Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-02-04
S p o r Il S
Local and National
JOHNSON GRINNED;
WHAT BURNS DID

Burns-Johnson fight for the worlds
championship is from the pen of
"Arawa," one OF the best descriptive
writer's on the Sydney Daily Tele-
graph. Cabled accounts Of the fight
by rounds have already appeared in
the Bu in, and this view of
the fight, from another standpoint.
should be interesting:
The first thing that struck the
huge assemblage about the big ne.
gro was his grin-an everlasting, con
hdent, self-possessed, defiant grin. He
took II into the ring with him, he
carried 1t unimpaired through the
fight, mixing It up occasionally with
some terrific blows. and an almost
ceaseless chatter of deep, husky
vOice-and when the depressed crowd
last saw him. he still had 1t; and
there was something else with it
the triumphant CLEAN of the victor.
1t was not a savage ferocious grin.
hut the simple, good old painstaking,
faithful smirk of the negro that
would not leave its native home.
Times have been when the multitude
has roared its sides out ut that type
OF grin. but on Saturday morning II
gave thousands the heartache. And
Burns could not drive 1t away. and
therein was the dependency of the
people.
In its way Saturday morning in
the Stadium provided a great human
drama. On the one side a huge de-
gcendant of Ham, full of humor. al
most tiCkled to death with the situa-
tion, lively as kitten, dancing,
pranCing. endowed with magnificent
physical attributes, showing the
strength of the Nemean lion. on the
other, a sallOw-lOoking, huge-should-
cred, terribly determined. steely-eye.
ed white man. II was a Joke to one;
tragedy to the other. The one bat
tered his way to the CHAMPIONSHIP
with a smile on his face and jok'
on his lips; the other received tn,
stony silence that sent the sympath!
Of thousands out to him. as 1t Away
will go out to the beaten man wht
takes his Cruel uncomplainingly, un
waveringly, as Burns did on Satur
day.
But yet 1t was not the black man.
fault that the world was not mad,
gay. He did his best with quip ant
crank and quiddity. He talked ant
jOked with tireless luency at o.
about Burns. or the spectators. Tn,
gong had no sooner sounded the sum
mons to arms than he greeted Burni
with grin, and addressed him as ;
mother would an impatient child
"All right, Tahmy," he soothingl!
said. A few seconds later he with
eringly criticised the absence o
Burns hitting power. why.
thought you could hit, Tahmy," h,
chirped, in tones of shocked pleas
antry. Later on he invited his dear
" beloved brother ito come in" II
also inquired scornfully as to all thi
in-fghting he had heard about
Take a chance, Tahny," he coax
ingly murmured, and then, in a yoic
OF supreme disgust, with eyebalI
rolling, and row of gold and whit
teeth revealed. he asked, ."Whar
that rib hit of yours, Thomas" Whe
he got tired of making unappreciate
speeches TO his foe, who had no tim
for debate, he turned his attention t
Burns party and the spectator
There was code call from Burn
seconds - pTwenty-three - lowe
down, Thirteen - good boy, Ton
my" they cried. Johnson rolled h
Eoo-goo eyes, grinned, welted Burn
and took up the story - "Fourtee
put that down" When the angr
spectators resented his talk, he gia
ed at them over Burns shoulder
threw another grind at them-whs
stock he had of them. of all shape
and sizes--and besought them to kee
their eyes on "Alistah Johnson"
But 1t was not all speechmakinl
This ice-cool, blaring, dark-skinne
gladiator found more deadly work |
do. Between the speeches. an
sometimes accompanying them, ther
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