Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-27
JEFFRIES GOING BACK.
Is Getting Too Fond OF Wine Drinking
To Make Good Fighter.

Robt Elgren, the we'll known sporting
writer, aftirms that Jeffries is surely go
Ing back as great fighter. This Is how
| lie sizes up the situation:
81 am champion Of the world now |
have seen other champions fall through
| dissipation, and | know the dangers that
have TO look out for. | am young and
strong, and | will take care OF myself
| will hold the title until age makes me
retire, or until some better man takes It
away from me-"
That is the promise that James J. JEFF
fries made to the public on the morning
after he whipped Robert Fizsimmons and
became the champion of the world.
| That was only five years ago Jeffries
has hardly had time TO become the vic
tim OF advanced age. Yet the greatest
big fighter the world ever saw Is slipping
down out OF his lighting condition just
as John l.. sullivan and hundreds OF
others less famous did before him.
Jefres after spending several weeks
called off the match with Jack Munroe,
That fight is to go on some day I'm Aug
ust, unless the champion falls down
again.
fries out Of the ring. II was the fact that
he found il impossible TO get into shape
for the battle with n young, strong
fighter; and he was unwilling TO risk
his title.
The reason that Jeffries could not got
into shape is the same that troubled him
while preparing for his fight with Cor.
bott last fall
When, the giant first came east. fresh
from the training camp at Carson, he
was as rugged as n man could be. Tho
great muscles that he developed by hard
work In boiler factory were lust soften.
ing enough TO be ealetic. His body was
as thin as a greyhound's. and his lungs
had the power an dcapacty OF n black
smiths bellows He was full OF energy
Whcn training he could not find time In
the twenty-four hours TO do all the work
he felt like doing He ran on the road
until his trainers thought he would arop
dead. lie boxed and did everything else
that a fighter In training ever did,
But now 1t Is hard thing for Jeffrles
to get up energy enough 10 go out on the
stunts,
lie gets so fat between periods OF train.
ing that IL Is positive torture for him 10
work down again into condition when the
time comes.
when fatness once comes upon an ath.
lete Of any kind Il takes unlimited deter
mnation TO fight Il on Jeffries is RAPIDLY
getting round and pussy, His mighty
muscles are becoming flabhy because no
Is too lazy 10 do the work that is neces.
sary TO keen In shape
Probably II was dissipation that started
Jeffries ON the back trail. After the last
ilght win tltzsimmons In San Francisco
the big champion stayed for two days In
the back rooms OF saloon on Post street
drinking, At the end OF that time bis Xii
for champagne was $500 and he maid n
He didn't drink all OF that himseif-bc
had a retinue Of camp followers 10 help
him. F
Jeffries Is a wine drinkor."
AZ Hardin Springs Billy Delaney has 10
watch the champion closely TO keen him
away from the flzz water. Now and then
Ienries sneaks away down the ROAD 10
Middleton. Then there Is n manning of
corks that can almost he heard In Far
bin. and for day or two afterwnrd Ieff
goes about camp growing like a hear
with gore head.
This sort Of thing. continued for n few
years, would retire any athlete from The
front ranks. Wv
Soon James j Jcrfries may be as rotund
as John l. sullivan. 'N''"
] know 4 TO be fact that when no
went to Hardin sprlngs, n counie Of
months ago, the big fellow weighed 9G5
pounds In his clothes. That IL over 2S
lie fights In best condition at 2ao. Whom
pc fought Fizsimmons first Jeff oopld
Bile ''N'" "V"'
II he can work down 10 "a for MN.
roe next month he will surprise Riiiv
Delaney and all OF the others who arc
This fight may be tho last appearance of