Evening journal., 1909-03-31
Observation-Disclosures

Z
name OF Jeffries is alphabetically
ahead Of the second letter In tho name
Of Johnson. Had the reverse been the
case, we should have reversed the cap
ton. We are not prejudiced i'm favor
Of James J. Jeffries because he is a
Caucasion-with a white skin. Nor
are we preiudiced against Jack John
son because he is an African-with "a
skin as dark as Erebus. A mans color.
like his birth, Is the merest accident,
one which ought not TO weigh either for
or against him.
Were we so tall to reach the pole,
Or grasp the ocean with a span.
The minds the standard Of the man.
Let US cast aside all this fool
ish prejudice concerning the color Of
mans skin. all this idiotic drawing
OF the color line
When Adam delved, and Eve span,
Pray who was then the gentleman?
II man makes good" in his partic-
ular walk Of life--it Is immaterial
whether the walk leads to a church
pulpit OF to tho roped arena of 16-
foot prize ring--it is n matter OF no
moment whether the mans skin is as
yellow as the rind OF a lemon, or as
white as tho garments of the blcst. So
picayune consideration as color is
altogether immaterial.
Although it is problematical whether
Jenries and Johnson viii eventually
meet TO fight for the heavy weight
championship Of the world. it comes
within the realm of that which is pos
slble that these two great puglists
Will sooner or later. come together
no rfn I.t l..
record of these two men is as clear
as a whistle. Like that other grand old
retired gladiator-the universally re-
spccted John l.. Sulliyan--Jenries
never lent himself TO "frame-up," he
never laid down to any man. Al
ways a clean. square and manly fight
or. the pugilistic cscutcheon of JEFF
fries is without blemish. The same
can be said of Johnson. although his
fighting career Is neither as varied nor
as conspicuous as that OF Jeffries.
johnson, who is in the twenties, is in
the flush, the very prime. of his fight
Ing life. The same cannot be said Of
Jeffries, who IS several years the SEN
ior Of Johnson. In the pugilistic world
youth tells, it is an all important fac
tor. There have been instances when
great pugilist has covered himself
with glory after he has passed the
fighting age-Tom Sayers was n nota-
bic example. But such cases are very
rare they are the exceptions which
prove the rule. The mooted or all-im-
portant question is-can Jcffries come
back. can he pull back yesterday, can
he recover his former pristine strength
and alertness? That he possesses all
his old-time knowledge of the manly
art OF self-defense must not be doubt
ed. Although Jeffries today carries a
quantity Of superfluous weight, which /
avoirdupois must be materially reduc- !
ed before he can hope to have win
ming chance with Johnson, there is no
doubt that Jeffries still knows all the
tricks of the trade. all the smooth or
finer points Of the game. A pugilist
never loses this knowledge, even when
the time arrives when he is no lon
ger able TO put that knowledge into
execution. II Jeffries, assuming that
he eventually meets Johnson, is then
the same Jeffries of five or six years
ago. his chances of defeating johnson
would be Of a roseate hue.
Concerning the leviathan johnson,
who is the recognized heavy weight
champion Of the world, il may be stat
ed that that he is somewhat OF an
unknown quantity. notwithstanding the
fact that he knocked out Burns. in
Australia, with ridiculous case. But.
then. when johnson gave Burns his
quietus, he (Johnson) didn't knock out
much. Burns was never a pugilist of
more than third rate calibre, a tighter
who knocked a few old English and
Australian lame ducks" off their pins.
Although the chances are that John
son will never prove 10 be anything
like so great a fighter as was the
late Peter Jackson. he (Johnson) Is a
more or less puissant slugger. one who
possesses strong. II not phenomenal
punch. Tie is also as quick as light
ming, ring general, and one who is
well Nersed in the thousand and one
subtleties OF his particular profession.
II. between now and the possible meet
ing Of these two giants Of the prize
ring. johnson improves In a greater
ratio than Jeffries regains his lost
ground, then the odds would be that
the present colored champion would
win. However. all human calculation
Is out OF the question, seeing that the
result would entirely depend upon
whether the one or the other materially
progressed or materially retrograded
But with youth on his side. counled
with the popular belief that he is a
pugilist OF consummate ability and
strong defense, it is very probable that
In fight 10 the finish. the balance
would turn i'm favor OF johnson. How
ever all this may be- championshfn
fight between Jeffries and johnson
would be a great contest. one worth
going miles to see. II would rank seq
ond only TO the two great fights he
tween Tom Saycrs and John G. Hee-
nan, In England. and John L. sullivan
and Jake kilrain. az Richburg. Miss
in 1889, for $4,000 a side and the belt
when Sullivan knocked out the bravo
and intrepid Kilrain IN the seventy
1 hfth round-they fought until their
eyelids did no longer wag.r II must no
remembered that the two lust cited
contests were bare lSnucklc fights
thus eclipsing, in courage. endurance.
staying power and importance. ali later
or modern. drawing room-liko glove
championship contests. The Savers
Heenan. Sullivan Kilrain battles rem
resented good. thorough. earnest and
great fighting. These great puSiiists
saw no fear-they possessed hearts OF
oak and nerves Of steel I'm the old
days of the prize ring both the victor
and the vanquished went through
great tribulation. as the result Of a
brhising and hard fought fight When
Jem Mace fought Tom King, with bare
knuckles. for a paltry sum OF money
Gin those days they were after honor.
not money!, the fight lasted from carly