The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-04
BURNS SHOULD
FIGHT JOHNSON
Corbett Says Australian Public
Forced Him to Make
Match.
BY JAMES J. coRRETT.

Chicago. Oct. 3.-If the Australian
promoters are really sincere in their OF
fer of a $4,000 purse for the Eurrs-
johnson go, and if Mr. Burns does not
get homesiCk before Mr.. johnson
reaches tie antirodeo there may hc Il
scrap for the worlds heavyweight
championship on Australian soil.
Two forces have been brought 10
bear upon Burns which have caused
him finally to give his consent to tie up
in an argument with the pestiferous
black man. IN the first place, the
public has tired of Burns tactics and
refuses to listen any longer to his talk
about being a worlds champion.
Thomas got away with the bluff in
England until he heard that Black
Jack was on his track. Then he pulled
his stakes and started for the other
side of the world. Much to his sur
prise, when he arrived there he found
that there was no such a thing as color
line, and that Mr.. johnson had LEFT
some impression in the minds of the
wise Australian public.
Burns, however, is blessed with his
share of brass, and he billed himself
as the only real champeen." He
handed out the breeze that he was
JOhnson's superior, and then supplied
the newspapers with a line of argu-
ment that didn't look good in print.
$4,000 to Forget Color Line.
One of Tommy's claims was that 30
club had offered a large enough purse
to warrant him climbing into tho ring
with the dusky giant from Uncle Sans
domain. The Australian promoters i'm
mediately inquired anent Burns ideas
about purse, and were enlightened by
being informed that $50, 900 FOR his end
was the least lossible amount that
II 1ar
line.
After watching Thomas perform in
one or two of his so-called champion
snip battles the wise ones decided that
johnson was his equal and that the
two would furnish the world with the
greatest scrap of modern ring times.
The Australians are determined lot,
and then they also know something
about the business end of the scrap
game It didn't take them long to fig
ure out what a fight between Johnson
and Burns would draw, in addition to
the betting. which they also know
something about.
On the other hand. Burns had seen
enough of Australia to know that since
the DAYS Of Bob Fitzsimmons, Joe
Goddard and Young Critic the country
had developed a whole lot.
To return to America would have
been suicidal to him unless he really in
tended to fight Johnson. The American
public would stand for his color line
gag no longer. and it would be case
of put up or shut up. Ketchel Burns
only possible chance for easy money,
had been put out of tine running bv
Billy Papke. and the latter was salts
fed to remain just a middleweight
champion. Had Ketchel won over
Papke Burns would have been given
one more opportunity to sidestep Jack.
He could have signed articles and at
least a whole year would have passed.
in which time Johnson would have
grown no better. and probably dropped
out of sight.
But now the fight is on and it really
looks as if it were going to take place.
1t is too far away for me to see II. and
I will be amorg the thousands who
will be disappointed at not being pres
ent to witness the affair.
Burns probably enjoys the situation.
In American he has been knocked for
not taking on Johnson. and in Eng
land. another place where the color
line is not distinct. Burns has been
branded as a coward.
Coward" Talk Stings Burns.
Tommy, however. was so far away
that he paid little attention to what
was being said in England until the
Australian papers began taking up the
coward talk and handing it afresh tu
Burns Tom finally has tired of it all
and now he asserts that he will stake
his all OF the final encounter with
Johnson and then retire if ne loses. as
he will then have enough of the world
" goods to live the rest of his time
on earth without worrying much