The Washington times., 1908-08-09
mot Even Fit to Train,
Much Less to
Fight.
WORK FOR NELSON
REALLY PITIFUL
Had No Appetite and Couldn't
Keep Up on Road-Knows
He Is a Goner.

NEW YORK. Aug. s-The sports OF
San Francisco think there is Just one
more big purse IN poor. old Joe Cans.
so they have matched him with Bat
ting Nelson for the third and, no doubt,
the last time.
Joe himself. who realizes better than
any one else how much eleverer than
Nelson he IS, probably believes that
his Open-atr lie at Hardin Springs.
which has brought his weight up to
IL pounds. VIII give him the stamina
to beat Nelson.
anyway, despite the stories CT great
wealth and his big hotel in Baltimore,
Cans is practically broke. He took the
Unholz fight because he needed the
money badly and after that contest
he travelled 10 Chicago TO get on Packy
Mcfarland because be needed more
money. The horses have got his for
tune-if he ever had much above the
Baltimore hotei-and the bookmakers
have probably spent most OF what ne
received in the fight with Nelson.
Training Camp Secrets.
Joe is now marched for forty-five
rounds with Nelson for September 8.
The loser Is 70 have 20 per cent Of the
20 Dor cent. That viii likely be Joe's
enc. How useless IL will be for Cans
10 Try to recover the lightweight title
from Nelson may bs understood when
some OF the secrets OF his training camp
when he Was working Tor the last nghL
are told. Since the contest several men
who were in the camp and Who saw the
great fighters daily work have come
back TO the East.
So far from being AZ for forty-five-
round battle with such q vigorous speci-
men az Nelson. they say, he was not
even At to train for such ngnt- he
couldn't stand road work, his stomach
was bad. and he drank q couple or
pints of beer every day to keep up his
waning strength. One day he went out
on the road with Jimmy Gardner, Of
Lowell. and Jimmy Walsh, OF Boston
who were also at work at shannon 3,
and he tried with them 20 do eleven
miles. They had not gone far before
the champion broke down. with severe
pain IN the side. He couldn't go step
farther. Walsh and Gardner sent him
back TO camp In an express wagon
Stomach All Gone.
His stomach was so bad that his Ape
lite was affected. He couldn't eat
enough TO 20 through the hard training
stunts. Time and again he sat down
before the WeIi-COOked food on the table
at shannons with a sirlion steak In
front of him Cutting out the tenderiOin
he chewed It for time, and then
throwing his napkin over the big piece
OF meat left on his plate, tried 10 nlde
from the others TING fact he couldn' [
eat Sometimes his dinner consisted
chiefly OF the beer he drank.
His favoTite stunt was 20 lie on the
rubbing board while his assistants mas
saged him. He spent more than two
hours each day, and turned over and
over as his muscles were pulled and
hauled and rubbed. Il was the only
part or the training that he liked. he
enjoyed fl like an old man VINO was
worn and weary.
Knows He's Drying Up.
since Cans has noticed that he was
drying up he has appeared In the ring
in loose running pants that reached
down to his knees and hid his shrunken
thighs Though the muscles about his
arms. shoulders, and back show no
signs OF decay, the legs are the legs Of
an old man. OF course he has been
drying up for long time. and he has
How, then. did he beat Unholz so
easily? Tommy Murphy gave the an
sver to that recently in Boston What
chance has UnhOlz before a good boxer
with a fair punch2
While the negotiations for the Nelson
fight we're ON Joe said several times he
would never again engage in a long
battle. He knew he could not go the