Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-08
cOFEROTH BEHIND SCHEDULE
California sport Promotes Arrives I'm
Omaha Two Hours Be-
hind Time.

James w. Cotfrota, the California sport
king, is racing against the mails from Lon
don to San Francisco on a $4,000 wager,
according to his own story. Sunday morn
ing he passed through Omaha on the Over
land Limited and UP to the present time
believes he has run the mail service an
even race
10 Coffroth reaches the San Francisco
postoffice ahead Of the letter, which Is
addressed to the San Francisco Athletic
club, he will be the winner Of the $4,000
prize money. II the letter gets to 'Frico
first the wager will go to Eugene CORR,
the English boxing promoter.
THE letter and I left London February
L. said coffroth at the Union station. I'VE
left the English metropolis on the same
train and according to English mail Off
Gals should nave left on the same boat,
the Cunard liner Mauretania.
II don't know how much time the letter
has lost since reaching New York, but 1
do know that I am now two and one-half
hours late In my schedule. 1 reckoned on
the swiftest trains from New York to Chi
cago and Chicago to Omaha, but the Over
land Limited was slow in pulling into
Council Bluffs. From New York to Chi
cage 1 took the Twentieth Century flyer
and that 1s-hour trip was certainly a fast
one.
THAT $4,000 looks like sure money to me
now, but of course there's no telling what
will happen between here and the coast.
Anyway I'm not missing any trains"
Coffroth has been abroad for two months
arranging boxing matches for United states
and foreign clubs. Although he denies hay
ing anything to do, with the business end
OF the Jeffries-Johnson bout, he declares
that 1t is a sure thing, Notwithstanding
all reports to the contrary.
Il am positive the fight will be pulled
off In San Francisco he said. Gleason
and Tex Richard are not at outs for good
and they will come to an agreement soon.
II had Richard here now 1 think 1 could
convince him in five minutes that the bout
should be pulled off in San Francisco
While In Europe Coffroth secured a con-
tract from Freddie Welsh to meet Battling
Nelson for a fight In San Francisco. He
also has Ketchel and Langford lined up
and expects to arrange a bout between
Driscoll and Abe Attell.
Freddie Welsh and Battling Nelson will
probably fight In frisco, July o. said Coff-
roth. IF the Jeffries-Johnson fight comes
off Welsh and Nelson will fight as a pre-
Iminary. 1t would certainly be a big at
= v
Coffroth is due to reach San Francisco at
midnight Tuesday. If his train is on time
he will have made the trip from London
to the Golden Gate in exactly eight DAYS.
How did you happen to make the big
wager?" he was asked.
CORR thinks I'm slow. I guess" said the
California sportsman as he leaned up
against his Pullman at the depot. Last
Tuesday Corri and 1 were talking in his
office when he opened a letter and said,
'our mail service IS certainly u~nequaled.'
Right then and there 1 told CorrI that I
could beat a letter from one postoffice to
another. and as / was about ready to leave
for America the wager was made that 1
could reach San Francisco ahead of a let
ter.
Corr and I made up the letter, both of
us signed 1t and 1 saw it mailed in Lon
don just as I boarded a train for Liver
pool. The race is now on and I'm making
for home just as fast as steam can carry
men