Armitage's Bob And Curry's Man-O-War

This is a story i pulled from a book awhile ago and had in on a board that no longer exists. i think its a good read.

THIS SHOULD BE TREATED AS FICTION.
THIS IS FROM THE BOOK THIRTY YEARS WITH FIGHTING DOGS BY GEORGE ARMITAGE.
THIS BATTLE WAS FOUGHT AT LEXINGTON, KY. ON THE AFTERNOON OF DEC. 12, 1928 FOR A PURSE OF $2,000.00 AND ALL GATE RECEIPTS TO GO TO THE WINNER. WEIGHT WAS TO BE 38 LBS. CHECK, AND POLICE GAZETTE RULES WERE TOGOVERN THE CONTEST. HARRY CLARK OF CINCINNATI, WAS THE STAKEHOLDER AND MIKE SNYDER WAS SELECTED AT PITSIDE TO ACT AS Referee. THIS FIGHT WAS ATTENDED BY A VERY LARGE CROWD AND BEFORE THE DOGS WERE PITTED, OVER $7,000.00 HAD BEEN BET ON THE FIGHT. THE Pit WAS BUILT IN AN OPEN FIELD, WITH THE SKY FOR THE ROOF, AND THE NORTH WIND AS A REMINDER THAT IT WAS DECEMBER. THE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT CALLED FOR THE FIGHT TO COMMENCE AT 2:00 PM BUT IT ACTUALLY DID NOT GET Started UNTIL 4:00 PM. THIS WAS A COSTLY 2 HOURS FOR ME, FOR I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT IF THE FIGHT HAD Started ON SCHEDULE, MY FRIENDS AND MYSELF WOULD HAVE LEFT THE SCENE OF BATTLE $7,000.00 RICHER. AS IT HAPPENED, DARKNESS CAME ON BEFORE THE END OF THE FIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO LIGHT EXCEPT FOR A COMMON OIL LANTERN CARRIED IN THE HANDS OF THE Referee, AND WHICH HE TRIED TO MAKE SERVE THE PURPOSE OF A FLOOD LIGHT. THE DOGS WERE WASHED AND TAKEN TO THEIR CORNERS AND AT THE COMMAND OF THE Referee, WERE MADE READY. BOTH DOGS WERE FACED AND TOLD "LET GO". THEY MET WITH A BANG IN THE CENTER OF THE Pit, AND THE BATTLE WAS ON. MAN-O-WAR WAS A HARD CUSS TO GET A HOLD ON AS HE CONTNUELLY WAS TAKING BOB BY THE LOWER JAW AND JUST HUNG ON. BOB, WHEN HE GOT THE CHANCE, WENT AFTER THE THROAT AND HEAD, SOMETIMES TAKING HOLD OF A LEG OR SHOULDER. IT WAS A VERY FAST HARD FOUGHT BATTLE FOR THE FIRST 30 MIN, AND THEN IT BEGAN TO SLOW. JOE BAULDAUF OF CINCINNATI, WAS AT THE Pit, AND JOE HAD CLAIMED THAT HE SEEN BOB Stop COLD, ONCE, JOE WASN'T STINGY ABOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE, HE SHARED IT WITH ALL OF THE LEXINGTON BOYS AND THIS MADE THE BETTING BRISK. HOWEVER, I'LL SAY THIS MUCH FOR JOE. THOUGH HE WAS WRONG ABOUT BOB STOPPING ONCE, HE WAS SINCERE IN HIS BELIEF. HE WAOULD $100.00 A CRACK AFTER THE HOUR MARK, THAT BOB WOULD Stop BEFORE ANOTHER 30 MIN, AND AFTER EACH 30 MIN ROLLED AROUND AND BECAME HISTORY, OF TIME NEVER TO BE RECLAIMED. WHICHEVER YOU LIKE, JOE WOULD BET ANOTHER HUNDRED THAT BOB WOULD Stop BFORE ANOTHER 30 MIN. THE WEATHER WAS COLD. COLD AS A "WELL DIGGER" IN THE KLONDIKE THAT DAY IN KY, BUT THE SWEAT WAS STANDING OUT IN BEADS ON JOE'S FACE. HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY BOB DIDN'T QUIT, AND THE ONLY WORDS HE COULD FIND TO EXPRESS HIS FELLINGS WERE CUS WORDS, AND THEY DIDN'T HELP HIS SITUATION ANY. THIS TALK I HAD HEARD, BUT I KNEW BETTER. I HAD TRIED BOB OUT AND WAS CONFIDENT THAT HE WOULD TAKE HIS DEATH WITH HIS HEAD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IF IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR HIM TO DO SO. I BACKED UP MY CONFIDIENCE IN HIM BY BETTING $680.00 OF MY OWN MONEY ON HIM, WHICH WAS THE MOST I HAVE EVER BET ON ANY DOG IN MY LIFE. THAT WAS HOW MUCH FAITH I HAD IN BOB, AND I DONT THINK THAT I AM EXAGGERATING A BIT WHEN I SAY THAT BOB HAD JUST THAT MUCH FAITH IN ME. WE THOUGHT A LOT OF EACH OTHER. AS THE CLOCK RAN ON ITS NEVER-CEASING CIRCLE, AND AS JOE PAID OFF AND BET HUNDRED, AFTER HUNDRED, DARKNESS WAS ALSO GETTING IN ITS LICKS, AND SOMEONE TORE ACROSS THE FIELDS AND GOT ANOTHER LANTERN, SO WE COULD SEE THE DOGS. AT THE THREE HOUR MARK, SOMEONE ON CURRY'S SIDE SUGGESTED THAT WE CALL IT A DRAW AND SOME OF MY BACKERS CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. I TOLD THEM I WAS GOING AS LONG AS I COULD SEE, BUT BACKERS ON EACH SIDE, WORRIED ABOUT THEIR MONEY KEPT CALLING FOR A DRAW. AT THREE HOURS AND FIFTY MIN. I AGREED TO CALL IT A DRAW, AS THINGS BEGAN TO LOOK LIKE SOME OF THE CROWD WOULD PUSH IN AND MAYBE TRAMP OR FALL ON A DOG AS THEY WERE SO ANXIOUS TO SEE THE FIGHT THAT IT IS A WONDER THAT THEIR NOSES WEREN'T BITTEN SO CLOSE THEY WERE TO THE DOGS IN THEIR ANXIETY NOT TO MISS A THING. WE DIVIDED THE GATE RECIEPTS AS NIETHER DOG HAD MADE A SIGN OF A Turn. AND THERE WERE NO HANDLES. I LEFT BOB WITH HARRY WHO I KNEW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DOG NURSES THAT EVER WALKED ON TWO FEET. THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF HISTORY IN BACK OF BOB, AND IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR ME, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT TO BLOOM UNSEEN ON THE STREETS AND ALLEYS OF CINCINNATI, AND NEVER PERHAPS TO WRITE A BRILLIANT CHAPTER IN Pit HISTORY. HARRY HAD WROTE ME THAT THERE WAS A BOB TAILED DOG ROAMING THE STREETS OF LOWER CIN. THAT BELONGED TO A YOUNG MAN AND HARRY HAD THOUGHT THAT THE DOG COULD BE BOUGHT FOR $15.00. HARRY HAD SEEN THE DOG ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WAS CONVINCED HE WAS A GOOD ONE. HE CAME FROM SOME OF HARRYS STOCK BUT HE COULD NOT TRACE IT RIGHT DOWN ENOUGH TO SWEAR TO IT. HE ARRANGED TO MEET WITH THE OWNER AND WHEN I GOT TO CINCINNATI, WE WENT TO A HOUSE THAT WAS EMPTY OF THE OWNER, AND THE DOG WAS OUT ALSO. THIS DOG WAS A REGULAR TRAMP, ROAMING THE STREETS AND ALLEYS AT WILL, AND READING HIS MAIL OFF THE FIRE PLUGS AND TELEPHONE POLES OF THE CITY. BOB WAS HELL ON CATS, AND IF HE HAPPENED TO FLUSH ONE ON HIS ROUNDS. HE WOULD TAKE AFTER HIM, AND IF THE CAT CROSSED THE STREET, BOB NEVER HESITATED, BUT KEPT UP THE CHASE, DODGING IN AND OUT AMOUGNST CARS AND TRUCKS. AND RUNNING OVER THE PEDESTRIANS. IF HE MET UP WITH ANOTHER DOG, HE PASSED HIM WITH DIGNITY IF THE DOG DID NOT MOLEST HIM, AND WENT ON ABOUT HIS BUSINESS. BUT IF THE DOGS OF THE CITY WERE LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, THEY DID NOT NEED A TELESCOPE, NOR DID THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THIER HOME GROUNDS, FOR ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS WAIT FOR BOB TO COME AROUND AND JUMP HIM, AND BOB WOULD CLEAN THEM OUT IN SHORT ORDER. HARRY AND I Started TO LOOK THE STREETS UP AND DOWN AND SOON HARRY SPOTTED HIM AND SAID "HERE HE COMES". HE PASSED US BY AND WE CALLED TO HIM BY NAME, AND HE JUST LOOKED AT US AS IF HE SAID "GO TO HELL", AND HE CONTINUED ON HIS ROUNDS. WE ARRANGED TO GET THE DOG AND WE DID FOR $15.00. HE BECAME A GREAT PAL OF THE FAMILY AND AFTER I HAD HIM OVER HERE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I WORKED HIM AND GAVE HIM A TRY. AND HE TOOK IT ALL, WHICH MADE ME THINK THAT MUCH MORE OF HIM. YOU NOW KNOW THE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST Pit DOGS THAT EVER LIVE. YOU MIGHT EVEN SAY THAT HE WENT FROM "RAGS TO RICHES", FOR HE WENT FROM A TRAMP, RUNNING THE STREETS OF CINCINNATI, TO A FIGHTING DOG IN A BATTLE TO SEE WHICH SIDE WOULD COLLECT CLOSE TO $14,000.00.