Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/82

 PUGILISM and bottle-holders. The men are stripped be- fore the fight by their seconds and dressed for the contest. The dress is usually knee breech- es or drawers, stockings, and shoes, the soles of the shoes being provided with spikes three eighths of an inch long and one eighth of an inch broad at the points. The men are naked above the belt. The seconds and umpires see to it that no improper articles are used in the dress. The men are allowed nothing in their hands, and no resin or other sticky substance is allowed upon the fists. One of the umpires is selected to act as time-keeper. It is his duty to call " time " at the expiration of 80 seconds after each round. If one of the contestants fails to come to "the scratch" within eight seconds after time has been called, he is con- sidered to have lost the fight. The scratch is a straight line drawn through the centre of the ring between the two corners. The bottle- holder is provided with a bottle of water and a sponge, and it is the duty of the second and bottle-holder to take their man to his corner at the close of each round, render him all needed assistance there, and bring him to the scratch when time is called. The second and the bottle-holder are not permitted to ap- proach their man during a round, or to give him advice at that time, and are cautioned not to injure the antagonist when they pick up their man at the close of a round. When the man cannot come to the scratch at the call of time, the second usually throws up the sponge as a token of defeat, and the victor takes his antagonist's colors as a trophy. The men being ready, time is called, and each man is conducted to his side of the scratch by his second. The men shake hands with each oth- er, the seconds do the same, the latter retire to their corners, and the fight begins. When time is called after a round, the principal rises from his second's knee, and walks unaided to the scratch. A round is considered closed when one or both men are down, either from a knock-down blow or from being thrown after they have closed. Unless there is a knock-down, the rounds usually terminate in a clinch. The following acts are considered foul : wilfully falling without receiving a blow at the time of falling, except that one may slip from the grasp of his antagonist after the men have closed; butting with the head, gouging, scratching, biting, kicking, or falling upon the antagonist when he is down; striking the an- tagonist below the belt, or grasping him by the . legs, and striking the antagonist when he is down (a man with both knees or with one hand and one knee upon the ground is con- sidered down). If one of the umpires claim a foul, the referee may caution the man and his second, or may declare that the man against whom the foul is claimed has lost the fight. The referee's judgment is usually based upon his opinion as to whether the foul was intentional. In case of disputes, the men retire to their respective corners pending the decision of the referee. In case any circumstance interfere with the progress of the fight, the referee may appoint another time or place of meeting, at which the fight is to be continued ; but unless it is concluded within a week, the battle is considered drawn. The referee has power to cause the men to be separated when one is in such a position across the ropes as to be helpless or in danger of his life. The first prize fight in the United States took place in 1816, between Jacob Hyer (father of the cele- brated Tom Hyer) and Tom Beasley, the result of which was a draw. The rules of the ring were observed during the first part of this fight, but it soon degenerated into rough-and- tumble, and friends of the men interfered after one of Hyer's arms had been broken. This was followed by numerous fights of a more scientific character. Among the most cele- brated was the fight between Tom Hyer and " Yankee " Sullivan, in 1849. Numerous other fights occurred between 1849 and 1860, when the so-called great international fight took place in England between John 0. Heenan of New York and Tom Sayers, champion of England. This was very severe, and the general opinion has been that Heenan was the winner, although no decision was given by the referee, the fight being interrupted by breaking in the ring. In the accounts of fights, particularly those published in the earlier history of the English ring, the slang words and expressions used are peculiar, and some of them are quite de- scriptive and suggestive. The following are some of those commonly met with in pugilistio writings: "Bellows," lungs; "bellowser," a blow in the pit of the stomach, taking one's breath away; "blinker," a blackened eye; "bore," to press a man down by force of weight and blows; "brain canister," "knowl- edge box," "lob," "lolly," "nob," the head; " buff," the bare skin, as " stripped to the buff;" "cant," a blow; a "cant over the kisser," a blow on the mouth; "castor," a hat (before entering the ring, the pugilist gen- erally tosses in his "castor") ; " chancery," a position in which a pugilist gets his opponent's head under his arm ; " claret," blood ; " claret jug," " conk," " nozzle," " proboscis," " snuff box," "snorer," "snout," the nose; "cork," to give a bloody nose; "daylights," "gog- gles," " peepers," " squinters," the eyes ; " fan- cy," a general name for pugilists; "fibbing," striking blows in quick succession at close quarters; "fives," "a bunch of fives," the fist ; " fives court," a boxing hall ; " send to grass," to knock down ; " groggy," used to describe the condition of a pugilist when he comes to the " scratch " weak on his " pins;" "grubber," "kisser," " oration trap," "potato trap," " whistler," " ivory box," the mouth ; "mauley," the fist; "mill," a fight; "mourn- ing" " to put the eyes in mourning," to blacken the eyes; "painted peepers," black- ened eyes ; " pins," the legs ; " portmanteau," the chest; "rib roaster," a blow on the ribs;