Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
BIG PRIZE FIGHT
HAS GOT BAD START
Nav Result in Good Ending,
But "Secret Conference"
Jared.
By Bill Blunt.
cia1 Corre,nondence OF The Star


NEW YORK, December %. 1909.
While it. is true the date Of the pro-
posed Jeffries-Johnson match is six
months off, it scarcely can be said the
sporting public has warmed up to it to
any remarkable extent. Or, perhaps.
better way to express it would be to
say it hasn't created the furore in
sportdom folks thought it would. There
has seemed to be lacking that magnetic
something that attracted public attention
to certain other championship bouts,
Corbett and Sullivan. Jeffries and Fitz-
simmons. for instance. 1t must be said
the match got of to very bad start.
This brings to mind the old saw about
a poor beginning sometimes resulting In
a corking finish. but there is cold COM
fort in that. desultory grunt or two
could be heard coming from the pubic
ever since the final conference between
fighters and promoters was held in that
quaint old Jersey town It was Ine
secret conference that started the ball
of discomfort rolling. 1t gave the rams
something to snarl and haggle over, and
they took advantage OF 1t. In the hgnt
of past and present events. FEW would
care to characterize this conference a
.tactful move on the part of the pro-
motors AS for the fighters, 1t couidnt
make a great difference to them either
way. because they were sure of theirs"
whether howl went up or not.
X X X =
A plea that there was some private
business to talk over In which the public
could take no possible interest would
have no weight in this instance In this
match, one in which the public has been
on edge for nearly year, the rams tnInA
there should be no private business.
avvnr
came off, and rightly so. Have they not
waited spelbound month after month
to learn whether or not Jenries WOuio
come out of retirement ana endeavor
to bring back the championship to the
white race? He was their one hope, ana
they pinned their faith on him. when
he said he would fight, naturally. they
wanted to know all there was TO know:
It Is a good guess that If the thing had
to be done over there would be no
secret conference" Everything would
he done in open meeting. Nobody
imagines there was anything OF snady
character arranged at that conference,
because no fighters career has been more
free from faint than Jeff's. It has been
like an open book. He has Won every
time he could and that means every time
he has started, with the exception OF Q
couple of draws He is one man IN whom
the public has unbounded falth ana ne
will likely prove the saver for the AFFAIR
sill. the conference was an unwise
move.
: X +
Another point that must not be over
looked-the Hoboken meeting has given
the press a chance to take crack at the
fight, and many papers .hroushU ,rh;s ne Is
srch an important battle that from time
to time practically every Engilsn news
naper in the United States VIII PRINT pre-
liminary stories about the cohtes,. .A.u
yr-ill
hoxlng scribes. All manners OF WRITER'S
will try their hands at turning out nsnl
dope, and what is more natu!al " ~
nose than that the embryonic jour
when given q chance, to write ABOUT
subject with which they are not the ieast
hi familiar, will begin to mint AZ oAIh
and sinister things. They nave ne sn
Iohnson.s trustworthiness IN battle ques,
toned many times that ne mas that snr+ Of
thing. Whether he has or not Will make
little difference; they have read ~ TOT
Years. and they will believe 1t. Iney
viii not let anybody put anythinr over ..
them. you bet. They'll just write what what
thew think, and they'll show the pubic
and their bosses they are not such green
horns when it comes to this prize ngnL,
ing pastime. Fine business! They wiz
not figure that Jeffries has been as non
o eu. as time, and they are liable to
take a slam at things when 1t VIII nurt
the most. Every knock VIII nurt ana
keep few dollars away from the u1oi
That is the stuff that will sting. With
nurse of SlOl 600 staring them In the race.
to say nothing Of the hundred ana one one
other expenses, including an arena; the
promoters VIII need every dollar at the
door they can get.
Talk like that made by your Uncle Tom
McCarey, in which he says he could tell
things il he chose is not going to help a
little bit. He hints that there was some
thing very large doing. He Is in Caaifor,
MIA. and that Is likely where the bout VIII
take place. Being we'll known on the
coast. they will pay some attention to his
conversation. Whether he refralns from
saying anything more in the future or
net he has spoken already He has
made the big oratorical noise, ana the
needle is in. He has put weapon in
the hands of any and all who may care
to take q rap at the large fight. And
there are bound to be some. Another
thing that isn't going to help Things
along is the squabble between Gleason
and Richard as to the scene of the battle |
ground. The. public isn't interested in
their private chickering's, and one would !
think two really smart fellows like they |
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