The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07
of the Coliseum the


1t may be true, as James ]. said in the
course of his remarks, that the fact that
his handba court is open rooted may he
a great advantage in the way of admitting
fresh air, but it also showed itself to-day
to be something of handicap. II let i'll
the snow. The floor of the court soon be-
came white coated and treacherousy
sIippery-so much so that hand ball-play-
ing was eliminated from the afternoon
programme. Jim played a couple OF
games in the morning, but had to be de-
cidedly gingerly about it for fear of sus-
tanning fall that might be serious in its
results.
In the afternoon Trainer Billy Delaney
swept of the snow and after resining the
floor pronounced it safe enough for few
rounds of light boxing.
Despite Billy's carefulness the floor was
still in such dangerous condition that
Corbett narrowly escaped meeting with
an injury that might have decided the
great championship battle in advance. 1t
was while he was having bout with Big
Jack McVey, the wrestler, that the acci-
dent occurred. Corbett confines himself
to clinching tactics when with McVey,
and he was carrying out his usual pro-
gramme on this occasion. He has boring
into the big fellow and forcing him across
the room when the champions feet finally
reached a spot on the floor which was
caked with sleet. In an instant both legs
flew apart and Corbett partly did what is
known in acrobatic circles as the split"
1t is painful to those who do not prac-
tice it and it hurt Corbetr. Ee recovered
himself in second, however, and again
plunged into McVey. But that prac-
tically put an end to the afternoon work,
as Trainer Charley White, who had be-
come somewhat alarmed at the chances
jim was taking on the slippery floor, soon
coaxed the cnam pion to stop boxing for
the day and retire for rundown.
But suppose we have something now
about FitZsimmons, the other fellow"
Bob's latest freak is notion for hand ball.
Heretofore he has been inclined to sneer
at Corbett's penchant for this class of ex-
ercise, but now he is going to be crank
at the game himself.
He has started In TO board up the in
terror of his gymnasium, assisting with
his own hands, and will have a very fair
court finished by Monday. His trainers
are groaning over the outlook, for they
can see only an increase in their labors
rather than the hand ball displaying any
! other feature Of the training bill.
When Fitzslmmons got out of bed this
morning he took a peep at the drifting
snow and wondered if the big man at
Shaws Springs was astir. Roeber and
ho hk IN, aho
and marched him through the snow for
twelve miles his morning. They passed
the pen1tentiary at gallop, came into
town through the slush and mud, and
people wondered at the daring of the
lanky fighter. On the way back to his
training quarters Bob stopped from time
to time and walked at brisk gait with
Hickey.
Then they leaped into a gallop for 300
yards or more, and when they passed the
penltentiary, whicI is stone structure of
strange design, they saluted the sentinels
on the turrets. 1t is only half mile from
the prison to Fitzsimmons' headquarters.
He made this distance through the slush
ahead of Dan Hickey. and when he
knocked the snow balls.off his feet at his
training quarters be said:
''This is the worst game I've been
against yet. It's snowbails from break
fast to supper, but III bet five dollars to q
sausage that the other fellow has hot
taken the run that I've made this morn
ing. They say I'm not in condition and
that I'm not ready to fight. You've seen
me in other fights and think you know
that I've got something up my sleeve"
Fitzsim mons then entered his training
quarters and was stretched upon the
bench, where Roeber and Hickey rubbed
him from neck to ankles. AS the giant
lay upon this couch he said:
I've just got letter from my wife, and
she tells me she has decorated our home
with crosses and evergreen. This good
woman" said Fitzsimmons, "has always
made this provision before a battle-that
is, before my battles. l may be supersti-
tious; may be a crank; l may be
'nutty,' as some people say, but someho w
or other always sort of bank on the good
woman who has raised the cross for my
victory"
1t was then that big Roeber entered the
training quarters and began spraying
the legs of the athlete. Hickey was at his
throat with harsh towels and with joke
now and then. When the big fellow had
been rubbed from head to loot he began
the work of building hand ball court in
side OF his gymnasium. Three men as
| sisted him in this work. They were Roe
Der, Hickey and Steiner. Fitzsimmons,
with his keen eye-and the eye, by the
way, which has done some business in the
rfng-cut the timber and placed all the
posts and boards in position. He seemed
10 be as much interested inthe construc-
tion OF the handba court as he would be
in battle for the championship of the
world. He watched every movement Of