The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-25
Pugiiism
Baseball
Racing
THEY SAY JEFF
WILL MEET Him
Sport Writers and Fighters Agree
That the White Man Is Not
Afraid.

ity OF that scrap between Jack Jonn-
son. heavyweight champion OF the
world. and Jim Jeffries, the undeleat-
ed boilermaker, who retired from the
ring four years ago and is now trying
TO make up his mind whether or not
TO come back and take chance with
the black tidal wave from Galveston
saws the Frisco Bulletin. thousand
fines a day in sport circles one hears
the query: will Jeffries fiSnt the
smoke?" and q thousand times a day
the interminablc echo answers
"Smokc!"
a few weeks ago public opinion was
strangely divided upon the enigma u
whether Jeffries had been "buliing
the public through the long months
grabbing their money, tossing tnen
an occasional bone OF news 10 chcW
on. and now. having reached the emu
OF his string and accumulated a com
Portable fortune, would retire 10 his
alfalfa farm and give the laugh to his
dupes-or whether, after sincerely
working TO get into physical condition
! and discovering that he is the same
| stalwart, husky organism that be was
| before he retired, he would AGAIN
| climb into trunks and gloves In oroer
/ 10 take a crack at the ebon-hued cham
piou who now sits firmly upon the
| heavyweight throne,
Today, however the voice OF the
| skeptic is strangely still. Some physl-
cal transition has taken place ano'
instead of an almost equal division OF
| the leaders OF sport, scarcely anyone
can be found who does not believe
that Jeffrles intends to engage the
black in effort TO regain the cham
plonship for the white race. There
are differences regarding the time
and conditions under which the boil
ermaker will agree TO meet Johnson
and some little diversity regarding
the outcome-but practically every
one save the big negro himsei Is
counting upon the JeffricS-Johnsoh
contest as an assured thing, The fol-
lowing are only few of the express
sons of opinion from prominent sport
ing men on the coast:
Eddie Smith-Whep Jeffries start
ed out did not have much faith in the
reDorts that he was actually going TO
train for fight AS the months have
passed. however, | have changed my
mind and now believe the big fellow
has gone too far to turn back. guess
he means business. all right, and am
free Ia confess that l consider a Jel'
fries-Johnson battle tho greatest event
ia the modern history OF the ring
Sunshine James" CofGroth-Cer'
tainly jeff will fight If the money is
there. WHY beat around the bush
It's a business proposition, pure and
simple, and have yet TO see the fight
er who would refuse to enter the ring
Il the purse was big enough. The
way / dope it out is this: Small purse,
no ight-bIg purse. scrap You could
get Doc Cook TO fight Johnson If there
was enough in it.
"One-punch Tom" Corbett-l am oil
the opinion that Jeff will surely mix II
with Johnson before another year mas
passed If he can get into anything
like the condition he was in when he
fought Brother Jim he will indeed be
a hard man TO defeat
Sam Berger-The American sport
ing public may rest assured that Jei
fries will keep the promise that he
made last spring that he would regain
The heavyweight championship oil tho
world for the white race He Will be
home soon. and you may expect action
thirty days after his return,
Colonel Brady-KnowinG Jehries as
we'll as | do, it is my frank opinion
that he never had any intention ol
running out of the Johnson match
once he satisfied himself that he could
GET into condition. Why. he Will have
/. | thls big smoke scared white before the
battle begins.
Jack Welch-Yes. think JeiIrles in
tends TO fight, all right-but honest
ly believe he will have 10 be In a:
. grand shape as he ever was In his life
TO defeat this black fellow. johnson
Is not joke. by any means,
Zeke Abrams-Jeffries Is gettin:
ready to flght Johnson, sure, FROM thC
reports we have had regarding hi'
condition, however, ! am somewha
, dubious of his ability to get away Will
the present champion, Yes, | doub
, If he can accomplish 1T
!, , Young MITCHELL never doubted
: him after he gave his word that h
would hght Johnson. He must be il
great shape when he re-enters the rim;
+ though This man Johnson Is a real
: Is wonderful fighter
i Harry Foley-It looks 10 he an as
: sured thing now that Jeffries and tn
: dInge will mix it-probably out her
: I'm San Francisco early next spring
p II will be a hard fight to pick and
/ wouldn't say who looks best. The
s are a pair OF wonderful champions
u Sol Lcyinson-I have always be
lieyed JeffrieS to be sincere and hay
: never yet had cause to be disappolnt
d ed. If he is up to his former grea
l condition and the battle is over tn
J. Marathon course it will be a Titanl
S struggle and | certainly want To b
there.
c Eddie Grancy-Up to three week
ago | wouldn't have thought for
& moment OF the possibility of Jen'
C fighting the cloud. II begins to loo
IS like straight goods now, however. an
e they may come together after all,
l. would be a great struggle.
u Mel Mofht (OalSland) Johnson
s easy victory over Kaufman and tn
J. manner in which he sncercd at IN
II white mans efforts t. hit him swoT
i away the last vestige Of doubt in IN
A. mind. II Jeffries had only one spar
of manhood left, that spark woul
'3 compel him to fight the Galvesto
% black And he VIII thrash him 10,
% Alex Greggains-It Stanley Ketcl
ell will come out here, and take fe'
lessons there won't be any use of dI
cussing Jenrles-Johnson battl
Ketchell cnn lick this so-called chan
pion If he knows how TO 20 about
However. il Johnson beats him, thin
IL. - -.