The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-02


self to be in" said James ]. Jeffries,
the undefeated heavyweight pugilist,
as he sat in the dressing room at the
Tacoma theatre Saturday night be-
fore going on for his turn in the ath-
Ietic exhibition given before the big
gest crowd that ever packed the thea
tire.
"They say that my wind is bad, that
my muscles are bad, and my what-no,
know that 1 was not in the condition
am now when 1 fought Corbett, Fitz-
simmons and Rubin? 1 was not. / am
in better shape now than 1 have ever
been before / started hard training
for fight
Jeff then paused for a moment. At
ter a minute he turned quickly to-
ward his interviewers and with a
world of vehemence, asked:
do you think for a minute l would
have signed for this fight if 1 did not
know positively that I could get into
condition to whip this fellow"
The way in which Jeffries asked the
question let it be known plainly en-
ough that he confidently believed he
could whip Johnson when the two
meet next July 4.
To talk with Jeffries for awhile and
to observe his wonderful physical de
velopment as he stands stripped to
the waist in his dressing room will
convince anyone that he is the same
Jeffries that went straight through
the crop of weights-Fitzsim-
mons, Corbett, Sharkey and others
to the worlds championship and then
retired because there were no more OPP
ponents worthy Of a fight.
Jeffries Exceptional Man.
Jim Jeffries is an exceptional man
one out OF the ordinary. Not an ex-
ceptional fighter alone, but an extra
ordinary man. There is a certain
magnetism about him that makes one
believe as he does. Talk to Jeffries
and you will stake your last dollar he
full beating in the early part of July.
Jeffries is the big squeeze" in that
troupe of all star athletes which he is
heading. What Jeff says goes for
law And everyone connected with
the show idolizes him.
Yet with all the homage done him
by his thousands of admirers, this big
athlete is as shy as a schoolgirl. He
positively breads to meet strangers
and if by any possible means he can
avoid it, he will He is so tired of
seeing new faces and meeting strange
people that Sam Berger his manager,
has to use cajolery and every art in
his power to keep him with the troupe
Jeffries wants to bolt and get back
to his home in California right away.
Wants to Get Home.
The fact that he has made $4,000
for himself in the past 10 weeks on
this tour makes no difference to him.
He is averaging better than $4,000 a
week and yet he would prefer to can
eel his future engagements and start
straight for home. OF some one else
it might be said he simulated this I'M
concern for the financial side Of the
trip No one who knows Jeffries
would say that of him. He could not
put up a bluff if he wanted tO-that
is what Sam Berger, his manager;
Gotch, Roller, Farmer" Burns and all
the others in the troupe sincerely say.
And that is why all these athletes
are so confident Jeffries will lick John
son. They know that Jeff could not
pretend what he does not feel.
"They talk of my not being in con-
dition,' continued Jeffries. why,
weighed 267 pounds after two weeks
of training that time / met Rubin.
got in shape for that fight, didn't L?
I am now weighing 23O pounds. Inside
of a week, mind you, l could get down
to 215 pounds. l know it, for l have
taken off that much weight before.
am too light right now to suit myself
and 1 am not going below my present
weight before l start hard training.
There's a little fat on me now
here, feel that" and the big fellow pi-
loted the hand of the curious reporter
to his waist But l can take that off
in a week"
Il worked for a full year, and did
hard work before l made up my mind
I could get in shape to lick this man
Johnson When 1 went abroad last
spring I put in from one to three hours
at hard work every day. The first
day l did 10 miles on the road and
it took me two and a half hours.
kept that up until l was going the