1898 interview with Joe Gans

SOMETHING ABOUT GANS.
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The Self-Taught Colored Boxer Who Defeated McPartland Last Friday.
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WANTS THE CHAMPION'S TITLE.
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Gained His Skill Largely From Observation Of Others.
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Got $1.40 For Winning His First Fight And Is Now Matched To Meet Jack Daly For A Guarantee Of $5,000---Used To Give His Mother Too Much Money For Her Conscience.

Joseph Gans, who defeated "Kid" McPartland in a fight in New York Friday night, was at home yesterday, looking none the worse for his twenty-five-round battle. He said he would have remained in New York several days had he not been desirous of getting back to box with "Billy" Whistler and help to shape Whistler for his fight with Joseph Bernstein. Gans will be in Whistler's corner. After Gans' battle with McPartland he was given many valuable presents. One admirer gave him $100. Others gave him smaller amounts and others presented jewelry. Among the other gifts were a cane with a diamond in the handle and several umbrellas.
In speaking of the fight Gans said: "McPartland was the best man I ever met, but now I think I know about all that he does, and could, should I meet him again, beat him more easily than I did Friday night.
"I never had an instructor in boxing, but learned the game from observation. Of course, I learned considerable in my many fights. When I was almost seventeen years of age I took much interest in the game and used to study the movements of such great boxers as Jack Dempsey and Jack McAuliffe. I was then working for Mr. Caleb Bond in the fish business. Mr. Bond liked boxing, and the first time I ever put on gloves was with him, so you see I began out of school one might say.
"The first time I fought it was with David Armstrong. The fight took place on Bond street and the purse was $2.80. I won and got $1.40. My next fight was near the Lexington market with D. Coates. I put him out and got $8. Then I fought David Horn at the Crib Club, which was being run by the Neptune Boat Club. There was about $1,200 in the house. The police interfered, but I got $15. The rest of my fights, which number over 150, have been recorded.
From this beginning I have gradually gotten higher up the pugilistic ladder, and I hope to reach the top round this winter. I am now matched to fight Jack Daly at Cleveland, Ohio, December 12, for a guaranteed purse of $5,000 and a percentage of all over that amount in the box office. If I beat Daly then I will only have to whip Lavigne or Erne to have an unassailable claim to the championship. I could possibly make big money by fighting Spike Sullivan, but Sullivan will not fight me, as he prefers easier marks. If I gain the championship, I expect Mr. Herford will take me to Europe. I do not think any of the great managers of fighters could have done so well for me as Mr. Herford has, and I never expect to fight under any other manager. I cannot say too much for him. In all my boxing career I have never lost but two decisions, one with "Bobby" Dobbs, who has since forfeited money in preference to meeting me, and one which was unfairly given to Dal Hawkins. I chased Hawkins to San Francisco to try to get a meeting with him, but I could not accomplish that end."
In his talk Gans was modest, and he showed no signs of "big head." He said he was never excited or frightened when he had to fight, but was anxious when the time came to get at it and get it done with. He preferred not to have coaching, but to be allowed to fight his own way, though he listened to advice at all times. In his early days he said he had to fight two battles for one. He explained it in this way: "I would get on a fight and get some money, which I would take home to my mother. She knew I was bringing in more than my wages and was anxious to know if I came by it honestly. I kept from her the fact that I was boxing. One day my uncle tackled me and wanted to know where I got what seemed to be so much money. I did not give him any satisfaction then, but told him to come along with me, which he did that night. I walked him up to the box office at the Monumental Theatre and asked the clerk for two seats in the front row. My uncle was surprised when I did not pay for them, but more so when we walked down the middle aisle of the theatre and the white gentleman said loudly enough for us to hear, 'There goes Gans.' Well, my uncle and I sat down in those front seats and he was so amazed that even the show could not abate him surprise.
"When the last turn was on I told him to stay where he was until I came after him. Then I went around and got on my fighting clothes. You never saw a man look as ***** as he did when I appeared on the stage. I put my opponent out, but I could hardly do it for looking at my uncle. The folks home never asked how I got my money after that night, but they asked a heap of other questions."
Manager Herford, who was present when Gans was talking, was asked how Gans trained for his match with McPartland. He said it was different from any of the stereotyped styles, as it, indeed, appears from the account. Gans does not believe in two or three months' work to get into shape. He thinks twelve to fourteen days sufficient. He did his work at Leiperville, near Chester, Pa. Herford managed it, and Jerry Marshall and Jack McCue worked with Gans. The party spent two weeks at Leiperville, and will now take two weeks' rest before Gans begins to train to meet Daly. His training routine is as follows:
The first day he takes a five-mile walk. The second day he walks and does a little running. The next day he spend an hour and a half on the road. He never gets up until the sun has dried the dew. If he does, he does not go out until the ground is dry. He is no disciple of Father Kneipp. After his morning's road work he returns to his quarters and gets a good rub down with a very rough towel. This is followed with a hand rub. Next comes a very hot bath, in which Gans spends half an hour. He is dried off and rubbed with witch-hazel and alcohol. Then he gets half an hour of rest before he dines.
After the dinner, or his "grind," as he calls it, he takes an hour's walk. Then he plays either with a football or baseball for an hour, after which he has a dry rub. He then rests until about 3 P. M., when he boxes with Jerry Marshall, usually going three rounds of fifteen minutes each. He likes to box with Jerry, as the latter is fast. After his work with him Gans boxes with any one who desires to put on the gloves. Then he punches the bag for about thirty minutes and gets into a perspiration. After being dried off he again takes a half hour's hot bath, after which comes an alcohol and witch-hazel rub. After a rest he gets his third meal, or "grind," and when sleepy goes to bed. Some days he omits the boxing and substitutes rope-skipping. At this he has a record of 3,200 skips without a miss. He did the 3,200 in eight minutes. This, as is known, was a favorite part of training with John L. Sullivan.
Taken all in all, this method of training is about as unique and as different from the usual routine as was that of the wrestler Yousoff, who didn't train at all, from that of the other wrestlers. That Herford's method is the proper one for his man has been proven by the remarkably good staying powers Gans has shown when his fights have gone numbers of rounds and by the equally remarkable suppleness he has shown in all of his fights.
Gans showed such coolness and generalship in his last battle that he pleased the speculators, who prefer a sure man to one who takes chances, and he will have no end of backing now untill--well, until he is beaten, and then he will find backing as scarce as all other topnotchers have found it after they had lost a fight or two.

 

One of the reasons why I think Gans was more talanted than Ray Robinson was that he learned the science on his own, without trainer, it takes more talent to do that.

 

I would not say he was vulnerable to that type of opponents. As he was a counter-puncher, tens of his opponents had no choice but to use rushes and windmill tactics against him, and he had been doing quite well most of the time.

 

Sure. I have the original clipping, from which I typed it. The Baltimore Sun, November 17, 1898, page 8.