Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-05


sand persons. banked tier upon tier.
stared for hearts beat time at a
neaving white figure PROSTATE on a
square OF pink canvas this afternoon
and tried to realize that what may
be the last chapter in American prize
ring annals had been written before
them. The Dig man whose hulk sageed
low the white rope over which he lay
was James j. Jeffries. And over him.
smiling, alert. his smooth black body
slistening in the brilliant desert sun
shine. stood Jack Johnson, the new
king "f the ring. No ring contest ever
Trek such an attendance. and never
before was so many thousands Of dol
lars fought for or paid by the sport
loving p,iblic to see a fight
The nen and fer that matter, the
100 or more women scattered through
the vast audiences, are tonight diSpers
ing East and West and North and
South Many of them journeved thou
sands of miles to Reno; many lave
gone hungry and many without beds.
but the picture they saw this afternoon
was worth it. 1t was the greatest col
lection Of men of the prize ring and
those associated with the sport OF
sporting writers and other writer's
those names are known in fiction. pol
tics and travel that has ever been
drawn together in this country except
at national political convention.
From noon until the curtain went
down on this battle of the Fourth of
July. thousands Of persons swcltered
and baked under the direct ra--G Of
y n 14 -J-,Il
strength and endurance promised by
this combat of the two recognized
peers Of the prize ring And when at
ter 50 minutes Of concentrated and ir-
tense interest. the thing they had
looked forward to for over a year Wla
over. something between a sigh and
i groan went up to the blue SKY but
there was little complaint.
These keen sporting men from every
corner of the earth realized that they
had seen great and game fight and
that a past master of general Of ring
science wore the championship belt.
They had their moneys worth. All
questions We're answered and now for
the quiet walks of the daily life again.
AS hour by hour passed the thous
ands of representative sporting men
filed through the gates and took their
seats in the heated pit there was one
common thought In a few minutes
more and the fight OF all fights. prob
ably the last great fight in the country
would be on.
After the battle scared veterans of
the ring. three of whom had fallen be-
fore Jeffries-Sharkey, FitZsimmons
and Corbett-passed again across the
spotlight again one thought thrilled
the beating hearts
And the dream came true when fate.
red faced Billy Jordan barred his bald
head and cried:
Letter go" There was not blur
in the arrangements. The recording
eyes of the moving picture machines
took in a scene unrivalIed in ring his
tort.
All that the age has produced in the
way of human fighting machinery was
seen here at it's best-past and present
masters of the art. The eye of the or
binary man grew weary at sight of 50
MANY faces that he had read about
for 90 years. There was constant
calling of Bring on the big fight. We
have seen enough.
Through the Ia rounds there was little
cheering And when the end came and
Jeffries dropped dazed and inert, the
church-like stiffness fell over the null
titude. Men stood on their hot benches
their faces tense and drawn. waiting for
the fight to be resumed.
Not even when Sam Berger, Jeffries'
manager accompanied by the big fell
lows seconds and a number of vigilant
newspaper men. jumped through the
ropes and surrounded the PROSTATE fight
er did the watching crowd indicate by
word that the battle was over. No heed
was paid the victor except by his friends
al the ringside-the eyes of the oulookers
remained on Jeffries Realization finally
came when after lengthy interval.
Jeffries was famed and rubbed into con
seriousness and assisted to his feet and
led away.
Forty-five minutes later the first special
pulled out westward, Then the day Goa ch
specials were drawn UP at, the platform
and as fast as the seats were filled start
ed east and west, and throughout the
night at whatever hour the dispatchers
could arrange. others followed.