York Illustrated News, had been started, and both Eytinge and Nast were members of its staff. Nast had been sent out on many important assignments, including the funeral of John Brown on December 8th, at North Elba, New York, where one of the pall-bearers was Wendell Phillips, who, on the same evening, at Burlington, Vermont, made a speech which stirred the young artist to his depths. This was followed by "Backgrounds of Civilization "-a series illustrating the vice and misery of New York tenements-and by other leading features of the new sheet. The young artist felt that he was really beginning to "rush along the turnpike," especially as he was receiving the comfortable salary-considered really magnificent in those days-of forty dollars a week.

Perhaps, in spite of his tender years, he now considered himself equal to the responsibilities of a household. Many a boy of nineteen with less salary and fewer prospects has assumed family cares without a qualm. But just at this point there was presented an opportunity which could not be overlooked, even for matrimony. The Heenan-Sayers fight-an event of international interest, one that overshadowed even the bitter politics of that time-was to be " pulled off " in England in 1860. It had been arranged by George Wilkes, editor of the Spirit of the Times, and the News offered Tommy Nast the assignment as" our special artist "faithfully to picture the great battle.

He sailed February 15, 1860, with two most important contracts for contributions--one with the News, the other with Miss Edwards. He kept both, faithfully. Every steamer brought letters and pictures to his paper (some of the letters were published) and, as well, to the lady of his choice. He arrived safely in London and put up at the Round Table Inn, a typical English tavern, frequented by most of the sports. Here he prepared a pictorial record of his stormy voyage on the " City of Manchester," a souvenir still carefully preserved.

Concerning the Heenan-Sayers episode, it may be said here that never in the history of nations has there been a sporting event that even approached it in public importance. America and England were not on the friendliest of terms in those days, just prior to the Civil War, and this was to be a grand test of physical supremacy.

Notwithstanding his defeat by Morrissey, the " Benicia Boy was regarded as America's foremost pugilist, while Tom Sayers wore the belt of England. Their names were upon every lip. Prince, poet, pauper and politician alike could talk and think only of the coming event. Two great nations had become mere bottle holders, as it were, for their pugilistic favorites. Even the staid London Times had articles and editorials on the approaching conflict, and most other papers on both sides of the water gave up pages, double pages and even entire numbers to

pictures and accounts of the champions, their trainers, their training quarters and the smallest details of their daily life. In justification, these journals attempted to reconcile pugilistic with spiritual development in editorials which have acquired humor with age.

"Our special artist" of the News soon met both Sayers and Heenan-the latter at his training quarters, then at Harnham, Wiltshire, near Salisbury. Heenan promptly characterized him as" The Little Dragsman "-a play on the word draughtsman, and something very nearly approaching friendship sprang up between the two. This was most fortunate for Nast, for though the News had made a flaming announcement of his departure,

and boasted

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weekly of our

special artist" in the field, devoting almost entire issues to his pictures-pictures in which 66 our special artist" usually appeared prominently, as was the custom of those days-they failed to send

THE RECEPTION OF OUR SPECIAL ARTIST, THOMAS NAST, ESQ., BY JOHN C. HEENAN,
THE BENICIA BOY, AT THE HOUSE OF THE LATTER IN HARNHAM, WILTSHIRE
A gentleman from New York
Heenan's trainer

J. C. Heenan

Heenan's trainer The cook Thos. Nast Reporter of N. Y. Clipper (Reproduced from a cut in the New York Illustrated News)

was Heenan who came to the rescue, and entertained the "little dragsman as his guest at his various lodging houses, for while Sayers was allowed to train in peace, the upholders of British sporting supremacy made life most uncomfortable for the American pugilist, and officers dogged him from place to place to prevent his acquiring proper training.

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They talk about British fair play,' wrote Nast, "but I fail to see much of it here. Sayers is at Newmarket, and left alone. Poor Heenan is hounded constantly, and has a hard time to train at all."

Sometimes the "little dragsman" himself took a turn at training, and managed to hold his own with the "Benicia Boy" in long walks about Harnham, Bath, Winchester, Portsea, North and South Wallop, until finally they were left undis