Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-04
.GLAD|ATORS WAIT
TAP Of THE CONG
TO OPEN BATTLE
JeffrieS and Johnson, Trained to
the Minute, Will Battle for
Supremacy Today
RENO THRONGS TO THE CAMPS
Slave Mammy's Son and Preach
er'S Offspring Both Conf
dent of Victory
RENO THRoNGS TO THE CAMPS
Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PresSl
RENO, July 3.-The day of reckoning
is at hand Jeffries or Johnson? The
bear or the tiger-which wins?
A few hours more now--before the
night shadows again enfold the bare
hills encircling the Truckee meadows
and two words will be flashed around
| the world:
| "- wins!"
Tomorrow afternoon James ]. JEFF
fries and John A. Johnson will meet in
their long talked of fight for the un-
disputed heavyweight championship OF
| the world Flesh will thud against
| flesh in the open air arena built up
here on the roof of the world And
the son of slave nanny of the old
south, or the son of a minister-t1e
undefeated Jeffries-will be declared
the most perfect fighting machine in
the history of the prize ring.
ARENA WAITS
Driven out of California, warned out
of other states by reform sentiment,
pressed by a thousand difficulties, the
promoters of this great fight are about
to realize the result of their labors.
The fighters are ready to spring into
the ring at the tap of the gong. The
terraced arena is waiting for its null
titude and the multitude is straining to
get into the inclosure.
1t is estimated, 10000 visitors are
crowded into this desert city tonight.
From east and west the specials dis
eorged 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, 1909 miles
away. -
DELANEY ARRIVES
The last touch of the drama that will
be staged tomorrow was added today
bv the arrival at the Johnson camp of
Billy Delaney, veteran trainer of fight
ers. who announced that he positively
would be in the black mans corner as
chief second.
Delaney took Jim Jeffries in hand
when he was a raw boy and made him
the champion Of the world. Several
years ago the trainer and his protege
quarreled and they have been bitter
enemies ever since. The grayhalred
Delaney, who knows Jeffries perhaps as
no other man knows him, has picked
Johnson to win and will direct every
detail of the battle which the black
man will make against Jeffr1es.
IA RiRkArh.
moter-referee, will not act as third man
in the ring will not down. 1t bobbed up
again with renewed life today, when it
was whispered that Charley White OF
New York, the alternate referee, mad
confided to a friend that he fully eX-
pected to be called upon at the last
minute to act. This was not possible
of confirmation, however, and Rickard
reiterated his intention of officiating.
BETToRs IN AIR
The effort to fill the blank in the two
word message that the wires will carry
out of here omorrow-answering 1t in
a way that will bring financial prot1t-
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 up in the air. They
are still talking about the yellow
streak" and cant come back" but the
betting sheets show a remarkable inde-
cision Between the partisans the great
mass of fight followers is WaVer1ng. In
the pool rooms it is 10 to 61s either way
and even money that JeffrieS wins in
twenty rounds In the pari-mutues
the heavy play is that Jeffries will win
| in twenty-five rounds or over. This
last day before the fight will be remem-
bered in Reno for many year. AT the
break of day the sky was gray and
all during the morning black storm
!
the day wore on the wind cleared the
sky and the foothills were mottled with
the gold of the sunlight and the blue
black of the cloud shadows.
HOT DAY
'Wiu it rain? Will it be cold tomor-
row?" asked the strangers. And the
natives answered that in all probability
the arena would be so hot that the
melting pitch would glue the spectators
to their seats. Despite the threatening
weather the roads 10 the lighters camps
were dotted with vehicles of every de-
scription. Busses carried scores of the
humble out to the Johnson headquar-
ters struggling for right OF way with
automobiles filed with gay groups of
sporting men and others bearing the
stamp of wealth.
The road to the Jeffries cottage was
one long procession. Outgoing parties
met automobiles which had just come
through the gaps in the Sterras, pear
ing men from the coast cities. All
stopped at Moana springs until the
place looked like camp meeting.
JEFF AT HOME
Jeffries received his friends on the
lawn under the willow trees. He sat
there most of the day, playing cards
and chatting, no word of tho coming
fight on his lips, and his face as in
scrutable as ever Men were on guard
at the gates to keep the unknown
curious out, but every inch of room
around the cottage was filled with a
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