The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-03
RENO ON EDGE FOR
A TITANIC STRUGGLE
Continued from Page One.

Continued FROM Page One.
With 70 per cent az the purse as the vim
ner's share and % per cent for the loser
portion, heie is what victory will mean
il cold dollars and cents.
To Jeffries, It win mean s15. 80 purse
money and $4,000 bonus, which. added 10
$ce,G6e the sum for which ne has soli
his interest in the pictures. viii bring
him a total of $l52.41s if he proves the
better man. In That case Johnsoa, who
sold his picture rights for $4,000, viii
receive in addition 70 that sum SIS. CSC as
his share Of the purse, plus $4,000 bonus,
or total of So, go.
Rather a substantial and soul-easing
balm 10 a defeated warrior, particularly
inasmuch as he. ike 5effries, has already
made the cost Of his training expenses
from preliminary exhibitions. On the
other hand, should the Texas assassin
overwhelm his antagonist he will net the
tidy sum Of Sl5759, while the redwood
giant will be forced 20 content himself
with a meager S101.9l6 Great figures
truly; Sir Henry Morgan and his buc-
cancers sacked the city Of Panama and
laid waste the seat Of Spanish culture In
New Granada for sum scarcely greater.
Driven Into bondage.
In those days a gentle and peace loving
people were driven into bondage and
oceans of blood we're split in the name
Of the church and his Catholic majesty.
the King of Spain. To-day the church
and the clergy inveigh against the Reno
battle where, a descendant saf slaves. a
man freed from a race of burden-bearers.
will stand forth as the equal of his white
brother. ard where less than a pint Of
gore viii flow.
1t seems TO me that all this clamor
against prize fighting arises from a basic
Misrepresentation OF the motives that
raised the sport 10 prominence. Those
who -assail 1t on the grounds OF brutality
and bestial depravity assume a false
premise in their reasoning. People do not
attend boxing exhibitions from a gross
Roman desire to see physical punishment
inflicted or 10 glory at the painful inn
pact Of padded glove on naked flesh.
In describing a contest of this sort
once before I called attention to the fact
that 1t was not the effect OF the blows
that brought forth the deafening hoarse-
voiced roar from the multitude, but the
skill and cunning behind il; the super
lative mastery of an intricate science re
curing more daring, more courage, more
brilliance than that Of any other sport
The flower .Of our nation will applaud
a son or brothers portion in some grid
iron naneuver that may chance 10 leave
in its wake a writhing athlete, not on
OF cruelty. nor from any desire TO glOa
upon misery, but from pure admiration
Of the game. We even have a Presiden
who loves 10 stand upon the side line.
These same people will cheer at dis
play of baseball brilhsnce. even though
a runner spikes a baseman or sprain
his ankle in sliding for the plate. Coileg
/ professors will hang over chess boar
at some clash between celebrities, work
| ing themselves into a gentle, enthusiastic
| Precipitation following the hourly moves
/ But & IS not the chagrin nor the menta
anguish Of the vanquished champion tina
causes them TO applaud the final check
mate.
And so il is with boxing or prize fight
/ ing. if YOU choose to cali il by that bru
! talizing title.
Admire Manly Art.
The other day I sat amid perhaps 80
men, women, and children al Jeffries
| outdoor training platform while he boxed
They were average people. these $50
come 20 see and admire the last thini
in bodily perfection, and although the bis
| fellow handled his opponents shanefulll
at times. and they were frequently in dis
/ tress when he solved their methods of de
| Tense and planted his hairy fist on jaw
or body. we all applauded madly. Hi
| helpers were nice, pleasant men. mucl
weaker and smaller than himself, an'
] Ia n
/ by a desire TO perfect high science "
would have Kissed him and fallen upol
/ him bodily. But as IL was. we rejoice'
/ ct the privilege OF Witnessing so marvel
/ Gus a display Of cunning. agility, an'
| skill We appla lded the game.
/ So much has been written regarding
! the physical condition of the two ath
/ letes, their personal Feeuliarities, menta
| qualities, &C., that il is useless for m
20 go further with IT, They are strangel
| contrasted, not only in build and color
1 but ia disposition and social habits. a
1 Jeffries' quarters YOU behold wherein
/ powered cottage. surrounded by a fenc
| with a large readable sign, Private
Keep Out" and inside the cottage Their
is silence, peace. He has the white man
sense of privacy.
Ragtime in the Afr.
At Kicks roadhouse, where Johnso
lives, you find yourself in a honky-tonk
A pair of musical aspirants and fiddle
poison the air with ragtime, there ar
two roulette tables going constantly
drunken men abound The rooms, tn
porches, and the yards are packed wit
all classes and conditions Of people. The
| elbow their way upstairs to the quarter
of Lii Artha.r they pinch his muscle
and prod him in the ribs to discover hi
condition. When he moves he sweeps
re1inue with him. His managers wills
per him 10 death apparently, and yet
remains serene, smiling. unconcerne
| through all the distracting hedlam.
I have a mental photograph of the dis
| torted remains of the stranger VIII
| would presume to thrust a curious fnge
into Jeffries' ribs Johnson is never S
| serious as when he stands like an ebon
statue beside his bass VOL. Jeffries b,
comes a beaming hoy only when h
grasps bamboo fishing rod
When Jeffries was introduced to Coz
Diekerson the big Californian rose slow
~ from his bench and shook hands, wit
mumbled greeting, then reseated hin
self with his back to the distinguish