Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-02

JOHn arthur johnson Will settle Aic
worlds heavyweight championship Mon
day is ready for the thronging thousands
who will see the history king battle
fought out. And the thousands are COM
ing. They are pouring into this little city
by every available means of conveyance.
Some of them come from the other side
of the Atlantic ocean. Some have voy
aged across the Pacific. travelling nearly
,0J0 miles TO witness the fight, and
p. obably there would have been many
more from great distances had il not been
for the strong opposition to the match
ard the widespread agitation to prevent
it which finally resulted in the transfer
to the far less accessible Reno.
The widespread opposition to the fight
in California which finally resulted in
Gov. Gilletts drastic action barring the
event from the sta and the shifting of
the scene to Reno, was headed by the
churches of the country, and found
place in the resolutions adopted by sew
eral Of the annual church conferences and
conventions. The governor, the mayor
and even the President were appealed TO-.
and the story of the governor final in
reference is now history.
The first problem encountered by the
promoters after the men had signed arti-
cles was that of selecting a site. Richard
declared himself in favor of Salt Lake
City. Utah. and it looked for time as
though the match would be staged there:
Jack Gleason, Richards associate. is d
San Franciscan, however, and he was
equally determined that the fight should
be held in his home city. The difference
between Richard and Gleason continued
until the Governor of Utah plainly init
mated that his stand would be against the
fight and Richard yielded the point.
When Richard and Gleason finally de-
cided upon holding the fight on the coast,
the question of the exact place was still
that the board of supervisors of San
Francisco, under the'new administration
which took office at the beginning of the
year. was willing to grant forty-hve-
round permit, breaking tie twenty-round
limit, but still there was friction at some
points, and finally it was decided to take
the fight across the bay.
Emeryville is the site of the New Cali
fornia Jockey Club race track. 1t is con-
venient to all railroads, street cars and
ferry boats, and when the sporting world
heard that President Williams of the
Jockey Club had consented to the use of
the grounds for the fight arena, they
breathed a sigh of relief. 1t looked as
though the way was cleared at last. The
men were in training. plans for the
arena were drawn, the agreed portions
of the gigantic purse were deposited.
and everything looked smooth.
church opposition came. The people of
the east bay shore where Emeryville is
located brought great pressure to bear
upon the county officials. 1t was an
nounced that the fight would be stopped
at the first indication that it was anything
more than the sparring contest it pur-
ported to be. This statement created
alarm, and when it was followed by re-
quest from Williams that the promoters,
if possible. find some other place. sports
smell.
liams said that he would keep his bar
gain with Richard but it was evident
that he did not desire to do so.
The promoters then began to gather
their forces in San Francisco again. A
storm of objection and protest was raised
by the church declarations and like or
ganiza tons, but the police mommittee OF
the supervisors recommended that the
forty-fve-round permit be granted. At
torneys were employed by the churchmen
to fight the matter before the supervisors
Every one expected verbal battle at
least, and when the recommendation came
up for action the board room was
crowded.
1t is not every one, however, who Is
familiar with the routine of board meet
ings. Very quietly the committee recon-
mendation was advanced on the days
program of business, called up. and the
permit granted without a word having
been said against it. The opposition did
not realize what was going forward I'M
til it was too late even to protest
The pressure upon the governor had
not been RENTED for moment. he oe
clared that he did not believe the state
law would justify intervention. however.
and with this statement from a man
known to beopposed to prize fighting e
promoters were content. They did not
fear that the authorities would step in,
and carried their preparations forward
without further consideration of the OPP
position.
Great was the CONSERVATION. there
fore, when Gov. Gillett. when the actual
and everything was considered settled.
announced that he regarded the contest
as a prize fight and not boxing contest,
and that in accordance with the laws
of California he would not permit 1t to
be held There was talk of a contest in
the courts. but it was seen that this
would be too long drawn out to admit of
a decision in time to stage the fight, and
the governor making it decidedly plain
that he meant what he said and would
90 to all legal lengths to stop the af-
fair, the promoters give up. and picked
the state of Nevada as their one sure
Goldfield at first made a strong bid for
the match. but accessibility was point
to be strongly considered and Richard
and his associates finally came to believe
that Reno was the proper selection. So
Reno it was, and everything was switched
to this town and the hurried construction
of the arena begun.
The Reno arena is located a mile and a
half from the center of the city and
stands where stood the arena in which
the. Root Hart fight took place just four
years ago. The plan is almost identical
with that of the arena in San Francisco
which had to be abandoned when the
state interviewed and caused the shift to
Nevada. 1t is about 800 feet square, and
seats 10000 approximately, and it's cost
was expected to exceed 1880
A forest of lumber has gone into the
of the great octagonal am
phitheater. 1t is SO designed that every
one of the spectators is insured a full
view of the ring in which the battle will
bleachers, it seems absurd ito think that
enough action could be compressed into
that 24-foot space to keep such a horde
of people interested, even for minute.
Measured within the ropes with their
padded corners. the ring is just - feet
square. From edge to edge in each
direction the raised platform is q feet.
allowing IS inches beyond the ropes all
around This space is left for the con-
yenience of the seconds. who must spring
into the ring between rounds to fan and
wash and encourage their warning chief
tains.
Below the edge of the platform runs
a narrow bench. upon which are located
the telegraph instruments which will
world. Here also are the telephones
with metallic headdresses attached
which the thousands on the out
side will hear of the progress OF the fight
via the bulletin boards. Back of this
bench are several others, providing In all
TOR 100 newspaper men.
From this level around the ring the