The San Francisco call., 1910-06-29
Trio of Champions of Bygone
Days Unanimously Pin Faith
10 White Man
CAN He GONE BACK"
WHERE THEY DID NOT?
Difference With Jefries Is That
He Quit Game While Still
an Unbeaten Man
HOPE or. WHITE RACE
NEVER TASTED DEFEAT
BY FRED R. BEcHDoLT
ESpeciol DispotchiO The Cali

ESPeoiol Dispotchto The Call
n ENO. Ner., June 28.-Among the
n thousands OF faces turned to-
ward the ring next Monday
afternoon there will be three about
whom peculiar interest clings.
They viii be close by the ropes
three rugged visages, bearing old
scars OF blows. the faces of the cham
pioHs OF other years-Sullivan, Cor
bett, Fitzsimmons, the men who tried
10 come hack and-failed How closely
they will watch, 10 sec whether this
man Jeffrjes can do what they could
not,
Sullivan. Corbett, -Fitzsimmons.
rom the TIME. Of. bare knuckles and
the old London prize ring rules until
tile present day they bridged the gap
or all those years. One after another
rose from. obscurity- to the proud
position of champion; fought his way
mp; knocked out others that he might
rises each left his. own long list of
beaten fighters behind him; and, IN
tAc end, each III ms turn went down.
AHIth those three and the two men in
lie ring lies the whole history of
modern pugilisrl1. But with the three
j IS only history. They arc of the
past
PAST GLORY THEIRS
Only the glory of what has been
c1wfaps. them. They have it to live
in memories. 1t IS a fine thing to
have men point their fingers at you as
you pass them on the street and tell
asllo you were. But what a struggle
each of those three made against that
relegation to the. past.
And here they are, their hearts set
on watching that same struggle in
which they failed. Nor is that all.
Every one Of these three whose day
of tasting the hot SAVIOR OF fight has
gone shouts his loyal belief in JEFF
fries Every one OF them tells the
world that this successor to their hon
ors has done the thing which they
has hardened his body again into a
lighting machine. They tell il in all
sincerity: it is good to hear them and
10 read the things they say.
WILL WATCH JEFFRIES
But in spite Of all their firm beliefs
and hopes. how keenly they viii watch
that fightt Undoubtedly they will do
q deal Of thinking as they watch. Be-.
rond a doubt they will peer at JEFF
g. fries' face and viii listen to his breath
ing. lest they hear or see some sign
which they know well. some indication
that the body's good machinery has
= been used too long; that the complex,
hidden organs underneath the skin and
flesh are rusted or a little worn.
Those memories are bound to be
Old John l. Sullivan can not well help
recalling that day years ago when lN
faced the cheering thousands standing
beside Corbett, the new champion: the
day when his big voice trembling, he
told the crowd that he tried il once too
often. and Corbett has the memory
of that other Nevada ring. when he
rose after Fitzsimmons' solar piexus
blow and begged for another fight,
after three futile trials he made TO
GET back the strength that had gone
from his body Nor can FitZsimmons
forget the strivings he made in vain
after Jeffries crushed him the first time
r
~. Certainly. fighting is the thing that
grips man. These three came long
distances TO get ringside seats. Cor
.bett crossed the continent first; then
old John L, and even now Fitzsimmons
Is on his way from the far antipodes.
A = those thousands of miles for love Of
the old game. the game they used to
play SO well
KNEW WHEN TO QUIT
A Unlike them, Jenries quit the game
Nefore il got the best OF him. The re-
11ll-ed cha ampion quit a strong, unbeaten
mantle man still gaining strength
His senses have never tasted the
Knockout: His courage has never had
10 stand up waiting for the finishing
blow But he retired be quit and he
Iiyed the easy life And he grew older
And now he has worked harder than
amy man has worked before him TO
fo.ff..,aS o.. pace 10 f.or.,.rr