The San Francisco call., 1897-10-24
THE GOVERNOR
Is INVITED
He May Be Present to Wit
ness the Lightweight
Championship.
Waloott Is Ten to Eight
Favorite in the Pool
Trouble Brewing Between the Knick-
erbocker and National
Athletic Clubs.

In speaking of the Lavigne and Walcott
championship battle yesterday Young
Mitchell, president OF the Occidenta
Club, said that the fighters wilt do battle
undar the same conditions that governed
the Dixon and Smith fght-that is, so far
as hitting with one arm Tree in a clinch Is
concerned.
''Its the only natural style of fighting
after all, )" remarked the retired champion
welter-weight pugilist OF California.
You see th at when two men ara clinched
they have the free use of one hand cr
glove, and If they are al all proportionate
in height ana strength the damage iu-
fiic:ed is bout equal.
Now, in the Dixon and Smith fight, if
you RENE m Der, the boys cnnched-I think
1t was in the second round-and ham,
mered away for fully a half minute be-
fore they concluded to quit. They dis
covered that one was good as e other
at that game and durlng the remainder OF
the fight they were satisfied 10 break
away, as Spider Kelly would say, like
gentlemen, and battle with both arms
free.
Il am satisfied that Lavigne and Wal
cott will do likewise, as they have not re-
ferred IN any way since signing articles to
C!lnCDsng or nltilng III ClluCn II Oruered
10 break by the referee"
by The way. who do you suppose the
referee will be?' was asked.
That Is a question / cannot answer as
have not been con n-ulted in tue matter" q"
replied Mitchell. You can say, however
that the club will not have any voice in
the selection OF a referee; the Managers of
the lighters must choose that honora BILE
parsonage themselves Oh the DAY previous
TO the battle"
But supposing they fail to agree upon
any one maR on the day bef fore the tg gut
or on the day of the fight, what then?'
"Weii, they must agree, and that is all
there is 10 it. The referee must be Sc
lected on or before next Thursday or
will know the reason why" retorted Dip
lomat John, as he looked wislfully al a
huge stack OF admission cards which was
piled on table near by.
The backs of the tickets of admission to
the fight are stamped something similar
to the passes used by Dan Stuart for the
FItZsim mons and Maher fight in Texas,
aId cannot De duplicated, IL is said.
Although the sale of seats will not
really commence until Monday the presi-
dent of the club states that he has re-
ceived large orders from sporting men in
Stockton, Sacramento and Oakland for
hrst-class seats within close proximity OF
the ring.
Yesterday the secretary of the club for:
warded an invitation TO Governor Budd
TO attend the show. and as the Governor
is an admirer of hrst-cIa.s athletic sport
doubtless he will lie present to witness the
ampionship contest between two of the
cleverest boxers in the world.
The betting on the game is now becom-
ing spirited. On Friday a bet of $500 on
Walcott against $40O on Lavigne was
made in the Palace Hotel by admirers Of
the white and back champions.
In the poolrooms the betting is $40 to
s.. with Walcott on the long end, and
doubtless these fi.ures will stand up 10
the time of the closing of the pools.
Trouble has been pending for some time
between the managers of the National
and knickerbocker clubs. 1t appears tnat
the las,-named club selected date about
the middle of Novem Der for the Goddard
and Sharkey slogging match, expecting
thereby not to interfere or be interfered
with by any OF the com pc ling clubs.
The National Club discovered few davs
ago that it could not pull off, the
Cnoynski and Jeffries fight on Novem Der
on account of sickness in the Choynski