Evening star., 1909-04-25
COASTS MANY
ALL-STAR BOUTS
San Francisco Promoter Signs
Up the Best to Battle for
championships.

California has booked about all the
real championship and near-champion-
ship fights on the calendar for the next
eight months. First in Importance is the
one between Champion Jack Johnson and
Stanley ketchell, to take place October
II.
Next in Importance. and more promi-
nent in the public mind is the go for
the championship between Battling Mel
son and Packey Mcfarland. 10 come off
July !. the nations holiday falling upon
Sunday this year. Another championships
battle is the one between Johnny Coulon
and Monte Atteil for the bsntamweisht.
championship. which Is set for June 10.
near-championslip so will take place
between Hugo Kelly and Billy Papke
May 1J, and the winner may fight ketch-
ell for the middleweisht championship.
Not satisfied with all this array of tall
ent, Coffroth has matched Nelson and
Fighting Dick Hyland for forty-five-
round go. to take place MAY IS. and he
has gone farther and booked Abe Attell
and Jem Driscol for long-distance bout
10 come off on Thanksgiving day. Tne
late date is set because Driscoll Will re-
main in England until late in the fall.
Nothing Doing for Langford.
Every one of the topnotchers is about
TO get chance except Laneford. No
body wants anything to do with "Po' OF
SAM It's fortunate for a lot OF the
others that Sammy was born black, as
this gives them chance TO draw the
color line. Otherwise the black demon
might jump into a championship title
himself.
The matches for California have all been
booked by James w. Coffroth. who will
pull them all off in his Mission street
arena. James calls it the Sunshine Club
He gives 1t this name because the nights
all take place al fresco. and the sun does
shine some around Frisco when the fogs
are not too heavy. Coffroth's fight club
has always been referred to as being To-
Gated at Colma, Cal, ever since the mem
orable BrittNelson fight September .,
1905 The new arena. however. is some
miles closer to San Francisco than that
twenty feet over the San Francisco coun-
ty line. 1t is located in the adjoining
county OF San Mateo. but the San Fran
cisco city street cars run right past the
doors Of the Sunshine Club.
How Place Has Grown.
In 1908 Coffroth got in bad with the su-
peryisors, most of whom are now under
indictment on bribery charges. James was
not to be denied. however. and he never
quit trying. In San Mateo county they bid
him welcome. There Coffroth could pull
off orty-tlve-round bouts or ninety-nine-
round bouts if he wanted to. and so ever
since he started there he has been getting
the cream of the business.
The real secret of Coffroth's success
can be told in few words. The pro-
molten of fights has been his chief bus-
ness for years. Everything else has been
secondary with him. Other promoters
have made the promotion game second
TO some other line Of business Because
he has given his time and attention to
hes, 1A nf
AT the present time 1t looks if Coff-
roth had the fight game pretty well sewed
up In California, and the other promoters
will have to be content with minor bouts
in comparison with the ones the king bee
is putting on.
Twenty Rounds for Champion.
There is one thing about his big show
that Coffroth cannot understand and
neither can any one else. That is the
position taken by Jack Johnson in his
match with KetchelI. The black cham
pion absolutely refused to sign up for
more than twenty rounds. Coffroth and
Britt both argued that IL the men went
into the ring for forty-five rounds il
would mean several thousand dollars
more in the way of gate receipts. All
arguments failed to bulge the black.
The question now uppermost In the
minds Of the fans in connection with this
match is whether Johnson is not bit
shy Of the, hard-hitting middleweight
champion. The black will have to show
much better fight than he put up with
Tommy Burns II he gets away with this
fellow in the rtwenty-round limit. Coff-
roth is OF the opinion that johnson can
beat KetcheH but il he wanted to back
his opinion with hard cash he could find
plenty OF takers.
Nelson and Mcfarland Bout.
Every body is glad that Nelson and Nc
Farland finally have signed articles for
their lons-discussed bout. 1t was get
ting 10 be mighty tiresome talk these two
were handing back and forth. Packey
was holding out on the weight question.
and il was but natural that the cham
pion should want to so in at the cham
pionship weight. Bat finally agreed to al
low Packey to weigh in at 133 pounds at
8 o'clock in the morning, and so the
fight is now on
All indications are that Nelson will be
the favorite with the fans from a bet
ting standpoint. II Packey is strong at
the weight, and he declares he will be,
he should give the game a hard battle
for the crown. 1t will be fight worth
going all the way across the continent
10 look at. and. both being strong. it is
more than likely 1t will go good num-
Der OF rounds before the finishing punch
is seen.
The selection of Malachy Hogan as
referee was made without Quibbie. and
probably pleases everybody except the
natve-son referees, who will not take
kindly to seeing an invader occupying the
coveted position.
Cyclone Johnny Thompson and his man
ager, Barney Lichtenstein, are two per-
sons who are sore over the Mcfarland
Nelson match. Thompson had hoped for
the July date with the Battler himself
but now will have to take back seat
However. Cohroth has promised him a go
with the winner. and he SAYS he will
make the best of it and wait for his
chance.
Only One Crew at Cornell.
ITHACA, April 24.-For the first time
a. hut