Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-18
FIGHT FANS ARE
WATCHING PAPKE
MUCH INTEREST IN REPORT OF
HIS IMPROVEMENT
KEWANEE BLONDE WILL START
TRAINING TODAY
Billy Is Due on Ground This After
noon and KetcheI Should Arrive
Tonight-San Franciscans
Are on Tlp-toe
By A. E. DUNNING

San Francisco has taken to Billy
Papke and the big, good-natured
brother manager, Ed Papke, as though
they were charter members of the Or
der of the natives of the soil OF the
Golden state, and from reports that
have leaked through concerning the
talk about the former possessor or the
middleweight title, 1t seems that the
Bavsiders have acquired sudden and
vital interest in the preparations OF the
Kewanee blonde for his coming mill
with Stanley Ketchel. That Billy is
given more of a chance with the title
holder in the twenty round meeting
which will be staged in the lowering
hours of the afternoon of July has
proved apparent from the expressions
of those who are considered represent
tative of the San Francisco fight pub
lie.
out at the Seal Rock house, where
the pompadour fighter and his broad
shouldered and big-hearted brother
will be domiciled, the camp is hum
ming with preparations in expectation
of the arrival today of Papke from the
south. Papke will start in on long
and serious schedule Immediately after
his arrival, and word comes from his
manager that the Illinois pride is in
Grand shape for hard grinding prelim-
mary efforts. Billy is a boy who takes
to his work with the light-heartedneSs
and ease of a schoolboy who is enter
ing the first days of spring vacation.
Feeling better than ever in his life,
Papke is Just the confident, merry chap
who woE friends at every step of the
way while preparing for his battle
with Stanley which resulted in a
Knockout of the Michigander, the first
ever scored on the middleweight won
der In the fresh sea breeze and the
keen, bracing coast air Billy will
thrive.
Ketchel and Britt are due to arrive
in san Francisco today, and at once
will confer with Papke concerning the
settlement of the question of the side
bet. In the articles first sent to Papke
with the signatures OF Cotfroth and
Ketchel il was stated that a $4,000 side
affair at evens was acceptable. But
Ed Papke drew a line through this
clause, and stated that the bet, if
made, must be at ringside odds, when
of course Billy will be on the short
end. Aside from this question every
thing is settled, and Ketchel and Papke
will proceed with their training for the
go. Ketchel will work at Millett's at
Colma, and because Of the long alb
sence of the champion the northern
OA'
the conuueror of O'Brien to see what
new tricks Stanley has learned from
the shifty Philadelphia.
Ed Papl1e is not the least disturbed
over the way Ketchel knocked out
O'Brien.
a see" said Ed that Ketchel says
he will knock Billy out in two rounds.
That's the merest rot. Why, he did not
even really knock Billy out in eleven
rounds when Billy was very sick and
in no condition for a scrap. Billy will
be in great shape when he meets
Ketchel. The fact is he is already in
fine shape. The beach down at Venice
has put him on edge and it will be a
different Papke that meets Ketchel
this time. The Michigander will be
pretty lucky if he isn't knocked out
in two rounds himself.
AZ am glad that Ketchel feels so
confident, for when Billy wallops him
he will have no excuses to offer on the
score of condition"
Ed will remain in the city to await
the arrival of his brother and will get
things in shape for the fighters ar
rival
Papke weighs 165 pounds now and
can easily scale down to 1853, the re-
quired weight at which he will have
to fight Ketchel.
Matchmaker Hancock of the Pacific
Athletic club in all probability will go
north to be present at ringside when
the middleweights clash in order to get
q line on the working condition of both
men with a view to possible future
matches.
Manager McCarey of the Pacific Ath-
letic club received word yesterday from
Tom Jones, manager of AID Wolgast,
that the pair will leave Philadelphia to-
morrow night, and therefore it is ex-
pected that the Milwaukee man will be
on hand by June 20 to enter training
for the battle with Nelson carded by
the Pacific Athletic club for July 10.
The message received from Jones say
Ing that they would leave Saturday
night caused some confusion among the
local sporting men. but it is believed
that Jones intended to convey the i'm
preston that they would leave imme-
diate1V after tbe fight with Tommy