The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-04
BEFORE
FI(iIFlI 7
Reno Was a Town of
Many Strange
Sights

Reno. New, July 4.-When the sum
that today liftedo It's brim above the
sagebrush hills enclosing this green
and ordinarily peaceful valley. sets
over the wbite-capped Slerras, there
viii have passed into comparative OBJ
liyio1, one or tho two mighty men
James j. Jeffries or John Arthur
Johnson.
It's first rays shot into barrack-like
places where men OF home and family
were sleeping in rows upon rows. II
Slinted through shutters into strange
bedrooms where men were sleeping
two and three in bed and on the
floors. II rent aside curtains of
smoke and saw red-eyed men grouped
at green tables and standing around
spinning wheels. And on each OF
these tables II met Its rival. the gold
Of the earth in heaps. 1t saw a great
bare structure of pine boards, with a
whlte-Toped ring In the center wait
ing. IT saw the streets already stir-
ling with restless life and automo-
biles already whirling along the coun-
try roads.
Out OF the southeast came cool
wind and the clear sky gave prom
ise of a perfect day for what promises
10 be the last great prize ring battle
OF heayywelghts In the United States
Here between the fire OF eastern
reformers and the deep sea of Pa
cific coast politics, the pugiIists are
gathered In their last stand. Never
before in the history of the prize ring
have so many fighting celebrities and
sporting characters met i'll one mar
row street If Announcer Billy Jor
dan has TO introduce all these men
this afternoon he will lose his voice
long before Jeffries and Johnson make
their bows 10 the public
The morning OF the fight brings no
change In any OF the details that will
go TO make up the setting OF the
stage To down the rumor that he
would not act as referee OF the fight
Tex Rickard offered this morning a
bet of $1,000 that he would officiate
The night passed peacefully at both
camps and early this morning the
trainers and handlers and managers
were busy in completing their ar
rangements to appear at the ringside
promptly and TO get out of town TO.
morrow.
The men are scheduled TO start to
fight at 1:30 o'clock Pacific coast
time. but what with introductions and
TIE fuss of the moving picture game
il probably will be a half hour later
before time is called. The prospects
are that the arena, seating 1000.
will be comfortably filled Early this
morning a long line OF purchasers
lined up at the ticket office. There
%,
seating arrangements ard no scalplng
has been carried on openly.
The main struggle this morning was
10 get something TO eat before GO
ing TO the arena. The restaurants
last night almost gave up the job
OF trying 70 feed the multitude MANY
places were sold out OF every scrap OF
eaiables before morning. The doors
of the main restaurants were guard
I'D by husky walters who let few
hungry patrons slft in at intervals.
once inside IL was a waiter who told
the guests what they could get 10 cat.
Menu cards were mere ornaments
Hundreds of men came in on tae late
specials last night walked until they
were weary hunting a place to- eat
and sleep. Some gave it up as a
pad Job an dremained up all night
Dad lob and remained up all night.
And so Ii was weird throng that
started on it's way to the arena as the
morning sped toward noon In the
crowd were the pugillsts mentioned
above. the sports who follow the pug
illsts aud bet on them. the men who
write OF the doinRs of the hghters-
more writer's than ever reported a
night before-women and boys, thieves
and gamblers, begEaTs and detectives
and all the casual riff-raff that fol-
low the big sport events. They were
burned by one desire, sped by one
fever, made one by a common desire,
During the morning many automo-
bile parties passed the time by spin
ninR out 10 the two camps on the edge
OF the city. seeking once more TO get
tip from the wise ones. The pool.
rooms were busy taking bets. During
the early hours the odds remained the
same as on the night before-JefIrIes
The favoritc at odds of 10 TO 6 IL.
They were pushed down 70 al orc
limo by p bet OF 10000 on JciIriss
made by II. II Frazee OF Chicago. who
VIII manage Jeffries' round.the-worid
tour-IF
George Considine OF New York bet
$4,000 on JefIries at odds OF 10 tor6 10
ana announced that he had more at
the same price.
Larger betting IS looked for at the
nSside with a possible change of
oaos In favor OF Johnson. l. E
Smathers OF New York. sPid that he
would be, 10000 on Jeffries ia'er
lne latest news from the camps r.
mat both men viii wait until the last
mlEute before motoring 70 the ring
side.
Ihey viii dress at their camps. even
10 putting the bandages on their
boih men arose early and Went out
lot snort spins on the road to Timber
M. johnson had not made his dDal
mans. but 1effrics decided 10 have all
MS trainers except Red Cornell and
lconuuued 90 Page Scyon)