Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-05
CHOKE STREET
TO HEAR NEWS
Crowds Gather in Front of Ar
gus Building to Get the
Fight Returns.
SILENT WHEN END CAME
Practically All Interest i'm Details
Lost-Cheers for Jeff Earlier
in the Contest.

What the average Rock Islander
thought of the outcome of the Jeffries-
Johnson fight was wildly shown in
the big crowd that received the re.
turns in front of The Argus building on
Second avenue. When the final re-
suit was flashed there was not a cheer,
not a single expression of Joy. and
within two minutes the mob of people
that had blocked Second avenue hal
melted away till there were but com
parative few on the walks. Few had
any taste for the details. The story
was interesting while the suspense
was on. but when the flash of the
outcome which had precedence over
anything coming in broke that sus-
pense interest waned. There were
those. however, who awaited the de-
tailed story and read it eagerly as it
was posted. Indeed throughout the
night there were people standing in
front of The Argus bulletins anxious
to discover how It all happened.
Flash Ahead of Final.
Fight returns were received over The
Argus special wire, the Associated
Press report, round by round, just as
printed in today's papers, being
given. The story of each round was
taken hot off the wire and read by meg
aphone by Happy Jack Vernon, who is
an expert in this line, and then posted
where those who desired might read
1t more closely. The flash" telling of
the outcome was received by The Ar
gus when the story of several
once given to the waiting crowd. For
a moment there was absolute silence
while the meaning of the words of the
announcer was sinking in. Then there
was a sudden movement, and two min.
utes later but few dozen remained IN
the half block that had been packed
till the street cars were moved through
with difficulty.
Interest shown in the event was al
most equal to that Of a presidential cleo
ton. The wire service was prompt
and the delays at this end correspond
ed exactly with the delays at the ring
The opening of the contest was an
nounced within 10 minutes after the
men squared away at Reno, 1000 miles
away. When Jeffries seemed to have
temporary advantage the crowd
cheered vociferously.
Press Asserted Rights.
The handling Of the story of the big
fight marked a departure from a Gus
tom that has prevailed in past years
Heretofore the telegraph companies
have been in the habit of peddling the
news gathered by the Associated Press
and other news gathering agencies
to saloons and gambling houses, a pro
ceeding that they had about as much
right to carry on as railroad company
has TO appropriate the freight It is
given to transport. The newspapers
whose business it is to furnish the pub
lie with the news and who paid for
gathering the facts saw others in nc
way identified with the business reap.
ing the fruits of their efforts and
expenditures. When the Reno fight ar
rangements were made, however, the
Associated Press insisted upon its
rights to handle exclusively the news
it gathered, as did other news gather.
ing agencies, and the telegraph com.
panies were forced 10 yield.
So IL happened that many saloons
ard gambling places that advertised
private wire" returns of the fight yes
terday were disappointed.