Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 117: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a 746 constituted of men who started right in the squared circle itself, started by fighting. Dependent upon the power of their fists and a fair break in the luck, they held the - spotlight fleetingly. As the fists or the luck weakened, the ceaseless pressure of the whirl crowded them ever outward. Right out of the ring .they went, down ability to express their thoughts and criti- into the ringside seats, "Then back another tier of rows as merciless fate demonstrated their unfitness to stand the financial gaff. . Ultimately they pass even the fifty cent tier and become only hazy faced memories that prompt promoters to admit them free to the. space against the walls. That’s the ring fringe. Some time when you enter a fight club cast a thoughtful eye along the fringe. There isn’t any better.way to gauge the idiosyncrasies of life. Many a wise father has led his:son who aspires to pugilistic glory silently along the fringe. It has had the desired results. - After’ a good look the lad is apt to change his mind. And to the lad who, momentarily, occu- - pies the center of the gyroscope this fringe is not unknown. It usually costs him money after he has collected his end, but it never seems to point out to him the irre- sistible urge which will land him there sooner or later, if he fails to save while making. All of which is related for the sole pur- pose of locating in your mind the standing in life maintained by the redoubtable Socker ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Not Socker. He knew them for lemon mer- chants: and longed wearily for a return of ‘jus’ half de ol’ stuff!” In fact, if we may be permitted a psy- chological expression, it is a similar line of thought among other has-beens that keeps the members of the fringe alive. And the cisms is certainly what keeps the fringe in- tact. And what thoughts and criticisms find expression! Some day, and we hope soon, some truly wise newspaper fight expert is going to view a set of bouts from the fringe and keep his ears open. Then he will write an article that describes a fight as it was fought. Don’t get the erroneous idea that the fringe don’t know what. is going on in the ring! One more tip, then on with the story. When you slip unobtrusively into the fringe, manage to do so near the entrance through which will pass the fighters on their way to the ring. Note the look that is cast upon the fringe. Read in the eyes and the swell- ing chest the sense of superiority; listen to the -cagy remarks that are passed as the’ youth strides down the aisle through the smoke, get the craning of necks in the fringe as envious eyes follow each stride into the area of action. If that newspaper expert is half a writer, he will read in those eyes a longing, a wistful recollection that Is con- | vertible into as touching a tale as ever sprung from the pen of a sob sister. And that brings us to the matter in Dooley. He was of the fringe. Better, he hand. “ Dink” Murphy was “ on” at the ‘was the fringe; his cuffs, both on trousers home of action that night, and Socker Doo- and coat, attested the fact indisputably. ley had found his way into the fringe. Dink Yet only a few short. years ago he had was young, Socker was old, as ring years go. held the center of the ring.so long that Dink was a“ comer,” Socker a ‘ has-been.” folks had begun to think him as immune to. Dink was perfectly convinced that never in the gyroscopic action as to the wallops that the annals of the game was there a fighter slipped off his hard head like duck seater slide under water. And in the case of Socker, while they had destroyed his sense of shame, fettered him with the. shackles of adversity, stung him with the shafts of forgetfulness, they had not impaired his recollections of the man he used to be. Not fora minute. He had small use for the youngsters of the day who happened to be “ flush ” because the ring could boast no men.like the “ old timers.” to be classed with himself; Socker knew equally as well that in his day he would take such as Dink after each meal. Quite a difference of opinion, in a land where one wallop makes or loses a fortune. Dink came through the fringe like. an admiral at hammock inspection. Fate guided his footsteps to what. appeared to be an opening beside Socker Dooley. It is easy to see that looking down an aisle into the ring is much more to be desired than comichook ot