Jem Mace and Donovan

[robert.snell1]

The World
23 November 1896

Jem Mace and Donovan, Veterans
of the Ring,
Shake Hands,
MEET IN THE RING NEXT MONTH.
Meanwhile They Exchange Grandisonian
Courtesies and Size Each
Other Up,

BOTH OF THEM FIT AS A FIDDLE.

Jem Mace, of England, arrived Saturday on the Etruria. There was a time when this simple announcement would have blocked Broadway with a hurrying crowd, eager to look at the champion pugilist of the world; the shiftiest man who ever put up his hands in the
twenty-four-foot ring'.

But no crowd impeded his progress now, for Jem has not fought anybody for years. He has devoted himself to the gentle art of how to grow old and look young. He is as great a master at this as he was at his earlier art of putting men to sleep with his fists.

Al Smith, who has undertaken the arrangement of a six-round glove contest between Mace and Mike Donovan, who was for years the middle-weight champion of America, met the old-time champion at the pier and took him to the Gilsey House. In some mysterious way word soon went round that Mace was here. Fighting men and followers of the ring came in by dozens and shook his hand and told him how well he looked. He was delighted to see them
and chatted as blithely as a schoolboy.

But occasionally he asked Mr. Smith: "Where's Mike?"

Of course the really proper thing for a modern pugilist to do when he speaks of his next antagonist is to scowl and curse, but Mace acted as if he were asking for an old schoolboy chum. He sat patiently in the Gilsey cafe, where sandwiches abounded and where a white-jacketed youth often appeared with glasses on a tray Seated in an admiring circle around him were a score of fighters and ring followers. Dan Creedon and Kid Lavigne were leading the laughter that greeted every one of the veteran's jokes.

Suddenly there was a stir as a white haired, pink-checked man came striding briskly through the crowd. Mace smiled broadly as he caught sight of him approaching'."Well, Mike, old boy," exclaimed the Englishman rising and grasping his hand. “how in the world are you ? how’ve you been eh?”. Donavon’s face had about six smiles on it ."Jem, old boy," he said, "I'm glad to .see you. How are you?" They sat a opposite sides of the table. "I'm well," said Mace. "I'm very fit."And you're right," Donovan exclaimed."You want to be well, you know." "We'll make some of the young uns open their eyes, eh?" said the Englishman.
"I've been training three months for this go."

The two leaned back in their chairs and smiled at each other. Their glances darted from point to point. Moved by some sudden impulse, each half rose and grasped the other's hand. Then they sat down again and studied each other keenly. Both men are a fine example of the healthy influence that hard fighting has upon a man. Both have eyes keen as a. lynx. Mace's dark skin shows a ruddy tinge on the cheeks that a society bud might envy. Donovan's fair complexion is like a baby's.

"A little thin up there, Mike," Mace remarked as he stretched out his gnarled brown hand and putted Donovan's gray thatch. "Excuse, me, Jim," retorted Donovan, reaching over and deftly whipping off the Englishman's shining top hat, There stood revealed a dark, glistening bald poll. There was a roar of laughter from the admiring circle. The two veterans chaffed each other like boys. Their conversation was a pleasant reminder of by-gone days when pugilists used to ratify their, matches in courteous phrases and then solemnly drink to the toast "May the best man win," each, of course, thinking of himself, but neither uttering a word to the other's disparagement.

They made a striking picture, Mace is sixty-six years old, but does not look a day more than forty. His keen. gypsy eyes twinkle mischievously, His shoulders are broad and his cunning arms are long and thick. He has biceps as big and hard us any blacksmith's. His waist is slender. His legs are of proper roundness and sturdiness for a fighting man. He looks as though he is good for twenty years more of giving and taking hard knocks He weighs 182 pounds net. There is a funny fat roll of muscle joining the back of his head and his neck, covered with gray bristles.

Donavon weighs 159 pounds.there is no fat on the back of his neck or elsewhere. Any cannibal king would reject him from the stew-pot because he is so tough and stringy. His chest sticks out. His arms are long and they move quickly. In Donovan one finds a striking example of the whalebone type of fighting man. His springy gait excites attention. It would be remarkable in a man of thirty. In a veteran of his years it is phenomenal. As for his
age— well! He has said that he is forty nine so often in the last half-dozen years that now he believes it himself.

At all events he was old enough to fight all through the civil war in a regiment from his native State of Ohio. yet if his hair were to turn black he would easily pass for thirty. Donovan and Mace sat together chatting of old times until late in the afternoon. Then they said good-by to each other and shook hands three or four times.They will not meet again until the night of Dec. 14, when they will put up their skilful hands and bang away at each other for six rounds

[raylawpc]

Telegraph report of the Mace-Donovan exhibition from the Hornersville Weekly Tribune, 12/18/1896 p. 6:

NEW YORK, Dec. 15. — The arena of the Broadway Athletic club was filled with a host of wellknown sporting men who assembled to see Jem Mace of England, the ex-champion heavyweight, spar six rounds for scientific points with Mike Donovan the veteran boxing instructor of the New York Athletic club.

Mike Donovan formerly held the middleweight honors and although he is very close to 60 years old, he can still hold his own against any of the club members and outsiders who visit the boxing room in the "Mercury Foot" club building. Mace is 65 years old.

The management of the show had gathered together a number of old-time ring favorites who were scheduled for exhibitions and in addition to these, quite a largo number of the latter day pugilists
volunteered their services in. order to make the benefit to Mace and Donovan a rousing one.

It was truly a veterans' reunion, and the warm welcome accorded to John L. Sullivan when he entered the building proved once more, if that were necessary, that the "big fellow" from Boston still has a warm corner in the hearts of the American sporting fraternity.

The friendly exhibitions which preceded the Mace-Donovan bout were each of three rounds duration.

The first pair to appear were Charley Norton of England and Jack Keefe of Newark. Their work was rather tame. Jim Hall of Australia and Pete Burns of Harlem made things very lively in tho
next bout, and whenever either one landed the spectators applauded.

Professor John Donaldson then had a lot of fun for three rounds with George Rook, once well known in New England sporting circles.

Those two old adversaries, Billy Edwards of this city and Arthur Chambers of Philadelphia, were next'In order and they boxed throe very short rounds.

Barney Aaron and Dooney Harris, when they made their appearance for a 3-round bout, were greeted with cheers, and the cormer was presented with a floral horseshoe.

George Dixon was then introduced, and it was announced that he will meet Jack Downey at this club on Jan. 4.

Jim Corbett and Jim McVey of Philadelphia boxed a 3-round exhibition.

Jem Mace and Mike Donovan entered the ring at 10:80 o'clock, and the rafters rang with loud and prolonged cheering. Parson Davies was appointed referee for ihe bout. Both men wore long white
pants, but Mace had a green stripe running down the side of his trousers.

In the first round Donovan was decidedy the quicker man, but they simply tapped each other and Donovan did the greater part of the leading.

In the second round Donovan tapped Jem on the face and the Englishman stopped for a few seconds to remove his artificial teeth which created a laugh at his expense. Donovan also had the call
in this round on points.

Mace landed two left taps on Mike's neck in the early part of the third round. Donovan jabbed his right on body and face and swung right on neck. All these blows were very light. Donovan was still the faster man.

They mixed it up in the fourth and last round and then shook hands. The rounds were only of two minutes duration, each and the decision was left to the spectators who all shouted "Draw!"

[Robinson]

Thanks for the read guys.

I have not read enough of either of these guys. But have come across
their names often.

Its appreciated.