Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05
JEFFRIES URGED TO CETBUSY
Tim MoGrath, Veteran Trainer, Says
He's Taking Chances.
JOHNSON WILL BE HARD TO BEAT
scores Vaudeville stunts and Declares
the BOILER Maker Needs SIREN
nous WoFk-Other Expert
Views.

EhH ~ III Alle NbNAAA y y WIN W N'iaNN
that Jeffries is taking desperate chances
with Jack johnson. McGrath has seconded
and supervised the conditioning Of such
noted pugilists as Ike Weir, Frank Murphy,
Billy Murphy. Solly Smith, pal Hawkins,
Spider Kelly, Mysterious Billy Smith,
Young Mitchell, Danny Needham, Kid
Lavigne, George Dawson, Tom Tracey, Dan
Creedon, Joe wolcott, Battling Nelson, Tom
Sharkey and Johnson. When he consents
to discuss pugilism, therefore, McGrath Is
able to speak by the card.
Jeff is taking a pretty big chance when
he agrees to enter the ring with this big
negro after a life OF idlenoss for nearly
five years." said McGrath the other day.
you hear a lot Of fans saying that JEFF
Is only three years older than Johnson and
that the negro has been hitting the high
places a bit himself. That may be true,
but Johnson has been fighting right along.
Mind you, he beat a good man last month,
for Ketchel was highly regarded as a
fighter until the black put him away.
I'VE know that Johnson can fight right
now, but we don't know whether JEFF can
or not. It's like the fellow who drank
twenty mugs Of beer on a wager. He. tried
it first. 1 think it would be a good Idea,
therefore, If Jeff tried a few second-rate
fighters first.
Too Much vaudeville.
Il don't like the way Jim has been doing
his so-called training on the vaudeville
stage. II Jeff had hung a gun over his
shoulder and had gone off in the California
mountains hunting when the public first
asked him to return to the ring I'd have
had more confidence in him. Instead he
tackled this vaudeville game for the money
there was in &.
ttRuf tbara'g mara nnonay IN II for Jpf-
fries IL he whips johnson, for he'll never
die a paupe as long as white men live.
He had better forget about the footlights
right away quick and get back to the
simple life. No man can train on a
vaudeville diet. I've bucked that game
myself and 1 know. How can a man
train when he's facing the footlights all
the time, breathing the foul air of the
crowded theaters, sleeping in strange beds,
eating badly cooked food and catching
trains at ali hours of the night?
Jeff needn't think that he can blow
this negro over. He's got to have the
! good old punch. that keen eye and that
old speed. johnson isn't afraid OF him,
so get that out Of your head. The colored
man is the best front runner in the world.
II Johnson has the least bit of confidence
he's going to fight like a wild man, I
hAlONs 4 . Idlu-Ca AAIA anu L III AhdlA-
fled to talk. He will not have a faint
heart when he gets into the ring, because
he is convinced that the humble bee has
lost a lot of his sting.
Good Word for Berger.
''This fellow Berger makes me weary
with his vaudeville game. What does coin
amount 10 in a crisis like this? Berger
doesn't care for sentiment at ALL He's
| trVfOR IN prah off oil ha can for Iaff and
himself and then let the big fellow beat
himself just as old John L. Sullivan did
when Corbett beat him. Sullivan just ran
himself to death and Corbett didn't have
to hit him hard enough to score a knock
out. Johnson is just as clever as Corbett
and he's a much better fighter. Take
it from me that jeff will have his hands
full when the battle begins,
Had Jeffries and Johnson been matched
four years ago the sporting public would
not have regarded the light seriously.
Johnson would not have been looked upon
as a formidable antagonist and a com
paratively small purse would have been
offered for the mill. But under present
conditions 1t is safe to say that the men
seem to be very evenly matched, with
the negro having a look in.
> with Jeffries possibly going back and
bAAhGO eAAAA OhAAAAA5 a NAAAAH ~ - obch al
a even break with the negro having a chance
& to win on strength and stamina. II
admit that Jeff is improving in his con.
> dition steadily, but he will have to bt
0 at his best to win back the title. II
. Jeffries can stand the pace and can reach
the negro with his old time body blows
he'll win, but II johnson can stand hin
: off for twenty rounds I think the boiler.
: maker will gradually tire and the negro
: will finally put him away. In short JEFF
u will have to win inside Of twenty rounds
or not at all"
Other Experts in Line.
= McGrath is not the only expert in Cali
fcrnia who thinks Johnson has a chanc,
. to defeat the boilermaker. William ]
. Slattery OF San Francisco, who has fol
low ed pugilism for many years in various
capacities. has the following to say abou.
the fight:
IF Jeffries hopes to get back into hi
old form he should heed the advice Of hi
intimate friends on the coast by cutting
out his theatrical engagements and get
ting down 10 hard work. Jeff may no
realize Il, but he will be aking an awfu
chance II he overdoes the exhibition gam,
end neglects his training. II anything
beats Jeffries It viii be lack Of condition
or shortness Of wind, and as ever
athlete knows Jeff will not improve hi
form by playing one night stands all owe
the country for the greater part Of tn,
coming winter.
I'm his eagerness to gather in as mucl
I coin as possible Jeffries may overlook tn,
most important details OF his preparation
N for the mill. His advisers are constantly
telling him that he's as good as ever
= and can beat the coon in a few rounds.
jeff was always easily influenced. and III
N seems TO be under the old spell now.
but old timers know very well tina
Jeffries is not the man he was. II stand.
to reason that five years Of idleness mus
have had some effect on the big fellow
" constitution. No fighter every stayed on
OF the ring as long as Jeff and then cam
back with the form he used TO display. r.
q johnson, though nearly as old as tn
Re boilermaker, has been fighting steadily. H
is coming. while Jeff appears to be COINS
ar Here lies the difference: Johnson has bee
re improving with every contest. We neve
Id saw him display so mu9h class as In tn
mill with Ketchel. Taking this for granted
Sc Johnson figures TO be just so much bette
n when he faces Jeffries, and don't forge
- that fha neuro can eef into hts hast eou