The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-07-04

Reno New, July 3.-Thc day Of
reckoning Is at hand. Jcffrics or John
son? The bear or the tigcr-which
wins?
few hours more now--beforc the
night shadows again cnfod the bare
hills circling the Truckec meadows
and two words will he flashed around
the world: "- wins"
Tomorrow afternoon James j. JEFF
fries and John A. johnson will meet
In their long talked of fight for .the
undlsputcd heavyweight champion
ship of the world. Flesh will thud
against flesh and blood will stream
over flexing muscles In the open air
arena built up here on the roof of
the world And the son of "A slave
nanny Of the old south or the son
of II ministcr-thc indicated Jeffries
will be declared the most perfect
Fighting machine In the history of the
prize ring.
Ready.
Driven out of California. warned by
other states by reform sentiment. har-
ried and pressed by n thousand diff
ficulties. the promoters Of this great
fight are about To realize the results
of their labors. The fighters are ready
to spring into the ring at the tap of
the gong. The terraced arena Is wait
ing for its multitude and the multitude
is straining to get into the enclosure.
II is-astimated that 10000 visitors are
crowded into this desert city tonight
From east and west the specials dis
gorged their loads of sporting men,
many OF whom have Travelled from the
far corners of the earth. All day big
automobiles. powdered with the white
dust OF the desert or the brown Of the
high Sierra grades. have chugged In
from the coast cities. From the Cali
fornia valleys. from ranch and mining
camp. even from Seattle. 1890 miles
away.
The last touch of the drama that
will he staged tomorrow was added
today by the arrival at the Johnson
camp Of Billy Delaney. veteran trainer
of fighters, who announced that he
positively would be In the black mans
corner AZ chief second. Delaney took
Jim Jeffries In hand when he was
raw boy and made him champion of
the world. Several years ago the train
er and his protcge quarrelcd and they
have been bitter enemies ever since.
The gray haired Delaney, who knows
Jeffries perhaps as no other inaA
knows him. has picked Johnson To win
and will direct every detail Of the bat
tie which the black man will make
against Jeffries.
6anquo Run,or.
The rumor that Promoter Referee
Tex Rickard will not act as third
man In the ring will not down. II
bodied up again with renewed life to-
day when II was whispered that Char
ley White of New York, the alternate
referee, had confded To "A friend that
he fully expected to be called upon al
the last minute to lct. This was not
possible of confirmation. however, and
Rlckard reiterated his intention If Of
ficiating.
The effort To FIJI the blank In the
two word message that the wires will
carry out tomorrow IL In "A
way that will bring financial profit
Is turning heads gray today. The real
answer Is getting so close that It hurts
The wise ones" of the betting brigade
never were further In the air They
are still talking about the yellow
streak" and cant come back" but the
betting sheets show remarkable in
decision. Between the partisans the
great mass of fight followers Is wav-
ering. In the poolrooms II is 10 to 6k
either way and even money that JEFF
fries wins In 20 rounds. In the pari-
mutilelS the heavy Dlay TX that Jeffras
will win In 25 rounds or over This
last day before the fight Will be re-
membered In Reno for many long
year, At break of day the sky was
grey and all during the morning black
storm clouds were adrift In the hills,
but as the day wore on the wind clear
ed the sky and the foothills were
notified with the gold of the sunlight
and the blue black of the cloud shad-
ows.
Weather?
"Will 1t rain? VIII 1t be cold to-
morrow" asked the strangers. And
ability the arena would be so hot that
the melting pitch would glue the
spectators to their seats.
Despite the threatening weather the
roads to the fighters camps were dot
ted with vehicles OF every description,
Busses carried scores OF the humble
out to the Johnson headquarters. strug-
Cling for right OF way with automo-
bies filled with gay groups of sporting
men and others bearing the stamp
OF wealth on their clothes.
The road to the Jeffries cottage was