The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-22
SAYS JOHNSON
SIOESTEPPEO
Thompson Has 1t That Jeff and
Not Jack Was at" at Hide
and Seek.
BERGER IS A KNOWING ONE
NEWS OF OTHER PUGs GIVEN BY
EASTERN WRITER.
BY LEFF THOMPSON

New York, Aug. 21.-At last there is a
glimmer of hope that we shall yet see
James J. Jeffries and Jack johnson in
the ring, If only for a few minutes. Jack
Johnson met Sam Berger, manager of the
retired champion, in Chicago, and a pre-
liminary agreement was drawn up and a
permanent stakeholder selected. But Mr.
Sam Berger had to use his wits to &C
complish what he did. 1t will be remem-
bered that Mr.. johnson, while in Detroit
loudly proclaimed that Jeffries must meet
him before he sailed for Europe and come
to some agreement, or say that he was
blufting. Just then Mr.. Johnson had a
vaudeville engagement in Toronto, and
needed the advertising very badly. Mr..
Johnson knew that Jeff was booked to
sail for Europe on Sept. 5, and that he
(Johnson) would be in New York on the
same date. But bless your heart, what
did I tell you last week? You couldn't
have induced the big negro to come within
hundred miles of JeIfrieS for any
amount of money. The day that Jeffries
sailed johnson was trying to explain to
a Canadian magistrate that he didn't
mean to run into an automobile with his
own car, but the magistrate had his own
idea of what Mr.. Johnson meant and re-
manded the negro to a Canadian lookup
until he could furnish bail which was
later in the day put up so that the negrO's
vaudeville engagement would not be in
terfered with.
According to all reports, Mr. Johnson
ultl tlDl 5El d very CDIuAdl IctEl tOll III lllg
Canadian metropolis, and TOrOntO's music
hall managers will be a little wary in the
future about booking the big black, un-
less he should whip Jeffries-Which he
viii never do.
But about the b. -er-Johnson meeting.
Berger heard that Johnson intended leav-
ing for San Franc scO on Aug II, and
wired a sporting man in Chicago asking
if Jack would not POSTPONE his coast trip
for tWenty-four hours until he (Berger)
could get TO Chicago. Hours elapsed and
no reply, and Sam went 10 bed. About 4
o'clock on the morning of Aug. 10 Sam
was awakened by a bellbOy of the Al
bany hotel, who handed him a message
which said that Johnson would not post
pOne his trip, Sam sat down on the bed
and thought And then he thought again.
Then he called a messenger and sent a
message which said that he could not
possibly reach Chicago before THURSDAY,
Aug. Z. Did Sam return 10 bedT Not
on your Samuel He dressed, went down
to the hotel office, and instructed the
clerk to inform all callers that he was i'll
and unable to see anyone. Then Samuel
hurried TO a ticket office, got his trans
portatiOn and boarded Twentieth Cen
fury Flyer for Chicago. Mr.. Johnson was
seated in the most comfortable chair IN
the lobby of his hotel in Chicago when
bellbOy handed him a card, which read:
Samuel Berger, New York, representing
James J. Jeffries, champion heavyweight
pUgilist Of the world" Mr.. Johnson had
been fairly caught. There was no es-
cape. After hours Of haggling, tenta-
tive agreement was drawn up which must
be ratified by the principals within sixty
days, the fight to take place within six
months after signing OF the final papers
Friends of Jeffries are wondering what
excuse Johnson will invent for his failure
to meet Jeffries on the latter s return
from Europe four weeks hence.
1t is possible that Stanley Ketchel and
Sam Langford will not meet at the Fair
ont 1aF Trrh NJ r.
9, as has been arranged. Word comes
from the coast that James J. COffrOth. the
San Francisco promoter, is endeavOrlng
to have the match called off, as ne be
lieves that Ketchel and Papke in forty
five-round bout on Labor day, at COlIna.
Will draw an immense crowd, which would
give the fighters ten times as much purse
money as they could possibly get in New
York with Lanstord as an opponent IoI
the Montana whirlwind. ketchel has not
left the coast yet, and the outlook is
that New Workers viii be forced 20 so
TO the coast if they want to see hetChel
fight within the next six months.
johnson has announced his intention OF
going to the coast at once TO get into
shape for his battle with hetchel, which
is scheduled for October, but no one seems
to know where Ketchel is. Even his man
ager, Willus Britt, claims to have no
knowledge of KetcheTs whereabouts, al
though when Ketchel left San Francisco
he announced that he was gong mp IN
the mountains for a few weeks. Well in
formed fight fans on the coast say that
KetcFel has gone into secret training In
the mountains, far away from tcmpta-
ton, and that when he emerges from his
retreat viii be in fine fettle, ready to
take on any and all Corners
Another match COffroth has in view is a
bout between Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
and Al Kaufman. O'Brien beat Kauf-
man in twenty rOunrs a couple Of years
ago. O'Brien Is willing TO go, but Al, /
remembering his former experience with /
the tricky Philadelphia, insists on TWEEN /
ty-five rounds.
If this be the only bone of contention
between the pair, it should not be hard
to arrange the match.
Tom McCarey,. the Los Angeles pro- |
moter, is to make a bid fer the Jeffries- !
Johnson fight. Tom says he viii make |
hummer that no one else will stand |
show. Wen see about that later, Tom |
Reports from the coast say that Monte |
Attell is totally blind in his left eye. If /
he is ne can certainly put up great |
fight with one eye, as witness his de- |
feat of Jimmy Regan, his Old-time rival /
IN San Francisco recently. Owen Moran /
put MOntes left eve on the blink in their |
battle at Philadelphia a few years back, /
and it has given him much trouble ever /
since.
Exit Young Corbett as a knight Of the /
gloved mitt. The pudgy one decided after |
ais fight with Johnny FTayne in Frisco 4
a few weeks ago that there was no money
IN the game. Corbett received the mag 1
lificent sum of $50 for taking a good /
stiff beating from the Frayne person, |
which establishes a new low record for \
oser's end of a purse IN the city by the |
Golden Gate. Leach Cross received |
1850 for letting Hyland whip him but |
S chuckling that he is $50 above Cor
belts latest cash-in.
Young CoTbett viii remain on the coast.
He has established a road house, which /
ne calls The Bungalow on the ocean
beach, only half an hours ride from the
'enter of San Francisco, and has installed I
lis brother Jimmy as manager.
Young COrbett is popular wherever he
5Oes, and there IS no doubt that he can
make a success of his venture. if he de-
'ides there is nothing in the gay life
Jack Johnson ought to be able to write
! book entitled our Jails. as I Have
Found Them"
Dr.. SHORT TO TALK TO
BIKE RIDERS TONIGHT