The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-15
WRITER WHO KNOWS
BOOSTS FOR JEFFRIES
Otto FIoto, Kansas City Critic,
Figures Big Fellow as Good
AS Ten Years Ago.


Jim Jeffries, the undefeated cham
pion, the hope OF the white race. who
will be Jack Johnson's opponent in
the worlds heavyweight champion
ship battle July next, has no clos
er friend In the newspaper world than
Otto Floto The Kansas City Posts
new sporting editor Floto made his
reputation In Denver. and for up
wards Of 20 years has ranked as one
OF the foremost sporting critics, par
ticularly on fighting matters In the
country.
He and Jeffries have been close
friends ever since Big Jim became
prominent The Jefrrles- Gotch show
performed at Convention hall in Kan
sas City Tuesday night The chief
of police and the captains under him
permitted JEFF to box with Sam Ber-
ger, his sparring partner. who re-
tired as the undefeated heavyweight
amateur champion of the country
few years ago and who fought in the
A A. u national events In ST. Louis.
worlds fair year. F1oto's STORY" of
the performance is given In part:
Tho popularity OF James j. Jeffi1es
was never better proven than when
he crawled through the ropes at Con-
Yention hall and the crowd checred
him TO the echo, throwing hats In the
air and waving their arms until eX-
hausted. The hope of the white
race" must have felt satisfied way
down deep IN his heart when he
came to witness his performance on
s,l
or course, the tour has been one
OF grand success from the start, but
I dare say in no city visited by the
combination hes his greeting been
any warmer than the one he received
last night In response TO 8 call for
a speech jeff said:
Ladies and gentlemen: I thank
you from tho bottom OF my heart for
this reception. and ] know that after
the Fourth OF July you will all be
satisfied with the result and that the
championship will again be where It
belongs"
What the crowd was mostly inter-
ested in was the condition of the re-
tired champion. and after carefully
looking him over there can be no
doubt but that 1t was all that has been
told us through the telegraphic re-
ports from other places at which he
has appeared.
JEFF Looks the Athlete Again.
All that stomach is gone He looks
the athlete once more and is now In
splendid shape. His daily training
stunts on the road have made him
hard as nails, and he looks like the
Jcnfries OF 10 years ago His double
chin is gone. his muscles again ap
pear about his arms and shoulders,
and the fat he accumulated during his
siege OF idleness in Los Angeles has
all been worked into good hard flesh.
There is no doubt but that a few
months training will bring him
around all right
We have heard much about his
wind-that his breathing apparatus
needed the most attention. and was
the only thing that was causing wor-
ry to his friends. Last night his bel
lows seemed in good working order.
We could not detect any weakness
outside OF the little breathing that
comes from any unusual exercise. or
one that Is at all strenuous.
Then we have heard a lot of talk
about how he has lost his Judgment
OF distance His aim was at true as
II ever was, and there is no DENYING
the fact that Sam Berger is one OF
the shiftiest men In the business. He
was considered one OF the very best
when he won the heavyweight cham.
pionship OF the amateur ranks. Yet