The San Francisco call., 1908-12-24
COFFR0TH KEEN TO
GET LANGFORD
AND KETCH
Mission Street Promoter Hopes
to Stage Big Match on
Washingf0n's Birthday
By William y. Siaffery

Realizing that an engagement be-
tween Sam Langford, the formidable
black from Boston, and Stanley Ketehel.
the middle weight champion OF the
world, will prove 20 be the next great
drawing card in ring circles, Promoter
Jim Coffroth last night took the nrst
decisive step toward bringing the men
together By making the announcement
that he would do all in his power to
pull the match of at his Mission street
arena on the afternoon OF Washington
birthday, February 90
Like nearly every other hght Tan IN
the city, COfrrOth is OF the opinion that
this match Is the one that the public
is loo king forward 10 with the greatest
interest. He Is sure that IL would draw
more coin than any other available set
to outside OF a Nelson-McFariand en-
gagement and ne also feels certain that
il would prove a whirlWind affair
Corroth has practically secured tina
consent of LanSford and his manager.
Joe Woodman- As they explained some
weeks ago, their mission 10 San Fran
cisco was principally TO get with the
middle weight champion, and IL the lat
ter shows the slightest inclination TO
sign up with the colored wonder he
Will be accommodated in jig time.
The Mission street promoter has yet
to hear from Joe O'ConnOr, the man
who is looking after the affairs OF
ketcheI. PROBABLY Conroth realizes
that OConn0r will be bitterly opposed
TO the meeting and he looks forward TO
a lot of wrangling before there is any
chance to bring even the managers to-
gether for the purpose OF talking over
preliminary arrangements.
L want to make this match, for
know that l will be well repaid and SO
will the night loving public said Cof
froth last night. Il think that IL there
is a chance I will be able to make good
The men can hght for me for liberal
percentage, but 1 will not offer guar
antee this time. There is great
/ chance waiting for both of them"
Langford and hi manager evidently
believe that they viii yet bring Ketchei
to their way OF thinking, for they have
decided TO stick around in the hope OF
making the big match The big smoke
has left everything to his manager. but
when asked il he would meet ketchel
he opens that big mouth and smiles
blandly as he answers You bet"
When the middle weight champion
hears all this discussion he may posi-
bly, decide to shake the dust of Grand
Rapids and beat it back 10 San Fran
cisco. He Is nervous sort of fellow,
around doing nothing so if the proper
inducements are offered many believe
that he will cut his vacation short and
come on to the scene OF action
/ The fight fans will not be treated to
a series OF bouts at the Mission street
pected. for Gregory Mitchell, who was
arranging the card, ran up against a
j snag at the eleventh hour and now
/ finds himself stalled and unable to get
~I'm having hard luck this time"
/ said Mitch last night Two OF my
/ fighters are in jail, sleeping on ante
/ Christmas jags; another. soldier. Is
\ in the guardhouse at the Presidto for
/ mistaking his superior of1cer FOR a
punching bag and busting him between
/ the eyes and the others are too busy
shooting craps TO pay any attention TO
the lighting game This promoting Job
/ is too strong for me- III resign and
become a manager again
I The ordinary sport will be surprised
/ to learn of the great interest being
johnson fight at sydney on SATURDAY.
morning Commissioner Tom Corbett
was kept busy last night writing tick
cts for men who wanted TO pet on tne
/ and the bets are mostly in small sums.
Several hundred dollars OF Johnson
money rolled into Corbetts last night
and il is very likely that the price VIII
/ be hammered down a point or two be-
/ fore the big fellows enter the ring. Ac-
cording to the Australian dispatches
/ Burns is a 10 70 8 favOrite in the Land
Of the kangaroo and the Johnson rnonsy
is said to be scarce there at that
AL kaufman. who is training to resk
Jim Barry before Jefrries' Los An
geles club on the night OF Decsmbeg 20.
[ injured his ankle while In training at
I enIce yesterday morning anu tuF
[ chances are that the mill win have Co
be poStDoned Kaufman wired his man
ager. Billy Delaney. in Oakland ana IA
veteran left for the south last right
II the bout is postponed, II win cBuBs
much gloom in the southern city. WneuI
the match was made some weeks 8gof
everybody took TO 1t. and the ehanaes
for an immense house looked good II
is understood that kaufman win ssf
for a postponement of a week or mor&.
and rather than call the match OF
Match Maker Baron Long probably um
! consent to this.