The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-05-20
NELSON VS.. WOLGAST
Some of the Facts Connected With
Staging of the Bout Between
The Great Lightweights

Staging a championship contest is
a costly and nerve racking venture.
Sid Hester, who promoted the recent
championship battle between Battling
Nelson and AID Wolgast, is authority
for the above statement. Hester had
given the sporting folks of San Fran
cisco many good shows, prior to sign
ing up the lightweights. He had nev-
err ran moving show and his fights
had been good. A change in the city
administration had put him out of
the running as far as permit with
in the city limits was concerned. Hes
ter is game lad, when he was turn
ed down in San Francisco, he turned
his attention to San Mateo, where Jim
Coffroth had been running. He was
given the cold shoulder by the au-
thorities down there, but was un-
daunted.
Hester never for minute lost con-
fidence in his ability to go through,
but the fighters weakened and de-
manded of him that he post large
guarantee to go through with the
bout as arranged Within an hour
after their demand, Hester posted
5000, half of which was to go to
each of the fighters in the event of
Hester failing to name a battle
ground, within ten days. He named
place, Richmond, Contra Costa
county, California, which was not on
the map and entirely unknown to the
people of San Francisco, ten miles
away.
Within ten days after the selection
of the place, Hester had constructed
the largest fight arena ever erected in
this country. By special arrangement
with the railroads and bay boats he
was ready to handle twenty thousand
people, have them all leave Frisco
not earlier than noontime and have
them at the ringside seated in time
to see the gladiators struggle for the
title. He handled eighteen thousand.
1t is remarkable the interest that GEN.
tered in the meeting of the men for
the crowd made the journey over in
pouring rain storm. 1t rained up
until the men entered the ring. Then
the sun came out. On account of the
men being bit late coming into the
ring, the contest did not end until
long alter sun-down The photograph
ers from the newspapers failed to
get print after the thirty-seventh
round but the picture machine
caught the men until the finish.
The closing rounds are a novelty
inasmuch as the men are seen fight
ing into the night. They are distinct
ly visible, yet they resemble pair of
negroes. Referee Eddie Smith can
be plainly seen to grasp the hand of j
Wolgast and raise his arm in the air,
thereby declaring him the winner.
The pictures as whole are the finest !.
ever taken of boxing contest, &C
cording to the press of San Francisco
They are vastly superior to the John
pictures and stand out
away above the Burns-Johnson set.
In the Nelson-Wolgast pictures the
men appear in the ring life sized. The
vast crowd around the ring can be
seen rising at all of the thrilling
points of the contest.
The other feathers of the pictures
include the men in their training
quarters, a panorama view of the con-
,truction of the arena, view of the
crowd tramping through the mud to
get into the arena, panorama of the
arena, partly filled, the picture being
aiken one and one half hours before
he men entered the ring. Everything
S clear and distinct. The whole of
he contest is not shown but the fif-
cen best rounds, the feature rounds,
ire shown, together with the latest
olored photographs of Wolgast, Mel
on and promoter Hester.