Plot

Gathered around an old "cannon-ball" stove in the country store in the little village of Hoshkosh, Hiram Limburger and some of the local village characters are warmly discussing the subject of prize-fighting. Hiram seems to think he is just about as young as he used to be and offers to prove it by licking any man in the crowd. This breaks up the meeting, and Hiram, filled with the spirits of fight and hard cider, starts for home. In his back yard he puts his hat and coat on the hitching-post and fights a couple of imaginary rounds with it. The noise awakens his wife, who yells for him to quit that foolishness and come upstairs to bed. He does so and dreams a dream. He imagines himself seated in the audience of a theater watching Professor Fakeovitch exhibit his well-known powers of hypnotism. When the Professor asks for volunteers from the audience. Hiram goes up and is made to act like a fish, a dog, and do other foolish stunts. The Professor ends up by telling Hiram, with a wild flourish, he is a "white hope." The words act like magic, and, starting one from the floor, Hiram lands a wallop on the Professor's jaw which puts him out for the count. The incident starts a riot in the theater, and in the free-for-all fight, Hiram makes his getaway. The fighting Rube "puts away" several policemen and the whole town is soon chasing him. Noticing a sign advertising the appearance of Sam Bangford and Torpedo Smith in 20-round bout, he rushes into the building just as it is announced that Smith will be unable to appear. Hiram jumps into the ring, takes off his coat and announces himself as "Kid Limburger" of Hoshkosh. They put a pair of gloves on him and his actions cause roars of laughter. Finally, to everyone's surprise. Hiram manages to land a well-directed haymaker on his opponent's jaw and it is curtains for the colored man. In the midst of hilarious congratulations, one of the seconds empties a bucket of water inside his shirt and Hiram awakes to find himself in bed with his wife pouring water on him and yelling at him to get up.—Moving Picture World synopsis