The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-22

champion" Jeffries has come, been
and gone and Scranton can once more
resume the even tenor of its way.
The new top-notcher of the prize ring
caused quite as big a stir as his prede-
cessors who have honored us with
visit at 5000 or SO per honor, and, at
the ball park. where he helped umpire
the Scranton Reading game and spared
three rounds with his brother, Jack
Jefries, he proved a big drawing card,
fully 5000 persons, among them many
women, being in attendance.
He arrived over the Delaware, Lack
awanna and Western road at 10 o'clock
from Buffalo, where he gave show
as he put II himself, on the previous
night, which was attended by the
mayor and the elite of the town, and
at which ne was presented with a pin
made of two hammers crossed and held
in place with a diamond rivet, the gift
of his admiring brethren of the boiler
maker craft. lone Is n chipping ham,
mer and the other rivetinG hammer"
he explained, when proudly exhibiting
his gift to a Tribune reporter, accent
ing his descriptive adjectivcs in a man
ner intended to give the reporter to
understand that he was n r"aly-truly
boilermaker, and not n bank clerk or
some such other kind of ,Eenteel per-
son, as another California fighter had
represented himself to be when he got
into the eastern newspapers.
THE CHAMPIONS PARTY.
Ross O'Neil. BILLY" Brady's agent,
| accompanied Jeffri2s as manager. Mr..
| Brady being unable to join this work
nights s-way-aCross- s-thc-cOntinent troupe
because Of his having been booked 10
sail for England yesterday on theatrl-
cal business. Peter McGinnis, young
man in Mr.. Brady's employ, and jack
Jeffrics, the champions brother made
up the party.
They went direct to the Westminster
and were assigned the front parlors on
| the second floor There was a constant
stream of visitors all the time tho
| champion was at the hotel, and he
seemed to like the fuss they were max
| ing about him.
Jcffries may be a good many things,
| but one thing above all others that he
| is, aSsurcdly. is an extremely good
| natured sort of a lad. To every one
! who came up to see him he would smile
a pleasant greeting and awkwardly cX-
| tend one Of his striking characteristics
| Then he would submit without the
slightest evidence of impatence to a
volley of questions that would in many
cases have brought slap in the face
| from any man of ordinary tempera-
ment possessing half Jeffries' physique
| One man, and a professional man al
that, actually asked him If he thought
himself a mental degenerate, as the
Yale doctor had insinuated. JeffrieS
smiled a smile of pity-for his ques.
| toner.
After being in Jelfries' company for
an hour or so one will be forced tC
the conclusion that the Yale doctor was
a trihe off in his diagnosis. The fault
| lay with his lack of knowledge of the
natural mental calibre OF the average
| prize fighter. Jeffries is not bright in.
tellectually and makes no pretensions
Of being So He is simply a great, big
husky boy who learned how to be &
first rate fighter in n remarkably shor
space of time.
LOOKS LIKE A FIGHTER.
1t would hardly be possible to recog
nize him from any of his pictures tina
have so far been displayed here. TIL,
photographers all battered him. Hi
head is disproportionately large, hi
face is fiat and his nose inlaid. Hi
chin is very broad and his lower jaw
large and squarely set. His ensembl
betokens strength, grit and determira
ton. There is no mistaking him, a
far as facial appearances go, for
prize fighter
He is six foot tall and at presen
weighs 200 pounds. He is quite agil
on his feet but this is not his stron
point by any means. His quckness /
his body movements, however, is Yer
remarkable and in this, it might b
said, he makes up for his foot-heayl
ness. He is very dark complexione
and the outdoor training has s
heightened his color that he look
quite Cubanesque. When standin
near first base umpiring yesterday
game he reminded many of Big Bill
Clark, the swarthy giant who used t
! hold down the initial bag for Scranton
In the very first inning Jeffries wa
called upon to make a decision an
ne, of course, decided in favor OF til
home team. 1t was a close play
catch Childs sliding to third, but nc
so close but that everybody in tn
, park except Jeffries judged it saf
! There was no kicking, though.
: The crowd gave the champion only
half hearted greeting when he was IL
= troduced by Manager O'Neill just b.
fore the game, and when he had cor
cluded his three round boxing bou
between the third and fourth inning
! the applause was very mild and IL
l unmingled with outlaws and groan
: 1t was a fraud of an exhibition from
. boxing standpoint but no one with g
\ eye for the beautiful could well b
4 grudge a quarter to see Jeffres' b
! muscled arms and body in motion.
4 WENT TO CARBONDAIE.
= lie retired after the boxing bout
s catch the 6.20 train for Carbondal
e where he gave a show last night. T.
: day he goes to Pittston and thence
: California, picking up dollars on Il
: way by umpiring base ball games, gi
5 ing boxing exhibitions and the like.
Il To a Tribune reporter he denied
5 toto the stories about his fathers Sc
II sational utterances regarding "sho
cuts through the prize ring TO heavel
u and the like. His father Is not Gle
y, gyman to begin with, he said, and
y not given to making such statement
. He is a very religious man and som
times breaches in halls. but is not a
, tached to any denomination.
Jefres says he is anxious to me
SharKey and is confident he can va
:. quish him. He has a great regard (
Maher's right arm, but says Nah
could never hit him with the right.
y Los Angeles, Cal, and Return.