The San Francisco call., 1897-12-14
Hawkins and Connolly Fully
Prepared for Their
Contest.
The Winner to Be Matched
Against Kid Lavigne for
the Championship.
Reports From the Training Quarters
Give Glowing Accounts of
Both Men.

The action OF the Supervisors in refusing
TO grant any more permits for boxing
matches in this city has caused consider
able uneasiness among lovers of tue sport,
and although many had reached the con-
CIusion that the game was being played
too often, and that they had been sur
feited with fstic bouts, the prospect Of the
Hawkins Connolly match on Thursday
night being the last 10 be held In san
Francisco for the present, at least, has
kindIed all the old time ardor for the sport
anew, and the indications are that the
Knickerbocker CLUB will be rewarded with
q packed house at the Mechanics Pavilion
when the gong sounds for the preliminary
event.
The advance sale of seats began last
Saturday, and uF to last night the sheet
showed $500 worth of reserved seats d s.
posed of. The Knickerbocker Club has
mad the seating ARRANGEMENTS of the
Pavilion entirely remodeled from the plan
adopted at the last match, and has
divided the main floor into two big sec
tions, one on either side of the ring. The
seats in these sections are all raised, tier
upon tier, aftordlng an unobstructed view
OF the ring from every part Of the house.
The seats nearest the ringslde have been
fixed at SO each, and imm ediately behind
them are the box seats at So In rear of
the boxes are he 81 seats, stretching back
ward and upward to the end galleries.
These are all reserved, and the manage
ment guarantees that every seat sold shall
be held for the ticket holder. The gallery
seats have all been placed at 81, with no
reservations, and it Will be frs come first
served in this part of the house, with the
choicest locations falling to the early
birds.
The principals of the main event are
pegging away at their pre- paratory work
with dogged determ ination, and both
men are reported to be in prime cOndi-
ton. Dal hawkins is doing his work at
Billy Chenoweth's Ocean Side House
under the supervision of Billy armstrong,
who has prepared HIM for all ms notable
conles.s.
Connolly is at the six-mile House with
Lansing who is TO meet Joe King in q
preliminary bout OF ten rounds the same
evening. Both men are being handled by
Tim McGrath, the old time trainer, who
has put many a winning man IN the ring.
King is getting into condition at the Ex-
celsior Club rooms.
Connolly and Hawkins Will weigh in on
Thursday afternoon at 4 80 o'clock and
the article of agreement provide that the
men shall not go above l33 pounds. As
both Connolly and Hawkins are down to
y
now no difficulty is expected on that
score. Lansing and King are TO 60 into
the ring al catch weights.
The articles call for the selection of the
referee by the two PRINCIPALS or their
managers twentv-foCr honrs before the
contest and on Wednesday afternoon an
effort will be made 10 decide this some
what difficult point. Neither Hawkins
nor Connolly has manifested any prefer
| ence SO far, merely stating that the referee
must tie above suspicion, and that any
such man with a thorough knowledge OF
hitch occur. however, the SELECTION will
be left to the Knickerbocker Club, the
| officers of which will announce their
choice on the afternoon of the contest
1t is the present intention of the club
managers 10 match the winner of the
| Hawkins Connolly fight against Xii"
| Lavigne for the lightweis hit cham nion-
| ship, provided, of course, that the Board
| of Supervisors reconslders its determlna-
tion not to grant any more permits for
! boxing contests. If this match IS
| brought about it will doubtless prove one
of the most interesting OF recent years
among the smaller men.
So far there has been no betting to
| speak Of on Thursday nights contest the
| public preferring to hold off until the
last minute before placing its money; but
| by tonight, when the men have prac-
| tIcally finished their work and the latest
reports from the training quarters have
| been brought IN, the poolrooms will begin
| 10 do business IN earnest, and with HaW-
kins slight favorite.