Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-20

W Al 0tNuI~AAkUNeEs 1Ou KNOW 4 may ~
a bit Of a crank on some subjects. I've
never seen a horse race OF a professional
base ball match. They have no attractions
for me. I have an automobile in tho West
and enjoy speeding very much. JACK John
son called on ne the other day In his auto.
just to look me over, I suppose. lie wanted
to open a bottle OF wine for me and take
me out for a spin up the road, but 1 said
nix to both invitations. The black cham
pion is a hot sport with his thirty-pouhd
auto coat, 1 wish he'd put II up as part
Of the stakes when 1 meet him. 1 could
use It out on my Michigan farm as a crow
chaser.
I've received som big offers to fight
in England. France and Australia, but
America is good enough for me. 1 have
no desire TO visit foreign countries or
fight under any other flag but Uncle
Sans, In fact, ! don't care much for for
eigners and seldom have any dealings with
them. So I've turned down all their Of
fers. Tn q born American and will live
and die in my native country, which I con-
slider the creates fighting nation In the
world. We've turned out some famous
~pugilists and will continue to DO SO for
years to come. II any foreign pugillst
wants q crack at me he'll have to come to
America
Eats and Sleeps Wen.
Yes, I sleep Just as good as I eat In
fact I'm a great believer In sleep. Many
fighters have a habit OF staying up late.
But not for me, When in training I re-
tire at . o'clock and rise between Q and 7,
so you see I have q long nights rest I
can always sleep well in training. I'm not
a bit nervous or restless before a mill I
generally eat what I fancy. except pastry
and sweets. I have no regular diet, but
get away With plenty of fruit and vege-
tables, I don't know what Indigestion,
insomnia and a lot Of other ills mean. II
business and professional men would take
a little daily exercise in the open air they
would feel stronger and healthier"
After the coming mill with Papke Ketchel
will not be able to fight at the middle
weight limit again, as he is having a
hard time even now to get below 100 lie
Is the most sensational fighter Of modern
times, and considering the fact thai he
will not be % years old until September IA
1t would seem that he has a brilliant future
in the ring. Ketohel seldom takes a drink
of liquor, though he has visited the Great
White Way 20 sip the grape Juice once In
q while. He Is agreeable and q good
talker.
Young Corbett, who has been training
with Ketchel for some time, says the
Michigan Lion Is q wonderful fighter
Hes one of the most natural pugilists
I've over seen, and you know I've looked
at all of them in the last twelve years.
said the former featherweight champion
the other day. HE fights much after
the style of Terry MoGovern when the lat
ter was in his prime. He's a great worker,
both on the road and in the gym, and
classes with F-itzsimmons and Tommy
Ryan as middleweight champion. He's not
so clever as those former stars, but has
greater speed and q harder punch than
either of them"
Fights I'm the Open.
Many ring experts who have seen Ketchel
in action say that he has no defence; that
he fights too openly and that Johnson will
be able to land on him at will. This is
true to a certain extent, for Ketchel is
always too busy shooting punches to stop
anything that may come his way. He goes
at his man from the start and keeps
plugging away, no matter what may be the
outcome,
No young man Of his age, however, has
ever had such a remarkable ring record.
The average length of his fights is two
and a quarter rounds. He has only four
drawn battles in his record and two of
them were the result of unfair decisions.
He has the greatest record for knockouts
in the history of pugilisn, not barring
John L. Sullivan, Fltzsimnons, Tommy
Ryan, Kid Mccoy or any other pugilist,
Some ring experts think they can get
a good line on the Ketchel-Johnson mill
by comparing their ring records. Johnson
has fought draws with sucn men as Frank
Childs, Billy Stiff, Hank Griffin, Sandy
Ferguson, Joe Grim and Jim Jeffords.
Where would these men be with Ketchel
in a twenty-four-foot ring7
Ketchel doesn't fail for the flatterers.
He avoids the handshakers and does not
care to nave his picture AIKEN. He has
no fondness for the society of gamblers
and prefers a few chosen friends. He
stays away from the big hotels and SPORT
ing resorts and prefers his quiet training
quarters.
II don't care for all this foolish wine
and razzle dazzle business he says.
Some fighters fall for It, but what does
1t amount to in the end2 I claim that q
fighter to keep at the top of the heap must
lead a clean life. He must be in good trim
all the time. When a man grows slow and
stale he begins to fade away in any walk
of life" And this great young fighter
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