Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-27
SULLIVAN HERE
FOR ENGAGEMENT
John |. APPEARS WITH OLD
TIME OPPONENT
ANCIENT GLADIATOR AND JAKE
KILRAlN ON STAGE
Former Champion Is Heavy, but Looks
Good and Says There Is Fight IN
Him Yet-CaIls Graveyard
Cartoons Out of Place

Los Angeles, or that portion of 1t that
loves a fghting man, was taken py
storm Yesterday by John l.. sullivan,
the ancient gladiator who has shaken
off the grave clothes that ne was sup,
posed tn be wrapped in and has stalkeu
forth with the announcement that once
more he is ready to do battle LOT
money, marbles or chalk
The oid-tlme champion arrived in the
citv Yesterday afternoon, and as his
train was late, he was driven from the
train straight to the theater, and even
then he did not escape the attentlon OF
a hundred or so friends and those VINO
wished to claim acquaintance with the
man who in his time was the daduy OF
all the fighters.
John held a. reception yesterday even
ing between performances in his room
in the hotel. He received In shirt
sleeves while seated in a Morris chair.
John filled the chair and bulged over
some on the sides, and he looked en-
tirely comfortable To one entering the
room, the sight Of this mountain OF
man wedged into chair was some
thing awe-inspiring, but when the tele-
phone rang and John with mighty
upheavaI got to his feet and walked
across the room on the balls OF ms
feet with a springy step of q ballet
dancer, he looked the athlete that he
has been, and claims he can still be.
John is as straight as a sapling. His
back curves and his legs seem as
steady as iron pillars. The meat of
him looks good; his eye is clear and
snappy, his hands look hard and his
skin is as pink as that of a baby The
only thing that mars the picture of
the athlete is that portico he carries
in front of him. John has an extension
front like that of Dugdale.. and when
he bears down on one, full front, he
looks like a monster battleship coming
full speed head-on.
The extension front does not bother
John nearly as much as it does his
friends. A mere matter of fifty or
sixty-five pounds is as nothing to sui
Ivan, and to hear him talk he. would
train 1t all off in a few weeks and be
fit to fight for his life. $50 long as me
legs is good" says John. "the fat cuts
no Ice"
'This is a matter of business with
me. I am getting along, but am not
yet ready for the chloroform, and
have got to look out for the future.
Suppose I slip and break my bloody
arm or crack one of me pins, where
would be then? Fighting is my bust
ness. 1 am ready to fight Charley
Mitchell or any other man that comes
along IL they make 1t worth while.
am no spring chicken at this, game
and know what can do, and some of
the newspaper boys who are fond of
drawing pictures of me coming out OF
a graveyard and wearing whiskers p
foot long, will be surprised when / get
a chance to show what l can do.
"I have no quarrel with the news
paper boys. They have always treated
me fine Why? Because John L. was
always on the level with them. No
nonsense with John L., you know that.
81 have been good fellow all my
life, and used to listen to the fellows
who would tell me, That's all right,
John. you will never want for any
thing and all that sort of rot. drop
ped to that kind of talk when 1t was
too late, and now I know that 1t is
time for John L. to be doing something
for himself"
Sullivan and his sparring partner and
former ring opponent Jake Kilrain, will
be at the Empire theater in vaudeville
all this week.