The San Francisco call., 1899-06-11
.JEFFRIES'
PARENTS
PLEASED
Champions Father Cannot
Hide His Joy Over the
Vic.ory.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, June 10.-"I am not
given to talking about prizefights, and
l fear the public will not understand
me when I say that the Lord Of Hosts
was in the battle of last night Like
all other battles, this is a victory for
our Lord and Savior. My boy won it
because the Lord so willed it, and if he
had been defeated it would have been
through a power greater than we
know of"
Thus remarked the preacher father
of Jim Jeffries, the worlds heavy
weight champion prizefighter when
asked his opinion upon the result of
the now celebrated contest. Notwith-
standing this reverential view of things
earthly, the fact cannot be disguised
that Mr.. and Mrs. Jeffries, the brother
and three sisters are supremely happy
that the big boy won the battle, and
that the possibilities of defeat had
caused serious reflection. All day the
curious, idle and jubilant friends of the
family have crowded around and about
the Jeffries home in East Los Ange-
les.
Mrs Jeffries has a strong face and
her ewes are striking in their brilllancy.
y
look from those orbs Indicate that she
is weighing the object her gaze rests
upon and is fully Sizing up the situa-
ton" to form a mental conclusion. In
her dual relationship as the wife Of
minister of the gospel and as the
mother of a champion pugillst, Mrs.
Jeffries exhibits the pride in which
mothers heart is engulfed; yet she ten
derly respects the feelings that sway
her worthy and conscientious spouse.
Il opposed his going into this bust
ness" said the champions mother,
"and succeeded in keeping him out
until he attained his majority. l have
always felt that Jim would win, and
while it is difficult to speak about the
! subject in the position we occupy l
was sure he would defeat Fitzsimmons,
! because my boy is decent and clean IN
| this kind of business"
The fact that Jim" might sustain
some serious injury, or that some mis-
| fortune might have overtaken = itz-
| simmons as a result of the battle, was
| the source of much concern to those
we'll meaning and seriously good people.
| Since they have heard the full results
of the contest, and that only incidental
and necessary bruises followed, a salts
| faction has been added to the joy they
! feel.
If Jeffries is like his father he will
prove sturdy one, for the Rev. Mr..
| Jeffries, with his flowing black hair
! and his patriachal features, is devoted
exclusively to and is bound up in his
! religious work. 1t is one of his tenets
| that a minister should accept nothing
for his services, and he follows this be-
| lief to the letter. Jeffries' brother,
John, an especially agreeable young
man and of athletic build said:
1.-The folks didn't say much last night
/ before the fight about Jim but they
were thinking about him just the same.
/ said to father, just for fun, How
much money have you put up on jim?
Don't you talk about betting on
Jim, was his answer"
The Jeffries home is located on a
beautiful rise of ground on the East
Side, near the Arroyo Seco bridge.
There are about 100 acres in the place
and there for eighteen years the family
! has resided The large, roomy house
is hidden among tall trees. Jeffries'
sisters have their flowers growing
about the house, and it scarcely ap-
pears like home of the champion
fighter of the world.
But Jim loves it better than all the
rest of the United States" said John,
and he likes his Los Angeles friends
better than all others. He wrote us
that he would get back here before the
month was over. I think he is going
| to do a little showing before he re.
| turns"
Up to a late hour the family had re.
! ceived no message from the champion,
but the younger members of the family
expect it. Yesterday morning before
entering the ring Jeffries sent this mes
sage to his folks:
Am feeling fine. You want to pull
| for me-"
Earlier in the day he had sent mes
sage to his brother declaring confidence
that he would win.
Hell take good care of himself and
his money" remarked his mother; ''he
always has and / think he always
will"
Tho fa tbor lra,t Ioic naoaa