Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-27

the reaction against prize fighting
came l was just budding into the pro-
fessional ranks"
With the impulse of interested youth
young Martin begged so earnestly that
he, continue and tell of those strenu-
Gus days when the ban was perma-
nently placed against the prize fight
that the old gentleman graciously con-
descended to do so when he had COM
pleted his light repast.
While their guest slowly munched his
food the three sat in nervous expec-
fancy, and when he had completed,
one advancing a Havana and the other
two vying with each other in assist
ing him to light, soon had him settled
back in his chair at ease
WATKINS STORY
"My days are rapidly drawing to a
close, as they should" he began, for
I am drawing close unto the century
mark. But something seems to tell
me that I am again to witness the
havoc to be wrought upon this earth
when the comet. which is now visible
in the eastern sky, has passed and be-
comes an omen of evil in the western
evening sky. And, mark you, the pres
ent state of international peace will be
sorely tested during the coming
months.
GAS predicted by the worlds most
famous prophets OF the Rooseveltian
era, as the period of the last visitation
of Halley's comet in the year 1910 has
come to be known, the passing of the
comet was followed by atmospheric,
volcanic and civil disturbances that
wrought havoc among the peoples Of
the nations of the earth, and our ma
ton was torn from ocean to ocean
with a discord that waxed close unto
rivaling in intensity the Civil war.
"At this time 1 was a young man
richly endowed with natural strength
and cleverness and aspiring for fame
in the pugilistic field at San Fran
cisco, Cal, and success had been more
than generous in its allotment to me.
THE COMET
"Halley's comet was still the celes-
tial attraction of the western evening
sky, the earth having hurled through
its ever following, hazy streamer only
a month before, which event had left
a profound impression upon the uni
verse and an influence that was felt
throughout the world in many ways
during the following trend of unusual
events, when the greatest battle in the
history of the prize ring, between
James J. Jeffries, the undefeated king
of white fighters, and Jack Johnson,
negro holder of the heavyweight title,
was staged at Reno, New.
THAT the two fighters represented
the very cream of Drawn and clever
ness of the two races made the event
to be looked upon as a racial suprem-
acy test, attracting the attention of the
entire nation and of foreign countries
ever since the match was culmi-
mated in signed articles a year before
arguments as to the relative merits OF
the two fighters as to condition ano
ability had waXed warm in the sport
ing pages of the press until public
oninion had become fairly well oil
vided, although the majority of the
sporting authorities conceded the white
champion the better chance.
THE FOURTH
when the morning of the Fourtf
of July, the day of the fight, dawneo
and drew into day, all other topics
lacked of interest and as the houl
when hostilities would commence drew
near groups of gesticulating ano
earnest talking men spotted the stree'
corners of the cities of the nation, Sc
riously discussing and weighing the
probabilities of the outcome.
1.-THE street frontage of the news
papers that would bulletin the returns
were impassable long before rlngsldf
wires.
"That act in American history, con
secrated on that day in 1875, marking
the birth Of the greatest free natlor
on earth. and because of Which tina
dav had been set aside as natloha
holiday for the celebration of tina
event, was forgotten by the ma1orlt!
of the people. Auditoriums and park
where programs of patriotic orator!
had been arranged to commemorate
+he achievement of liberty by our fore
fathers received scant attendance, an(
+he day assumed the appearance o
having been especially set aside as
holiday because of the great hstl'
argument.
House at Washington had become IN
fected with the fight microbe-Presl
dent Taft having arranged for specia
service to advise him of the progress
of the battle by rounds-while at Oys
fer BAY. Theodore Roosevelt, the great
est man Of the age and an ardent ad
mirer of the manly art, was said Z
have paced nervously up and down nj!
studv between the deliveries of the
little yellow sheets advising him nov
the battle was progressing.
within the quietude of little east
ern village church a prayer meeting
as the hoary- headed pastor faced th'
scant attendance to address thanks un
to his maker he concluded with a re
nuest that his son be guided safely u
victory in far off California on tha
dav. while in a Chicago home col
ored nanny breathed the same
thoughts for her boy Jack.
"IJnder such conditions the final bat
tie Of the fistic arena was staged.
AT THE RINGsIDE
Through my acquaintance with thu
fight promoters, a position as usher a.
the big fight was easily arranged anc
the morning of the fight found me IL
that capacity within the large am
phitheater which had been especially
constructed for the contest.
with the opening of the entrances
that lead to the general admission
seats at the noon hour, the tiers or
tiers of seats rising gradually in ele-
walton as they extended and drew away
from the ringside, commenced rapidly
filling and long before the gong hac
changed for the opening preliminary
bout, the unreserved section had com
pletely filled. while the few struggling
coupon holders shortly after filled
every seat in the immense structure.
FROM ALL PARTS
"Tere were men from all parts OF
the globe, many having journeyed from
distant homes especially to see this
struggle for fistic supremacy between
two men-a large portion having come
on special trains that had wended
their way across the continent, while
others had come from foreign shores
"When 1 looked upon that vast as
semblage of men, and knowing that
many had come from distant cities
purposely to witness the coming few
minutes of fighting between two OF
+bair kind the itnmensitv of the in