The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-26

Galveston in 1892. Farmer Burns was
another of the training squad. He is.
a wrestler OF considerable repute, and
not day Of training passed but JEFF
fries engaged him In struggling.
hauling, netting match.
| Eight years ago. when Johnson be-
gan to loom on the pugilistic horizon.
he urged his MANAGERS to make every
effort to arrange for fight with JEFF
| fries. "Jeffries can't touch me-. was
| his boast even in those days, and he
4 fretted continually over the fact that
until he acquired reputation. his
prospects for a championship battle
| ley's comet He says he believed then
as confidently in his ability to achieve
the title as he did six years later.
when at last his opportunity to bat
lied
Hard Work to Get "Rep.'
ut was not my fights themselves.
but my fight to get those. fights that
t proved the hardest part of the strug-
!, gle" Johnson told the Associated Press
in recounting his difficulties in reach
: ing the pinnacle of his ambition. 81,
was my color They told me to se,
t without meeting fighters of class? But
Q made them fight me-. just kent
o plugging along, swapping UP what
: chances to fight ! could grab, until
by-and-by the top-notchers saw that
. sooner or later they'd have to take me
on AS soon as had shown what +
could do, the fight public-most of the
fans, anyway--took sides with me. and
that helped a whole lot"
Johnson asserts that he has never
been apprehensive of possible defeat in
any contest he has engaged In. None
of them. he declares. had any terrors
for him
His four most important battles have
feen fought within the last year and
a half, dating from his defeat of
Tommy Burns in Australia, December
80 1908 Having wrested the cham
pionship from Burns. he determined to
meet and defend his title against all
Corners. His fights with Philadelphia
Jack O'Brien. AL Kaufman and STAN
ley Ketchel followed in rapid success
sion,
fore, that had brought him prorni-.
nence and helped him along greatly In
his career, his contests with Sam
Lansford. the Boston negro; Joe Jean
cite. Sam Mcyey. Denver Ed. Martin,
Jim Flynn and others. johnson lays
no particular stress except to regard
them as SO many rungs Of his ladder
of success.
I'm looking for a fight" asserted
myself out and show the public just
what can do. That's one reason why
I'm SO anxious to go up against JEFF
fries
Great Power In Reserve.
JohnsonS declaration sustains the
.! Judgment of numerous sporting writer's
Who have maintained for years that
| the big negro seldom. if ever, extend
!, ed himself. and was capable of strik-
ing harder blows than he has ever
!. delivered In the ring. 1t appears ia
y have been g general belief that ohm
son was holding back" This was
S particularly nottcea BILE in his recent
, fight with Stanley Ketchel. In that
bout Johnson toyed with his man ali
= the way. He seemed to think the
hight a joke until slip and a timely
punch brought him TO his knees and
I pened next has never been clearly
known. II was too fast to watch; and
IN an instants time Ketchel was on
his his back and being counted out. He
struck him, and Johnson himself seem
ed astonished at the result of his
sudden exhibition Of strength and
Johnson was born in Galveston. in
1878. his birthday being March 81. and
he has it. IN 1901. his hrst year as .
/ ali but one. which was a draw. The
next year he went intotthe ring sixteer
I times, and from then on was alnlos,
/ SoLslaillly engaged until TO date
he has to his credit over sixty battles
l While many of his opponents have no,
been of the style to test his mettle
his frequent bouts have served at leas
TO keep him always In training, ant
this, Is one of the strong argument.
OF his partisans.
An Interesting study.
Temperamentally Johnson Is an in
teresting study. His chief charac teris
tic Is his unfailins good nature,
eurlously constant sort Of even TEN
per that nothing seems to rufi1e. Hi
golden smile" is seldom out of eyi
dence, and not even the coarse an,
insulting jibes that frequently gree
MIN from fight spectators seem t
save the power to disturb him. Evel
when ducking a storm of blows an
showing wonderful skill in evadin
the onslaughts Of his opponent, John
son, never loses his potse nor III,
power. OF observation. His eyes TAX
III ana appraise everything that trans
pires at the rinsside. He seems to hea
every comment made by the onlook
ers, and even In the midst OF a cllncI
Wnen every muscle is tense will recog
nibe witty sally from the: audienc
Win flash of his ready smile, apt
4 IKE as not, an equally Witty re-
1oinder thrown at the audience owe
ne . reeking shoulder against whic
.@hy s ashs,ft you aght YOU blae,
"a ~ lar nt. 4 l. ..4 H.