The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-07-03

When James ]. Jefiries was born.
thirty-ivc years ago April 10 last, a
f1rst-class lighting man was created.
He was endowed with everything that
goes to make up fighter, right from
the start. He did not need TO train
and school himself TO any great eX-
tent. He had both the brain and the
Drawn, and all he lacked was the am
bition to win fame as fighter. When
that ambition did come to him Ii re-
quired but two years for him 10 van
Quish every fighter worthy OF con-
sideration. and make the champion
ship title one of his personal assets
Once he secured II. the only way he
could find OF Kidding himself OF the
burdens 1t imposed was to give 1t
away. That is what Jeff did with 1t.
He looked over the field of worthy
heavyweIghtS with view TO adopt
Ing one OF them as his heir. Eight
years after his first fight he decided
that Marvin Hart was the heir-appar-
ent, and abdicated In Hart's favor.
One OF the striking things about
Jeffries Is the fact that 1t took great
deal OF argument to convince him that
he was fighting man at all. Despite
Natures generosity TO him in the mat
ter Of size and strength, he had a
strong suspicion all the time that he
was intended to be farmer. Through
his early life he displayed great fond
ness for getting close to nature via
fishing rod or gun, and spent quite
a bit Of time among the mountains.
He developed a decided fondness for
country life, and when he resigned his
high state as champion, having an
nexed enough money through purses.
moving pictures and stage appear
ances to do what he pleased. he has
tened to farm In Southern California
with the intention OF ending his days
as a sort of country squire. Had John
Arthur Johnson and the color ques-
tion not interfered with his plans, he
would. in all probability, have carried
out that determination.
Jeffries was born in Carroll. Ohio,
In 1875. but his parents came to Cali
fornia so soon after his arrival that
he is looked upon almost as a native
of that state. Little Is recorded of
his doings prior to 1897 beyond the
fact that he was a mighty hunter. a
good boiler-maker, and a rough and
tumble fighter with whom few cared
to mix. He never was an amateur
fighter. The first time he entered the
ring he did so on the spur of the
moment. accepting the challenge of
colored fighter named Hank" Griffin
because Of the money he would get
by defeating the challenger The fight
occurred in Los Angeles. Cal, In 1893,
and Jeff accomplished the defeat of
the colored man In fourteen rounds,
winding up with an artistic knockout.
While this victory did not seem to
arouse Jeff to any ambition as a
fighter. il attracted the attention of
lighters to him as a valuable training
partner. He seconded middle-weight
named Billy Gallagher in San Fran
cisco two years later. and Gallagher
got him match In 1896 with Dan
Long Of Denver. There was a 81 900
purse up. and Long went TO sleep in
the second round when Jeff's left en-
countered his nose.
1t was shortly after this that Jim
Corbett began to prepare for his fight
with Bob Fitzsimmons. which gave
the latter the championship. Harry
Corbett. Jim's brother. who was on
the lookout for sparring partners,
sent Jen up TO Carson City, Nevada.
to join Jims training staff Corbett
hammered the big fellow unmerci.
fully, but JEFF was absorbing knowl,
edge of the fighting game through
every pore. These were his first real
boxing lessons. and he took them from
master Of the craft Within three
weeks after Corbetts defeat, JEFF was
in the ring again on his own hook,
doing away with the aspirations OF
two promising heavyweights in quick
succession
So much had JEFF benefited by Cor.
belts training that he was marked as
coming fighter at once, and match
was arranged fer him with Gus Rub
lin, Of Akron, Ohio. which was fought
in San Francisco In 1897. The fight
went twenty rounds to draw.
In the same year Jeffries fought Joe
Choynski a twenty-round draw lie
recalls this fight particularly, he says,
because Choynsh landed on his Jaw
the hardest blow he ever received 1t
was Highlander, and had SO much
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