Arizona republican., 1910-07-03

Reno. Nev., July Reno is JUS
waiting now. Tomorrow and Monday
morning-and then for the moment
when Announcer Billy Jordan viii
climb out of the ring with all the
speed his fat legs can carry him. cry
ing, Let er go," Another languiC
sunset in these brown hills, and the
great Jeffries-J johnson battle will bt
on.
In the meantime the Desert City is
rapidly taking on the appearance OF
national convention. Delegates from
the worlds sporting centers are ar
irving on every train. The streets and
hotels are filled with the shifting
mob-gentlemen, thieves, gamblers and
pugilists. The hum of conversation
on the street is punctuated with the
click of roulette wheels and the cries
of souvenir hawkers.
The camps of the fighters are quiet
with peace supreme. The arena wait
ing out in the white dust. an ugly
skeleton that in few hours will be
palpitating with life and thrills that
the red gods send down mems spines
in moments of physical strife. is COM
plete. and probably not another stick
Will have to be touched
The purse money is up. all of it
the sum of S1O1 .OOO-which the fight
lovers will pay Jim Jeffries and Jack
Johnson to measure their sinews. their
brains and their fighting hearts.
The only movement from the rival
camps today was in the way of pleas
ure and thought killing. Both JEFF
fries and Johnson made automobile
trips into tOwn-Johnson just for fun
and to have the crowd stare at him.
and Jeffries because he had To come
in order to get to the fishing grounds
he decided to visit late in the after
noon
This critical time of waiting is be-
ing watched closely by fight experts
Jeffries has surprised them all by his
apparent unconcern on the eve of the
greatest moment of his life Nothing
else was expected from the black man.
OF the thoughts which passed through
Jeffries mind as he glanced past the
group out into the brilliant sunshine
and blue sky. no one of his intimates
pretended to say. Sometimes his eyes
would take on deep, sombre look
and he would scowl. Again his eyes
would flash fun, the dimples would
show Hnd all would be merry as a
wedding morn.
To those who braved the sunshine
dust and bumps in the road and made
their way to Rick's Road House. on
the other side of town. another scene
of rest was shown, but rest of a diff
ferent kind. There was much hilarity
Loud merriment and the sound of
singing and instrumental music break
ing out at odd times. proved that the
black champion and his crew were
amusing themselves as if the fight
were a year off and they were way
down south in Dixie. on the outside
there is absolute certainty in each
camp. -
Nothing has arisen to add to or de-
tract from the arguments pro and
con that have been agitating the
sports of the country for year a
dead level opinion among fight ex-
perts is that the fight Will be a long
one and hard one: in other words
the greatest ring battle of these times
According to their announced after
fight plans. both will shake the dust
of Nevada following the battle John
son will go direct to New York and
Jeffries will hasten back to his home
in southern California.
The strain of the training days has
told to some extent upon little Mrs
Jeffries. She spends her time hover
ing about her husband I'D prefer
not to say anything about it," said
Mrs. Jeffries today, when asked her
opinion of the fight I'm not inter
ested in prize-fighting, but 1 am in
terested in my husbands welfare II
believe he will win. of course. but /
do hope it will be his last fight"
FIRST EASTERN CONTINGENT.
Reno. New. July 2.-The first east |
ern special train arrived here today, !
bringing Lou Houseman, the we'll |