonw. Tho "cuttlnß of thf nous*"- th<r« wan a larifo m»m In It-- by Lnrry Fol*y» will malto a story In Itself.

(To bo continual.)