The San Francisco call., 1910-06-27
RICHARD ENJOYS
PEACEFUL SUNDAY
With Arena Started and Both
Fighters Rounding to Form,
Tex Is Happy

RENO, New, June 26.--Quiet, steady
progress in striking opposition to the
mad whirl of events that has marked
preceding days, characterized the first
Sunday in Reno since the Nevada me-
tropolis became the Mecca of the sport
ing world as the theater of the COM
plex pugilistic drama, the Jeffries-John-
son fight
With his arena springing into being
like some strange giant mushroom. his
gigantic fighters devoting themselves
to earnest preparation for the meeting,
and every hour bringing him assurances
of fan laden Pullmans starting from all
points of the compass to reach the ring
side Tex Rickard, nerve center of it all,
knew the first day of peace he has ex-
perienced since Governor Gillett of CAL
ifornia issued his stop the fight order.
Around the fighters camps it looked
as if Sunday picnics had taken posses
sion. At Moana springs every type of
vehicle known to this region was in
evidence. There was a continuous pro-
cession of automobiles, carriages, mo-
torcycles and pedestrians winding along
the road all day.
Jim Corbett was master of ceremo-
nies at the quarters and spent most of
the day is the center of interested
groups which gathered around him.
Jeffries was not to be seen. He began
the day with fishing excursion, which
restless, shifting crowd at the springs
heard little of his plans. That pecu-
liarity of the back from Elba pugilist,
his utter disregard of anybody else's
views as to what he should or should
not do, is as noticeable here in Nevada
as If was at Ben Lomond or at the
camps he occupied before the fights
which won him his fame.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Jack Johnson was his own master OF
ceremonies. The big negro was in his
most affable humor. which is saying a
good deal. He began the day with a
brisk eight mile walk, then, postponing
his ring work until the cool of the
evening, spent much of the day in en-
tertaining the visitors who thronged
the resort. 1t is one of Johnson's traits
that he likes to see everybody happy.
He was keeping things going most of
the time today, urging singers in the
cafe to greater efforts, calling this or
that bystander into the fun and occa-
sionally assisting the general merri-
ment with solo or obligato selections
on his cello.
Johnson is passionately fond of mu-
sic. AS he sits about the cafe his feet,
hands. head and whole body sway to
the rhythm of whatever music there is
within sound, and his performance on
his cumbersome instrument is excellent.
Nearly everybody in Reno visited one
or the other of the camps today Most
of them visited both. There were many
women in the curious tLrongs, and their
summer fnery lent a festive appearance
! to the assemblage at each camp. To
view the groups no uninformed observer
would for moment suspect that IT was
all in preparation for desperate prize
ring encounter.
With little in the way of stirring
events to distract their attention the
street gatherings today drifted back
to the big question-who will win? The
corners were noisy with arguing au-
thorities on fight matters. Opinions
voiced by men whose words are taken
as sporting law in various sections of
the country could be heard on every
hand. Fighters with long ring records,
promoters who have staged great bat
ties in their time, trainers made wise in
| fighting lore by years of experience
with fighters of international fame
jostled and joked with each other all
day, and in all the talk there could be
secured no consensus of opinion. There
are too many angles and issues too
many possibilities and unknown guam
titles to admit of anything like fore
cast of the outcome On this all agreed
The rank and file of the fourth of
July audience has not put in its appear
! ance as yet. When they come they will