The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-02


and only turkish bath house. which has
plunge, and not until they have arrived
viii they know how favored Of mortals
they are.
had no sooner reached hotel Mon
day morning than was advised that my
arrival had been timed to the psychological
second. JEFF was about TO work.
quick into this automobile" a fellow
chronicler advised me with no effort to
conceal his excitement. Gee, you're in
luck"
But I want TO change my clothes"
said ]. Il am so full Of einders 1t sets
ray teeth on edge"
What about the cinder7" inquired an
eavesdropper. boldly edging his way to-
ward US
rs Johnson going to spar this morn
mgr"
My friend drew me aside. Don't bother
TO change now; We just got a tip from
Corbett"
Just a collar" / pleaded; at won't
take minute"
Look here" said he; I've been In
Reno for week and haven't had a peek
at Jeffries yet. I Marathoned out to Mo-
ana Springs three times a day until aka
Il dust Is like talcum powder In my nos
trils. and I have not seen him put on a
nit He has the disposition OF taran-
tUla. He has got q diabolical gift of sec
end sight. He can smell spectator for
| a mile. and he seems TO know when he
won't be there. You come
JEFF Comes Back.
saw that which ] never expected TO see
q man who has come back. Jim Jenries
has renewed MS youth. De Soto should
have gone West IN search for that tabled
fountain, the waters OF which he believed
could roll back the years from human
shoulders. He should have gone 10 Ro-
wardennan.
| I had been led 10 believe from the late
picture Of the California giant that his
face was drawn and haggard. and his
body fallen away 10 folds where the fat
had burned. but il is not so. His cheeks
are sunken, but It H the gauntness OF
vigorous health. and then shine with a
ruddy color His muscles are firm and
plant, and they are tanned TO that per-
feet brown which comes only from a life
beneath smiling skies.
He is younger than the camera shows,
and no clicking shutter can snap the
ivigor that seems 20 lie in his massive.
HAIRY frame. IN build. he IS more Ike
a wrestler than a fighter, and al first
sight one refused 10 credit the stories
or his quieknegs, but II is there. and
with It all Is certain irresistible power
that Is hard to describe. His arms are
huge, and in his blows there appears 10
be the same heavyweight that Is in the
thrust OF a steamboats, walking beam
That IS. that impresses one most strongly
the tremendous weight that turks behind
his blows.
I saw none OF that clever, singing
snap that other champions display IN
. their boxing and yet. with all. is a re-
markable agility and q cat-like certainty
Of motion. Pound for pound, / believe
Jeffries 10 be the most dangerous and
most rugged fighter the world has ever
known. This does not mean 10 a certain
~ that he will win Monday next, for the
human eye can see nothing beyond the
surface, nothing but the material And
no man knows. not even Je1 himself
whether, back OF the superb equipment
OF bone and Drawn and nerve still smoi
!. ders the magic spark that viii fare and
blaze aud vivify him in his hour Of need
Precious TO Fighter.
We never know what youth is until +
leaves US. To an athlete It is precisely
what the spring is to a rubber ball To
fighter It IS particularly precious, for 8
means the fierce, consuming energy thai
drives his muscles when they are numl
and dead from fatigue. the burning I'm
pulse that electrifies his sagging fran,
and brings his wits back upon the heel.
Of some stunning blow. II is youth. II
other words. recuperative power thai
brings him out from his corner at tht
, end OF sixty swift flying seconds fresh
! courageous, eager even though the enc
OF the round before had left him ex.
hausted, weakened, staggezing, his brair
. at sea.
Training does not bring this last latent
power into evidence. It may be there; II
may not; no amount Of preliminary work.
outs VIII tell to a certainty. If Jeffrie,
stu retains his ultimate reserve force
and II II has not been dissipated, not only
by his years Of idleness, but by the cruel
, heart-breaking ordeal Of sixteen months
/ training. the like OF which no man has
undergone. he viii win.
No matter how marvellous IS Johnson
defense, I do not believe he can stand
before the rushing, stubborn monster
once they have settled down to a point
where blood is pumping, lungs bursting
and fatigue dragging at them equally
IN the afternoon l watched Johnson
work and it was very different. He has
the soul Of a JOY rider. Nature designed
him for a chauffeur, and while he is the
master OF the greatest defensive system
any fighter Of his weight has been equip
ped with. he seems to look upon the bat.
tie as joke. believe he knows OF fifty
good and sufficient reasons why he vii
beat HIS opponent next Monday. ! doubt
/ If the other possibility has ever appealed
: to him.
johnson MsrveIOusIy Fast.
! He is fast. marvelously fast. JEFF can
not approach the swiftness OF his arms
: ard hands He has a straight left that
taxes the eye 10 follow, but II seems that
most of his agility and superlative cum
ming exercise is in self-defense.. Therein
lies one great difference between the tive
men. I believe Jeff would take a blow
! TO his own If by doing so he could land
J Not so Johnson.
Regarding their actual. 1s-karat fighting
ability when # comes TO the crucible
J nothing can be proven until the fatefu
Fourth. for both men are holding back
On the one hand is the white man, SOM
= Der. sullen, logged, and tremendous ir
his strength. On the other the black
man. alert, cautious. brilliant in execu-
ton. self-protective, and utterly conf
J | dent
OF Jeffries we ask the great question
Has he retained that magic, unquench-
able flame OF youth? OF Johnson we In
quire: Has he the bulldog courage TO con
tinue losing fight, If necessary; the
heedSssness to fatigue and bodily tor