BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 229, 15 February 1913, Page 7

BOXING.

FUO.U DOORKEEPER TO BOXING

Cl-lA.UPJON

SAM EAW.'FORD'S CAREER.

Is it true that I was once a porter, janitor, or whatever you like to call it? (asks Sam Langionl in the Birmingham • Weekly Post). J guess it is quite true—and very glad indeed I was to get the job, for, at the time, I and the only friend I had in the world, a little yellow dog—bless his heart, he was real pal, too—were pretty near starving; in fact, if anyone lnid asked us we could not have truthfully said where we expected our next meal from.

Why, yes, even if 1' have landed in "Easy Street'' at last, I don't mind saying that I have known what want, hunger and thirst are, though these troubles are all of the past now. You see it was this way. When 1 was lifteen —I am just over twenty-six now —I went to work in Boston. The idea was all right, hut somehow or another I eould not get enough work to keep me going, and finally I could not get any work at all. so that one day ray little dog and I found ourselves in the streets of Boston, me without a red eent in my pocket and the dog as hungry as a. hunter. "Sam Langford. my lad," 1 said to myself; '"'this sort of thing won't do. You'll never enjoy yourself much if you go on like this." So, happening to hear that there might be a vacancy of some sort at a boxing' club in Boston, I just mooched in and said to the boss —who, by-the-bye, was none other than my present manager, Mr. Joe Woodman—"Boss, me and my (log are on the rocks, it isn't so mucli money we want at the moment as food and shelter. If you can supply that T guess I'll work for all I'm worth."

I got the job as janitor, and so escaped the pangs of hunger for the time being. A few days afterwards, thinking ftat I might be ahle to do a bit in the boxing line myself, I asked my employer if he would give me a chance of showing what I could do. He did. and in the first bout in which I took part I swept the board of all the events.

But perhaps you don't know how hard it is to get into the championship class in boxing? It's a real stiff job, and though I won many minor contests, for a long time 1 could not persuade any of the champions to take me on. At last, however, that famous fighter, Joe G'anz, agreed to meet, me, and although the whole boxing world semed to think that he was sure to beat me—the betting was actually ten to one against me—after a real tough contest of twelve rounds I was awarded the decision.

My next important match—a match which every boxing enthusiast will doubtless remember —was with .Joe Walcott for the welter-weight championship of the world. When he entered the ring—with the object. I suppose, of making me lose my temper—Walcott remarked: '"See those trees over there, Sam?" pointing to some giant trees at the back of the ring, which was in the open. "[ guess you do. Well, then, you black monkey, just wait a few minutes and I'll make you jump right out from the middle of the ring on to one of the top branches; you'll have tp use your tail to hang on with!" But. Lor' liloss you, you can't 'get a boxer to lose his temper with child-talk like that. So T just said nothing in reply but waited until toward* the end of the fight, when I felt sure I should win, and tlien said to Walcott quietly—oh, so quietly!—" Say. .Toe, don't think I shall jump in those trees; why don't you try instead?" Walcott said nothing, but his looks spoke volumes. All's well that ends well. T was awarded the decision at the end of the fifteenth round.

Have T ever met Johnson in the ring? Yes. T have, and the contest was given against me on points, though T felt sure of winning at the time, for I was stronger than Jeffries' conqueror—much stronger. Why won't Johnson meet me? Well, because he knows that I am liis most dangerous living rival. He was matched to meet me and had actually signed articles to do so two years ago, but he never turned up; he side-stepped, for sure. However. [ shall never rest until we meet, as I am confident that I am the better innn of the two ; so confident

that I am prepared to put up a big stake on the result.