Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-23
READY TO FIGHT
TOMORROW
JEFFRIES LANDS AND THUS
ANSWERS QUERIES
BIG FELLOW SHOWS SPLENDID
CONDITION
Long Awaited Return of Angeleno
Brings Great Satisfaction to
His Admirers-To Confer
About Match
tBy Associated Press. ]

! tBy Associated Pross.l
NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-"Fight John
son?' repeated Jim Jeffries tonight
when asked concerning his match with
/ the negro. "Why, that's what I'm here
for. Whatever Berger has signed up
for goes. I don't know what it is, but
it goes"
"The division of the purse has been
agreed on" put in Sam Berger, JEFF
fries manager. johnson has con-
ceded that to US. That leaves only
three points to settle.
First, the selection of a stake
holder.
Second the referee.
Third, a place and a time for the
reception of bids.
That's all there is to it, The fight
will go to the highest bidder. There
is no wrangle about that. Various
tentative offers have been received, of
course, but no formal bids.
1--WE ought to have a couple of weeks
to get them all in, I should say, and
then decision on them fall automatical-
ly to the best responsible bidder"
"Will Jeffries consider any theatrical
enga agements ?" was asked.
Nothing is going to prevent our
being on the spot when the time
COllltS4 IGplltu Dtl B6Is AAC III AAe5 AZ
pick up a little expense money, but
he viii contain a release clause, guar
anteeing his presence in the ring
How soon will he fight?'
THAT depends on the other fellow,
said Berger "Jeffries is pretty near
fit now but he will be absolutely fit
before he puts the gloves on"
Admire His Condition
After Jeffries had left, a little group
of well-known sporting men, headed
by Bob Vernon, Billy Wright, Walter
knight and Dan McGuinness, spoke
with satisfaction over the splendid con-
dition of Jeffries. The first thing JEFF"
fries said today as he stepped off the
Lusitania was:
I'm ready to nghts johnson tomor-
row"
Jeffries has come back from HIS Euro
pean trip ready and fit, it is believed, to
fight Jack johnson for the heavyweight
championship Of the world. In the en-
virons of Carlsbad, Bohemia, the one
time boilermaker is asserted to have
trained vigorously for the Johnson mill,
without giving the slightest hint to his
friends in America of what he was do
ing.
When Jeffries walked down the gang
plank of the steamship Lusitania,
which arrived today, he looked as If he
was in fighting trim. His solid hulk of
frame was without superfiuous flesh,
and his complexion was clear.
Jeffries told how he had brought him
self into fighting condition, but he was
a little reticent about his weight.
'I weighed under 22O pounds at Carls-
bad" began Jeffries, land the last time
I jumped on the scales-it was in
France-I tipped the beam at 228
pounds, but you can't get me on the
scales now for 500.
How did 1 get into shape? 1t seems
the newspaper men always have me
with lot of fat on my body. did not
haven't any now"
And to emphasize the point Jeffries
seized a substantial part of his vest in
his hand to show how small his waist
line had grown.
Germans Thought Him Crazy
Nov, at Carlsbad I did ten miles
on the road every morning." continued
the former champion, "and in the after
noon 1 put in my time in the gymnasi-
un. The Germans thought was crazy
when they saw me running along the
highways.
'I did more work in France and
trained at place just outside of Paris.
1 had to look at the address on a card
l.
The French are crazy over fighting,
and I saw some bouts there l also
took in some of the exhibitions at the
National Sporting club at London, but
their advertised heavyweight contests
are nothing more than middleweight
affairs.
Il have done no boxing while
abroad"
Jeffries said he would undergo an
tiOf1 m hfg tn faN 4
while in this city.
II would have had it done in Carls-
bad, but they told me there that the
doctors here could do 1t just as well.
and again the prices they wanted were
something fearful. My nose is broken
and it interferes with my breathing
Jeffries said he had talked to no one
while abroad about his fight with
johnson, and denied he had said that
he wanted a purse of $150,00O for the
mill.
Mrs. Jeffries accompanied her hus-
band on the trip, and spent some time
at her home in -Meiningen.
Meeting Next Week
Jeffries probably will meet Jack
johnson and his manager in this city
early next week, when the final arti-
cles for the fight will be signed.
Sam Berger, for Jeftries, signed a
preliminary agreement with Johnson in
Chicago last August, for a contest of
anywhere from twenty to 100 rounds
before the club offering the largest
purse, which was to be divided on any
terms made by Jeffries.
The retired champion said he had
heard in Paris that Sam McVay in
his contest with Joe Jeanette in this
city, had really won the fight, and that
1t had been fixed for Jeanette to win.
Jeffries added that McVey was only
right-handed fighter and would have
little chance with Johnson.
you want a left hand to fight john
son." added Jeffries, as he walked
away to Join an admiring crowd of
friends on the pier.
ANAHEIM VS.. BEARS