The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-12-17
JACK JOHNSON'S
EARLY CAREER


cream off his pugilistie milk, and it
wasn't such rich milk to begin with.
Coming down TO cases, Jack Johnson
was never a big money getter. The
men who might have drawn bis money
men who mig1th ave drawn big money
with him would not fight the Negro,
and the men who were willing to bat
tie with hams like Sandy Ferguson,
who would fight a grizzly bear for
$40, split 80 and so.
With the fight clubs of the Pacific
Coast sealed UP against him, poor old
Johnson saw that he had to fight
for a living. He went back to fighting
for a meal ticket, and Philadelphia,
the meal-ticket town, wa the point
of his attack.
awful rotten fight town." said John
Arthur meditatively. First night l
was there I went to a fight. Stood
near the box office. Along came a hot
sport. Laid down Is cents in pennies.
Said to the man, Give me a good seat
An l be doggoned if he don't give it
to him! That was certainly awfully
funny to me, comm from a place
where a man couldn't git his nose in
the door for less'n a silvah dollar!'
But this was the sort of a game that
Jack Johnson was up against and he
played it off the boards. Instead of
getting $1,000 for his end he got q
small wad of Kansas City currency
when the show was over. 1t Was
cents, where it used to be dollars.
Very we'll, thought Mr.. Johnson.
there's one way to beat this game
and that is to fight often enough. SO
he got very busy.
On April Is Johnson fought a large
lump of Rocquefort, who called him
self Jim Jeffords, and probably got a
little cheap notoriety in the bush cir
Jim Jeffries." The resemblance
ended with the name, however. John
son followed his usual custom; he
fought a good fight first, for he was
anxious to make himself a drawing
card in Philadelphia. He rocked Mr..
Jeffords to sleep in four rounds, and
should have done the trick in one.
Eight days afterward, when the
money had given out, Johnson had an
other battle, this time with Black
Bill, who was all that and then some.
Black Bill did not last the limit, and
again Johnson's stock went kiting.
He was beginning to be known in
PHILADELPHIA.
Because he had whipped two men
inside the Philadelphia limit he vas
regarded as a bear and had to meet
two men the next time out, and this
time he split the performance. He
knocked out the first man in three
rounds, but the second n happened
to be a large coon named Joe Jeanette,
whom Johnson was fated to know bet.
ter later on, and Joe stayed. Joe
was due to become John Arthur's
meal ticket and John Arthur was
destined to become Joe's meal ticket.
Whenever Johnson could not find a
man who was willing to fight him
he picked up Joe jeanette and fought
Joe a limited round contest.
Johnson was very economical. He
didn't waste Joe. A thoughtless wal
loper would have torn Joe's head off
some night in a fit of temporary for
getfulness, but Johnson kept his wits
about him. jeanette wa just like so
many pork chops to Johnson. Once
johnson fouled Joe and thus lost a
decision, but in the main he handled
the big mulatto with much considera-
ton. If you punch a meal ticket full
of holes the time comes when it will
buy you nothing. This double bill
came off six days after the Black Bill
massacre.
Then johnson rested and ate pork
chops and asked managers how about
it?
In July he had another chance at a
double bill, and this time he drew
in against as smoky a brace OF
blackbirds as might we'll be imagined
One of them was Morris Harris, who
is still pesticating around the East
and the other was his old pal, Black
Bill, back for some more of the medi
cine.
Pursuing the usual system, John
con "tore OFF" Morris Harris. who
was first UP, laying him down to
sleep in three rounds. Then he saved
Black Bill, thinking he might be able
to use him again. He was able.
Along came Jack Monroe, fresh
from the great distinction of having
made the rottenest fight against JEFF
fries ever seen in any part of the
country. Now, johnson should have
been able to tear off Mr.. Monroe will