The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-05
TELLS OF
JEFFRIES' WAYS
Manager Says Boiler Maker
Has Heart and Nature
of a Child.
JEFF LIKES SIMPLE LIFE
WILL FIGHT, HOWEVER, AND
THEN LOOK OUT.
BY SAN BERGER.


The close association that I have main
tanned with the worlds champion for the
past eight months has given me a keen
insight into his character and many side
lights on his nature that are unknown to
the general public. Beginning / viii say
that JEFF is not only fighter IN a mill
lion, but a man among men"
His character presents an interesting
study and is one you would hardly eX-
pect to find in the generally accepted
idea Of a professional boxer. Can you
imagine this big, Herculean pTOpOruOned
man who has fought his way to the
championship and maintained it for ten
years in q manner that is unquestiOned,
possessing the heart and nature of
Many Of the incidents that have oc-
cured in my association with him have
implanted in me q respect for his char
acter, and affection for his nature. Mod
est TO the extreme. COnsIderate and UNI
selfish-these traits are not common
among the ordinary men, but when you
ind them in man who has made his
suppOSer to possess nothing but brute
strength, 1t is dOUbly remarkable. The
supposed TO possess nothing but brute
and II Is the broad way ne does little
things that impressed me. Many a time
during our twenty weeks i'm vaudeville
when l would come into the dressing
room bit tagged from our three-r0und
bout, which was only a small part of our
n.
Never mind me, take Sans clothes off
and rub him down. III wait. He's tired"
Inls IS only one of the innumerable Incl
dents which engendered in me a great
artection for the big fellow. MOdesty he
possesses in a degree which usually marks
the possession of merit. I have known
him TO walk seven blocks out of his way
in order TO avoid street crowds for fear
he might be recognized.
Likes His Home.
His home life is a pretty thing to note.
His affection for his wife and the happy
relationship that exists between them is
dHolAef Jnlng tnat pOrtrayS the character
Of the man. jeff lives for his wife and to
her Big JIM is all she asks of what
the world has to offer. AS he often con
Lded TO me, Give me my wife, a rcd.
gun and few acres of land and T will
let you take all these bright lights" He
Is apparently not emotional, but 7 know
or no man who is more quickly affected
by the mlsGortunes OF friend than he is.
MS kndly spirit possesses him even i'm
the ring, I do not believe that ever in
mis- ring career he attempted to hit
man as hard as it is possible for him to
Stubbornness is another one of his
traits, and the keeping of his word De
holds as his strongest stock in trade
The above eul0gy is prompted by q
sincere appreciation Of the man and an
lnumate knowledge of his character
Now, as to the question as to whether
Jeffries can re-enter the ring and re
tain his title as champion of the world.
IL is strange, but, nevertheless, true
ract that the public is more inclined
to believe q man cannot do a thing than
to admit he can. Every man who ever
accomplished anything worthy Of men
ton was met by many obstacles. due
TO the 1acT that the people would not
believe in his ability. For this reason
the belief has gained ground that JET
fries can never get in condition. What
arguments are used? The idea started.
probably, by one or two men who may
have seen JEFF a little overweight.
most natural condition for an athlete
who is inactive Probably they discovered
him indulglng in glass Of wine or
beer But "RumOr,' the mischiefmaker
who is responsible for many a run on
bank and other calamities, gains
strength by repetition, and by the time
the tenth man has heard it the story is
told that jeff weighs 400 pounds and is
hard So much for the way
Impressions gain ground, and now for
the truth and what the public never
stops to figure What has jeff ever
done to waste the most magnificent
physique an athlete ever possessed2
The answer is, nothing but inactivity
True, he has not trained for nor en-
gagged in fight for over four years.
He retired only because, like the an
cient gladiator, there was no one left
to conquer. Yes, he probably INDUCED
himself a bit, but 7 will venture to say
that during his four years Of retire
ment he lived a cleaner, more whole
some existence under the influence OF
his home life than boxer usually ez-
periences when engaged in theatrical
work on the road. On the other hand,
Il IS generally known that Jim is a
lover of nature, and it was no uncOm-
mon thing TO him to take his fishing
rod and gun and be off for a couple
of weeks I'm the mountains This is his
idea of life, and had he been left TO
fUrIlnHfTODE
now be on his ranch, where the noise
Of percentages and pTize-fight stakes
would be conspicuous by their absence
IN reference to my idea Of him ply