The Washington times., 1905-09-03
JEFF'S Personal
OPINION IS HIGH
Won't Referee Big Fight
for MeaSly $500.
NOT FOR SPORTS SAKE
Fighters Are Now out for the Coin, as
Attested by Britt and
Nelson.
By CHIP.


CHICAGO. Sept 2-There seems to be
a wonderful amount of fuss and trouble
connected with the preliminary arrange
ments for the Britt-Nelson scrap
Compared TO the settlement of these
various negotiations. the work of the
peace conference was a simple PROPOSE
tion, indeed 1t was hard enough. ow-
ing mostly to the grab-all policy of the
Britt combination, 10 get the men to-
gether, and now affairs are further
complicated by the high estimation in
which Retired Champion James J. JEFF
fries holds his services as referee. The
paltry fee of $500 for supervising O, bat
tie between couple of youngsters. and
occasionally exerting himself to the cx-
tent cf breaking them apart. apparently
seems TO have no temptations to Mr.
Jeffries. and as that is about all he is
worth in this connection. there may yet
be another arbiter named for this i'm
portant contest.
The trouble is. the promoters of the
Root-Hart go probably spoiled Jeffrics
Tor further use as n referee when they
paid him Sl.G0) to act in that capacity
at that battle. The circumstances were
somewhat different at Reno, however
There is-nQ doubt that Jeffries was as
much. or nearly so. of 4 drawing card
as the fight Itself. as the Nevadans. gen.
orally speaking. had never previously
had an opportunity of seeing the big
fighter. in action or otherwise Conse-
quently. this unusual fee was money
well s2e.t
But in California. Jeffries. own stamp
Ing ground, where he is well known, and
has fought many of his battles. the
case is different. JEFF is no novelty to
the native sons. and will not draw a sim
gle dollar additional gate money Con-
sequently his services are worth no
more than those of any other competent
referee.
Not for Sports Sake.
In fact, the modern pugilist. as a rule.
is far better financier than were the
lighters of twenty years ago. The ex-
amp,es OF John L. Sullivan. George
Dixon. Jack McAuliffe. each of whom
MADE a fortune and spent it. not to
speak OF many Others. seems to have
made considerable impression on their
successors in the squared circle. and the
rngstcrs of today, as a rule hang On
tight to all they get during their rnush-
room existence. The grasping spirit
shown all through these Britt NeIsor,
negotiations is but another development
OF this latter-day pugilistic recognition
OF the business end of the game Sport
for sports sake" has no meaning IN
them. and 'sportsmanship'' seems also
10 be an unknown q:::ssast;::tt5y- 10 the ma
jority.
Walcott Comes 10 Life.
New comes from Boston. which center
OF culture and refinement has produced
many fistic star thai Jos walcott has
again donned the war-paInt and will
have conSiderab BILE 10 say in the near f,,
ture TO the various white bows who SO,
up claim for the welterweight cham
pionship as soon as ii seemed reasonably
certain that Mistah Walcott was no
longer to be considered in that connec
fion- The Black Terror" il appears
has fully recovered from the injury 10
his hand, and is really spelling for a
tight He is not particular about the
weight, says Joe. unless his prospective
opponent wants the fight 10 be for tho
welterweight championship.
All OF which will be rather sad neu,s
for Jimmy Gardner. Buddy Rvan
Honey Melody. and one or two others
who have made free use of the disputed
title in their various advertisements
ard amusenents- For, although there
may be some difference of opinion as
to which OF them is the best man
there can be no argument as to where
the best of them would class with Joe.
Woman Is Blamed.
There seems TO be something in the
San Francisco air that promotes trouble
between fighters and their managers.
First il was Battling Nelson and Ted
Murphy. and now Buddy Ryan and
Johnny Reid have had a dispute that
wound up with Ryan being slashed
somewhat promiscuously with a knife
that Mr.. Reid produced as soon as the
trouble started. AS in the Nelson
bottom OF il all. II is an open ques-
tion whether the fair sex have not had
as much TO do with pugiIistic deterio-a-
tion as the demon, Rum.
Herman and Mowatt
Kid Herman. who has been coming
on rapidly in the past few months. will
have n chance 70 show how good he
really is next week, when he meets
Tommy Mowatt at Grand Rapids. ON
Wednesday night. Mowatt has aiways
been a tough customer. and. in fact.
just missed being a topnot cher. Her
man VIII nave 10 go some TO dispose of
him, and lot OF Chicago money viii
be wagered at about even money on the
outcome. The fight will be for fifteen
rounds.
Ryan Has a Protege.
Tommy Ryan's most recent protege.
Tommy Morrison. of whom the cham
pion has predicted great things. Will
meet Adam Ryan. probably the best
lightweight In Chicago, at St Joseph.
Mich. next Friday. for a ten-round ar
gunent. This Will be n great tryouf
for young Morrison, and II he succeeds
in defeating Ryan he will be in a fair
way TO fulfill his mentors claims.
Tommy Ryan has not been very sue
cessful with his favorite pupils. how
ever. Not long ago one of them. Carl
Anderson, a middleweight, was decisive
IL Kicked IN two rounds by some obscure
Iilinoisan. IN a bush fight. while Hugo
Kelly whom Tommy Burns bestcd on
the coast a couple OF weeks ago, was
for a long time the very apple OF Ryan's
eye.