Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-04
.GLAD|ATORS WAIT
TAP OF THE GONG
Johnson Welcomes Delaney to
His Camp and Veteran Is
Pleased
ODDS STILL STAND 10 TO61-2
JetfrieS Remains in Camp and in
Shade of Tree Plays Cards
with Friends
ODDS STILL STAND 10 TO 6 61-2
CONTINUED from Page One,

straining neck and gaping face. Not
a smile, not a frown, escaped the ever
growing crowd.
Jeffries did absolutely no work dur
ing the day. He loafed and dried
out" He did not give sign that the
imminence of the battle was perturbing
his spirit He was thoroughly glad
that his heroic training was over and
he was ready to meet the test with all
of his old time spirit.
There was an uneasy, restless move
ment noticeable among the trainers
and camp followers. Broken sentences.
over emphasis of conviction and va
rious other little things showed that
on the part of some of the white fight
ers intimates at least there was con-
siderable turmoil of spirit.
Ragtime music told of the approach
to Johnson's rest The arrival of the
great Delaney had lifted the spirits of
Johnson and half his friends to the
pinnacle of confidence. There was no
evidence of what was to come in a few
hours. Johnson did his road work in
the morning and then announced that
he had reached his fighting weight, 206
pounds, and would step into the ring
at 205. Jeffries will not give out his
weight until tomorrow.
The road house by the sparkling
waters of the Truckee river which
ment, was filled all day with men and
women. The only privacy allowed the
colored man was room upstairs, and
1t took two strong negroes to keep
down the crowds that surged constant
ly up the stairway.
JOHNSON" SAYS DELANEY
johnson will win, of this there is no
doubt" said Delaney after he came
down from the room where johnson
was being rubbed down after his eight
mile run. And there was a smile on
the face of the old man that told
palmer than words his thoughts.
Hundreds who did not care to make
the effort to get to the camps made
their way to the new arena, a mile
from the city, and enjoyed themselves
staring at the workmen still busy with
the last touches. There was small
strike on the part of the carpenters
during the morning when they found
that they had to erect screened boxes
for the women who have bought tickets
to the fight. The carpenters said that
this was not in the contract, that they
were through, and 1t looked bad for
the women for a while.
But Tex Rickard smoothed matters
over by signing a new contract with
the carpenters and the work was
rushed through.
TELEGRAPH WIRES
Telegraph officials were busy Install
ing ringside wires. Painters were busy
marking off seat numbers and sec
tions Every seat, 1t was found, was
so arranged that clear view of the
ring could be had
The ring looked solid enough for an
elephant to tread on. There was
beautiful rope around it-a purity that
won't last long when sweating bodies
groan against 1t.
There is not a house or telegraph
pole around the arena on which free
seat may be found to view the fight.
The upper tiers stretch away into the
open sagebrush plains. on every side
the great hills wall in this little spot
on the map. Natures arena Is around
it, faultless in beauty, wild and free In
its bleak sweep. 1t is a fit place for
this battle of giants, this struggle for
first place as fighting man. Ihe
thousands who did not go around this
triangle of attractions filled the main
streets of the city in waiting crowds.
1t was an aimlesS crowd, moved by one
fever. Pugilists were the centers of
dozen groups Bob Fitzsimmons
shambled around the hotel corridors
telling how the man who licked MN
was going to play the steam roller on
this black boxer. Stanley Ketchel. VINO
was beaten down by this same black
boxer, SHOOK his Icdi NioCiJ oAAN
another crowd where Jeffries would
fail and would go out of this town with
a broken heart. Battling Nelson, still
showing a few cuts on his ears from
the battle in which he found a younger
man his master, circled here and there.
He "hates to think of Jeffries' losing,
but"
THE CELEBRITIES
Sam Langford, the Boston oone
crusher, who maintains an attitude OF
great contempt for his black brother,
was tagged in his every movement by
great knots of men and boys. Tom
NV Burns Al Kaufman, Bill Lang, ana
a dozen other celebrities of the day,
to say nothing of those old kings OF
the ring, Corbett and Sullivan, kept
the crowds running this way and that
way in an attempt to pick up the gold
en- tins that might fall from their lips.
George Cotton the coal-black spar
ring partner of Johnson, held crowd
in front of one of the principal hotels
for an hour, listening to his song or
praises of his master. If the colonel
of the rough riders had walked down
the street, ii is doubtful If many would
have turned to follow him' IL you nau
asked about some such notable as the
secretary of war, it is probable that
someone would have wanted to know
whose sparring partner he was. The
games were off and that made the wait
ing a bit more tiresome. For few
hours the roulette wheels were silent.
1t was the Sabbath day and nothing
but the card games were allowed
Stud poker was dealt here and there
where the sports gathered, but that
was a quiet game.
PIOUS TOWN
'This is very pious town." said
one of the Jeffries group when he heard
of the fine distinction between stud
poker and roulette.
The poolrooms were the scenes OF
the greatest activity. Around the
ticket sellers window long line was in
waiting all day and $40 seats went
like hot cakes. -.
Police arrangements for the fight day
have been perfected.
In the doorway of a main hotel
stands day and night a quiet, mild
man wearing a quiet suit of clothes
and a broad brimmed hat His steel
blue eyes rest for a moment upon each
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