Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-21
JOHNSON HERE;
MAY BE SIGNED
NEGRO HEAVYWEIGHT TALKS
WITH M'CAREY
WILL BET $1,000 THAT JEFF WON'T
FIGHT HIM
Pacific Athletic May Stage Jack In
Ten.Round Bout Next Month--ls
Bound for the North with
O'Brien In View


Angeles last night, coming unheralqeu
over the Salt Lake from the city OIL
the same name. The big negro made
the rounds soon after his arrival and
then was closeted with Promoter I. j.
McCarey of the Pacific Athletic CLUB, TO
see whom Jack purposely made the trip
to Los Angeles.
Johnson's coming was unannounced
by any kind of a message, but by that
mysterious and lightning-like under-
ground method of communication
which permits news of such an event
to spread like wildfre the entire col
ored population soon was aware or MS
arrival and trailed in the wake OF the
black heavyweight from the time ne
left the athletic club headquarters 10
the time he retired to his temporary
domicile.
Johnson has assumed an air of tndif-
ference regarding the match with JEFF
fries, in which he has coached himseI
with painstaking care. The moment
he arrived and started to talk Jack
announced in decisive terms his opln-
ion that Jeffries will never meet him.
II will bet $1,000 that Jenries never
fights me-" said Johnson. IT am con-
WINGED that he simply is not willing TO
meet me, and I don't think the hght
will take place here or any place else
But Jack was sure that he is willing
to fight Jeffries in Los Angeles, the
home town of the big boiler maker, or
anywhere in the world, provided the
monetary inducements are sutfcient.
He has no fear of meeting Jeffries In
the ring in the town wherein the unde-
feated Californian has spent the last
six years. He seems only anxious to
sign definitely, but is not at all back
ward about expressing his belief that
the two heaYyweights never Will meet
in the ring,
Is Out of Training
Having been out of training for a
couple of months, Johnson is soft, and
Ms big form showed evidence of fabby
muscles and load of fat But this
flesh can easily be removed and the
f1abby portions turned to hard, out
standing, whipcord muscles by a few
weeks of training, into which Johnson
expects to enter as soon as any dem
mite move is made to arrange a match
for him.
Jack will probably remain in Los An
geles until Sunday, when he expects to
leave for San Francisco. Jack OBrien
Is stationed in the northern city, and
Johnson is considering an offer to
meet O'Brien in a twenty-round bout
before the northern fans. He has his
automobile shipped to Oakland and In
tends to remain on the coast several
weeks at least.
May Fight Here
Little was given out regarding the
conference between McCarey and john
son. The former realizes the drawing
power of appearance here of the man
whom Jeffries says he will fight for
the title, is figuring on a match with
Johnson is one of the principals for
about the middle of September. 1t Is
planned to send Johnson over the ten
round distance with a good heavy
weight. Provided Jim Barry makes
quick cleanup of Jack Burns in their
Tuesday engagement, Johnson may
meet Barry, as the latter is anxious to
get a crack at Jack, believing he has
nothing to lose and everything to win.
II is possible also that Johnson may APP
pear in a longer bout to be staged at
Vernon. There is little likelihood that
any definits match will be cHnched
before Johnson leaves for the north,
but If arrangements can be made, such
a course will be rsued, though
formidable opponent would be hard to
secure.
Weighing 226 pounds at present.
Johnson is ready to go into light train
ing when he reaches San Francisco, In
preparation for a possible match with
Ketchel. But Jack doesn't expect to
meet the Michigan man, figuring that
sam Langford will whip the middle
weight champion in their engagement
scheduled for September 10 at ten
rounds, and that therefore johnson
will have no chance to fight Ketchel
Tim Barry and Jack Burns are near
ing the end of their training for their
ten-round slug-fest at McCarey's pa
yilion next Tuesday evening. Yester-
day both of the heavyweights put In
their time in getting in shape, Burns
at Vernon hitting the highway for
seven miles in the morning and in the
afternoon working for an hour In the
ring at Doyle's camp. He boxed three
rounds with big Dick Allen and six
sessions with Jim Tremple' Burns
weighed 1877 pounds.
Doc Ieffery. who is looking after
Burns interests, is fully satisfied with
the progress which the Salinas giant
has made in getting ready for the bout
which means so much to him. Burns
went down to 1870 Monday, but has
been taking on weight ever since. so
that II is expected that he will enter
the ring at about 100 pounds, when
will not be far from the figure at
which Barry will fight.
Barry did eight miles on lue IOau
yesterday, the later, in the gymnasium
over the Arcade at Venice, where Jim
Is training, he punched the bag, played
with the medicine ball and boxed ten
rounds. He used Young Solomon for
four rounds. William Rose for three
and Bob Walker for three. He
weighed 1872 pounds after his workout.
Both of the fighters will give special
programs for Sunday, each boxing
about twelve rounds with various
sparring partners who have been Sc
lected.
Young Solomon returned to Los An
geles from the mountains and is anx-
ious to get on with Young Kaufman
at McCarey's pavilion. When Kauf-
man beat Solomon before the Swedish
fighter was not well, but now that he
has regained his former health and
strength he is anxious to reverse the
verdict of the former meeting Of the
pair 1t is probable that the contest
will be staged at the next entertain
ment of the Pacific Athletic club after
the Barry Burns contest.
Manager McCarey is contemplating
giving regular entertainments at the
pavilion at Maud Junction, beginning
in September. There is so much ma
terial which can be used that he will
give the fans plenty of action when
the cards are arranged.