The San Francisco call., 1907-02-03

much time here as necessary.
Those who know Riley best claim
that he can readily finance the big fight
without outside assistance and that he
Will undoubtedly do so If he cannot
secure the required backing in Tono-
pah. Riley owns half the stock in
the pavilion erected for the fight be-
tween Cans and Kid Herman. The
owners of the other half do not want
to get behind the forthcoming match,
but they are willing to rent the pavil-
ion for 10 per cent of the gross re-
ceipts. Unless there should be a storm
raging throughout Southern Nevada
when the date of the fight is at hand
the attendance should be such as to
well pay the promoters. Whatever may
be the opinion Of the followers of the
boxing game as to the outcome of the
meeting between Britt and Cans, there
is a general idea that 1t will draw well
both from California and from the min
ing camps about Tonopah. On the oc-
casion Of the fight between Cans and
Herman the storm prevented many in
tending spectators from being present.
as the roads were impossible While
March is said to be an uncertain month
as to climatic conditions, 1t will surely
be better than December.
The recent discussion on the referee
question, IN which Jack Gleason was
mentioned as an eligible candidate
brought out the fact that while the
club must select the referee from
among five men. the fighters can go
outside that list If they so desire. This
is a nice distinction, as when the fight
ers allow the managers the right to
name a man If they fail to agree they
limit them to five men. each one of
which is acceptable to the men most at
interest.
Ben Selig, who has cleverly repre-
sented Cans on this Coast for some
time. blighted the hopes of Jack Glea-
sons friends when he said that he
would not agree to any man for ref
cree unless he had refereed a number
of big fights and had lot of expert
ence. While Gleason knows the boxing
game from every angle, he has not had
experience in important contests. Selig
goes on record as saying that this is
too important a fight for Cans to take
any chances with a strange referee
and that ne will stick by the men who
have handled big fights
All signs point to Jack Welsh as the
man who will fill all the requirements
He is immensely popular with the
sporting men of Nevada and he takes
every precaution to safeguard their
interests. He knows the game thor
oughly and is particularly at home
when the fight is to finish, as the
St. Patrick's day affair will be.
The situation regarding the anti
boxing legislation at Sacramento fur
nishes much food for gossip in this
city, but no one seems to have a clear
idea as to what will come of the pro-
posed measure There mas been no
general demand for the passage of the
bill, but Senator Gus Hartman has
worked without rest on the measure.
The prbmoters in this city are trying
to shift some of the blame for the pro-
posed bill to Tom McCarey of Los
Angeles. While he has had q monopo-
ly of the lighting game in the South
for some years. he has never helped the
promoters in other parts of the State
when bills to stop the game have been
presented at Sacramento.
It is said he did nothing when the
game was menaced at the last session
of the Legislature, and some of the
holdover Senator'S have not forgotten
his attitude He has always been
ready to share in the profits of boxing,
but his interest ceased at that stage
of the game. The failure of the meas
ure now before the Legislature to stop
the four-round game does not please
the promoters of the big events. They
think all should be treated alike
The thoughts of Sam Berger are
again turning to the ring. and a match
in the South between the former anna
teur and Jack O'Brien is possibility.
O'Brien has always stood well with the
Southern promoters. and he can un-
doubtedly talk them into staging the
bout If the restraining hand of the law
is not raised. Both boxers have often
expressed disappointment at the fact
that the proposed meeting between
them some time since In this city did
not take place owing to the difference
Aexisting at the time between the men
controlling the game. The rival
heavyweights would have drawn q
/ large house. AS 1t was, OBrien had