The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-23
learned that the receipts exceeded
$45 900.
RINGSIDE SCENES
BEFORE THE FIGHT
Every City in the Country Repre-
scented in the Gathering OF
Sports.

NEW YORK. Nov 22-The twenty
round glove fight between James j.
| Corb-tt of California, the ex-champion
heavyweight boxer of the world, and
Tom Sharkey of Dundalk, Ireland. VINO
first showed his prowess as hghter
W. e wing the United States as q
| bluejacket In the navy, Orc an enor-
mo vi of sporting men to the
Lenox Athletic Club house tonight In
fact such d representative gathering
of the sporting element from al over
the country was never in the CITY nInilS
at one time before. The Iact tnat the
contest would certainly take place
without any legal interference induced
many hundreds of followers and ad-
mirers of the art of self-defense 10
make long Journeys in order 10 De al
the rinPside when the fight took place
Nearly every city of any prominence IN
the United States was Represented ny
parties of at least a dozen. and In many
| Instances dele. ctions numbering over
| hundred each in charge or Well-kIlo"H
men in different sporting ce-ters.
Weeks ago, when the seats were nrst
nrt on sale. the shreWd people who
lived quite a long distance from TINS
city either wrote or wired for seats 70
be reserved and by doing so saved
themselves a lot of trouble on their ar
rival here Those who saw far enough
ahead to do this were only compare
five few. however and the past Few
DAYS there was a lively scramble 10 Sc
cure good seats. To-day not seat was
to be had at the club after O'CLOCK
and those who had not made early pro-
vision had to pay exorbitant prices 10
the wide awake spectators. Tickets
for seats in the immediate vicinity OF
the ring brought fabulous prices to-
night The original cost of these paste
boards was $40 each, but tonight twice
that sum could not purchase one or
them and in two instances they brought
500 apiece. The other tickets, costing
from IS to SIS, brought prices two and
threefold and the club management did
not put any Of the So admission tickets
on sale.
The gambling instinct, which is a
necessary adjunct to all manner of
fstic contests. was in evidence as soon
as the sports began to gather in the
boxes.
Corbett's stock was always in pref
erence and the odds on the San Fran
ciscan opened at 100 to sc. The betting
did not take on as lively turn as on
former occasions when fighters of less
note have met in this arena. SO much
betting had been done during the last
forty-eight hours, however, In the
sporting resorts throughout the city
that the slackness of the wagering on
the spot did not indicate any loss of
interest in the heavy weight bout.
BY half past o'clock nearly every
seat in the house was occupied. Bank
ers and brokers of prominence. lawyers
of note and business men representing
nearly every phase of trade, mingled
with we'll known politicians and held
animated conversations in close prox-
unity to the ringside. One well known
member OF the Produce Exchange took
the Sharkey end of one of the largest
wagers of the night, which was $500
to $500 on Corbett. Joe Vendig laid
the odds on the Californian.
Corbetts hackers forced the price of
the Californian to 800 to $40 just as 1t
was learned that the ex-champion had
reached the club house and was in his
dressing room.
At 1923 a buzz of excitement ran
through the building and Tom Sharkey
! pushed his way through the butting