The San Francisco call., 1910-02-09
COFFROIH ARRIVES
WITH NEW RECORD
FighL Promoter Travels From
London 10 San Francisco i'm
Less Than Ten Days
BY WILLIAM I. SLATTERY

James W Coffroth broke the
worlds speed record from London TO
San Francisco last night. He arrived
at the ferry depot at OBS o'clock
lie Lett London at 4:20 p. m. on the
afternoon OF January %, thus COM
plcnng the transoceanic and transcon-
uncntal journey in 9 days hours and
minutes. Immediately upon his ar
rival Coffroth cabled Eugene CORR,
ihe London sporting man, that he had
reached his destination. Coffroth had
taken Corri's bet of $1,000 that he
would not arrive in San Francisco
before midnight OF last night
e The noted promoter IL full OF plans
lor future rng attractions, full OF
stories of European adventures and
iail OF confidence that the Jeffries-
Johnson night viii take place in or near
san Francisco. Conroth is not at all
willing 10 say that he viii have no
nand iu promoting the great battle.
tle thinks that ii is = bigger attraction
right now than eyer and he is sorry
taat he IS not the sole promoter Of it,
y NarAsh Tx ADs E<hIiSER
oo6r"th's trip across the Atlantic and
rs wild train ride from New York TO
san Francisco have been quite an item
ol the gossip of the two continents for
i1e last 10 days Everybody will have
to admit that the feat is one of the
t-eFerest pieces OF advertising that any
promoter ever got away with. Cof-
lfOth Is willing 10 admit this too. but
.e Sllli insists that his wager with
corri Is on the level and that the
money VIII be forthcoming from Lon
-eh as soon as the British sportsma n
receives his cable.
HonrotE intends 10 get busy at his old
trade OF bringing about ring attrac-
lpnS- Already he has practically closed
"lih owen Moran of England and Har-
-en Tommy Murphy for 20 round con-
tesJ in thls city during the present
month. lie viii send for the boxers to-
day aud probably viii put them into the
llng some time during the latter part Of
iho month.
The willy promoter also has in his in
side pocket The terms upon which Fred
die Welsh. the British lightweight
champion. viii fight Battling Nelson for
the crown during the coming summer
'onrotl VIII confer with the Battler
tnis afternoon and he hopes that this
tonference viii lead TO the matching of
tle two great fighters.
0H. NOJ MARKET STREET:
Il was beset with hard luck all the
way from London TO Port Costa" said
EoNroth. yet felt certain that I would
win my wager. and here [ am, nearly
three hours inside Of the time limit
THE Grst thing ] want 10 do is TO get
down on my knees and kiss Market
street J never was so anxious to see it
before. The 10 place like home saying
wins Tor me.
I made my wager with Corri on the
aftemoon of January IS. The next day
"t- 1920 ! left London for Liverpool.
ufortsnat"iy. the train ran over COW
and WAS delayed. 1 was forced TO leave
IT, jump into a taNicab and drive like
mad for the Cunard pier 50 that might
lla Ike 'Onnections with the Mauretania
which always sails on the second
nv troubles had only Just begun.
The tide was out and the big boat was
forced 10 wait Tor four hours in order
to cross the bar. When she arrived in
New York harbor heavy fog was
hanging over thc bay and we Were com
PEELED TO drop anchor in the stream
uN 8 o'clock the following morning,
when we docked and were passed by
the customs officers.
once on tke Twentieth Century linn
ited bound for Chicago ] felt safe. but
the old iinN was right at my heels. As
everybody knows, this train is not late
more than few times year. but I
happened to be aboard it on one Of
these eventful occasions and il was
tHree hours behind its schedule when
it pulled into the Windy City
-Ill doff my hat TO the Overland
limited. II did better work than any
az them. Despite the snowsheds and
slippery rails and other obstacles in its
path. it kept forging ahead all the
time till it made up nearly 20 hours
between ogden and Sacramento. was
over5oyed. for it looked as though
would arrive at exactly 1928. the sched-
ulcd Sime.
But upon our arrival al Sacramento
u-e were informed that the big steamer
Solan0, which carries the train over
The straits from Benicia TO Port Costa,
was out Of commission. There was
nothing to do but to go around by
way OF Stockton. II looked as though
was about TO be crushed out at the
last minute. but the old train never
faltercd. and here / am.
FLASHES 4 PUNY THOUSAND
..I would like TO bet $1,000 that the
Tenries-Jolnson fight viii come TO San
Francisco or vicinity Gleason is in the
right when he claims he has the right
10 name the battle-ground.
The match is q far more importa Mt
one than ] ever thought ii would he.
believe that many European sports will
cross the Atlantic TO witness il. / only
wish that ] was the sole promoter of
the gigantic affair. I would have made
a stronger bid had I imagined that it
would have assumed the vast proper
tions which it has.
Cofroth has arranged for 25 round
match between Abe Attell and Jem
DriscolI for the feather weight cham
DionSbfp OF the world. and he proposes
10 stage it in his Colma arena on the
afternoon Of July >, two days before
the Johnson-JefTries miXup. The men
have agreed upon 12e pounds, which is
the recognized weight on the other side
of the water.
stanley Ketchel has also consented to
light three fights for Coffroth during
The coming summer. His opponents are
vet TO be picked out, but the Sunshine
Drolnoter declares that Langford viii
be one Of them and that Al Kaufman
fn ali probability viii be another. Cof-
rrotr declares that his fight permit in
this city came to him entirely unso-
licited.
ALLEGE ROUGH TACTICS