The Bismarck Tribune

I Am Lost Wagers to Griffo But He Did Manage to Toughen Up Hands and Face

Getting Young Griffo, the Australian lightweight marvel, to train for a fight caused many trainers to become gray in the old days. The only way one could be sure of his being in shape was when Griffo was arrested a short time before a fight. Then he'd train in jail to pass the time.

Many a time his sentence was set to keep him behind the bars until the day of a big fight.

I couldn't convince him that, with the longer fights and lighter gloves in America, it was essential to toughen his face and hands. Finally, I hit on a plan that would work for Griffo-although perhaps not for another fighter before or since.

"Iron water" in tubs wherein the blacksmiths used to cool horseshoes, was a favorite toughening fluid in those days. Corned beef brine also was used.

I steered Griffo to a blacksmith shop where there was a particularly deep tub of iron water. I offered to bet him that if I threw a coin in the barrel, he couldn't fish it out.

Griffo was the sort of lad who would bet on which lump of sugar a fly would alight on first-and let you pick your lump. He took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, opened his shirt and leaned over into the tub. Finally after fumbling around, he came up with wet hands, arms, face and neck, the coin and a triumphant grin.

Thereafter, whenever we passed a blacksmith shop, Griffo would want to stop and fish for coins. I'd lose the bet every time but I got his face and hands toughened up, however.