The San Francisco call., 1905-06-26
JOHN |. MAKES
A QUIET ENTRY
Grizzled Gladiator Asserts
That He Is Ready to Go
Some Despite His Years
ARRANGING FOR MATCH
Sullivan Will Fight With
Charlie Mitchell for the
Graveyard Championship

John L. Sullivan is at the Palace Ho-
tel'' Time was when that announcement
would have blocked Market street from
Third street to the Jerry and half of the
police force would have been needed to
keep the crowd in order. Judging from
the effect it caused last night the glamour
of the name is fading trif1e. John l..
is almost the same John l.. our fathers
worshiped, plus embonpoint-it is forbid
den to use the terms fat or stout in his
presence-and a plentiful sprinkling of
gray in his hair.
When the interviewer tapped timidly
upon the door a voice that sounded like
a fog horn with influenza beloved
Come in" 1t was the sort of invita-
ton that one might expect to receive
from Monarch, the grizzly bear.
John l.. was seated at a table putting
big black cigar. Without rising he
reached out his hand. 1t was a leathery
affair and not quite as big as doormat,
but once upon time thousands stood
in line to shake that hand. So two fingers
of it were clasped in fitting reverence.
John L. did not spar for wind. He be-
gan to be interviewed as soon as the
gong sounded" 1t was a monologue.
H, amt DID, he said I'm just as
good as / was twenty years ago. Course,
/ can't do a hundred in ten seconds like
/ used to, but / can give some of them
run yet and / be running after them.
They won't be chasing me. Why. now
they call a man q an old man. Why, I
fought my best fight at that age"
This led to the announcement that John
L. is to fight Charlie Mitchell in Sep
tember in Seattle. The proposed match
has been called the graveyard cham
pionShip' fight.
1t has been suggested that the go be
held out near Lone Mountain for the
benefit of the sporting fraternity that
has gone before. Nobody has suggested
it to John L., though.
DRINKS RUM SOMETIMES.
Lord, how people get queer opinions
of me- continued the gladiator of the
old school. why, they have had me
drinking enough rum to send hundred
men to a lunatic asylum. 1 drink rum
hum-occasionally. Course, 1 have my
slips now and then. If boy lives near
an orchard he's going to steal apples,
amt he? That was Adams trouble and
most of us have got to swipe an apple
or so once in a while ever since But
while l take my rum once in while,
l don't swim in 1t.
I'm in dead earnest about that fight
with Mitchell. I'm keeping in condition
all the time. ] do my three rounds
every night and keep from getting fat"
The interviewer tried to keep from
looking at John LIS corporation One
tapemeasure might be able to go round
it if it were used twice.
There's where some men make the
mistake, continued Sullivan. "They let
themselves get out of condition and the
fat comes and they're goners. 1 always
keep down the fat. Course. I'm no living
skeleton or anything Of that. sort, but I'm
well inside the weight
Perhaps the Outside" weight is ton
Say, there aren't many of the old
timers here now, are they?" asked
John l..
'WelI, there's Alex Greggains," was
hazarded.
The grizzled gladiator shifted, why,
he's kid he's no old timer"
''Well there's Spider Kelly
CALLS UP OLD GHOSTS.
"Oh, Lord, they're boys. mere kids.
Where's that / beat here? Where's
And John L. seemed to be reading from
cemetery roster.
We'll" he mused. I'm still popular.
There isn't any reason / shouldn't be.
OF course a man has to make some enc
mics or he isn't a man, but mine are few.
We've had big crowds all along the route.
do monologue and spar three
rounds
''You bet John is popular" volunteered
Frank Kelly. when the train got into
Benica a lot of Irishmen working on the
road heard we were on the train. One
of them in overalls and jumpers said:
If John L. is on board I'm going to see
him.
80 he came into our Pullman to see
John and shake hands with him. He had
a picture he got of him out of The Call.
Here zez are as policeman, john, he
says, and shows the picture to him. We
tried to get 1t away from him, but he
says 'Zez'n not get this wild crowbar.
I'm going to have it framed
John L. will tread the boards tonight
at the Lyceum.
Speaking of his new calling. John L.
SAYS: .Of course, If you put a blacksmith
in a dry goods store he'll be kind of
awkward lingering the lace at first. But
YOU put a dry goods clerk in black
smith shop and he'll drop dead when he
tries to lift a sledge. I give good show
and 1 please the people. That's all
want 20 do
Sullivan's "sparring partner" Jim Nc
Cormick, is ready and anxious to meet
anything People say that they amt
heard of him." said John L. why. he's
fought twenty fights. He's good boy