Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
ARENA IS READY
FOR GLAD|ATORS
Final Selection of Site Marks the
End of Long Struggle of
Promoters
STRUCTURES COST is $17,500
Forest of Lumber Used in Con-
StruCtion of Open Air
Pavilion
STRUCTURES COST is S17,5OO
Associated Pressl

RENO, July with the last plank
in place, the canvas covering of the
ring stretched until it cannot slip or
rumple beneath the feet of the fight
ers, the arena in which James ]. JEFF
fries and John Arthur Johnson Will
settle the worlds heavyweight cham
pionship on Monday is ready for the
thronging thousands who will see the
history making battle And the thou
sands are coming. They are pouring
into this city by every available means
of conveyance. Some of them come
from the other side of the Atlantic
ocean. Some have voyaged across the
Pacific, travelling nearly 10000 miles to
witness the fight, and probably there
would have been many more from
great distances had it not been for the
strong opposition to the match and the
widespread agitation to prevent it
which finally resulted in the transfer
to the far less accessible Reno.
The widespread opposition to the
fight in California which finally re-
suited in Governor Gillett's drastic
action, barring the event from the
state and the shifting of the scene to
Reno was headed by the churches of
the country and found a place in the
resolutions adopted by several of the
annual church conferences and con-
ventions. The governor, the mayor
dllu even Ile pTeSlu6nI were dppedl6u
to- and the story of the governor s
final interference is now history.
SELECTING SITE
The first problem encountered by
the promoters after the men had signed
articles was that of selecting a site.
Rickard declared himself in favor of
Salt Lake City, Utah, and it looked for
a time as though the match would be
staged there. Jack Gleason, Rickard' S
associate, is a San Franciscan, how
ever, and he was equally determined
that the fight should be held in his
home city. The difference between
Rickard and Gleason continued until
the governor of Utah plainly intimated
that his stand would be against the
fight, and Rickard yielded the point.
When Rickard and Gleason finally
decided upon holding the fight on the
coast the question of the exact place
was still in doubt for several weeks.
1t was found that the board of super
visors of San Francisco, under the new
administration which took office at the
beginning of the year. was willing to
grant a 45-round permit, but still there
was friction at some points, and finally
it was decided to take the fight across
the bay.
Emeryville is the site of the New
California Jockey club race track. 1t
is convenient to all railroads, street
cars and ferry boats and when the
sporting world heard that President
Williams of the jockey club had con-
sented to the use of the grounds for
the fight arena, they breathed a sigh
of relief. 1t looked as though the way
was cleared at last. The men were in
training, plans for the arena were
drawn, the agreed portions of the gi-
gantic purse was deposited and ev-
erythinng looked smooth.
OPPOSITION
Right in the midst of this, how
ever, the church opposition came. The
people of the east bay shore where
Emeryville is located brought great
pressure to bear upon the county Of
ticials. 1t was announced that the fight
would be stopped at the first indication
that it was anything more than the
sparring contest it purported to be.
This statement created alarm, and
when it was followed with a request
from Williams that the promoters, if
possible, find some other place, sport
dom suffered a decided blue spell. Will
liamsesaid that he would keep his bar
gain with Rickard. but it was evident
that he did not desire to do So
The promoters then began to gather
their forces in San Francisco again. A
storm of objection and protest was
raised by the church federations and
like organizations, but the police COM
mittee of the supervisors recommended
that the 45-round permit be granted.
Attorneys were employed by the church
people to fight the matter before the
supervisors, Everyone expected a YER
bal battle at least and when the rec
ommendation came up for action the
board room was crowded.
PERMIT GRANTED
It is not everyone, however, who is
familiar with the routine of board
meetings. Very quietly the committees S
recommendation was advanced on the
days program Of business, called up,
and the permit granted without a word
having been said against it. The op-
position did not realize what was going
forward until it was too late even to
protest.
The pressure upon the governor had
not been RENTED for moment. He
declared that he did not believe the
state law would justify Intervention,
however, and with this statement from
a man known TO be opposed to prize
fighting, the promoters were content.
They did not fear that the authorities
would step in, and carried their prepa-
rations forward without further consid-
Grafton of the opposition.
fore, when Governor Gillett, when the
actual erection of the arena had been
begun, and everything was considered
settled announced that he regarded the
contest as a prize fight and not box
ing contest, and that in accordance
with the laws of California he would
not permit it to be held. There was
talk of a contest in the courts, but it
was seen that this would be too long
drawn out to admit If a decision in
time to stage the fight, and the COVER
nor making it decidedly plain that he
meant what he said, and would go to
all legal lengths to stop the affair,
the promoters gave up, and picked the
state of Nevada as their one sure
stronghold.
Goldfeld at first made strong bid
for the match. but accessibility was a
point to be strongly considered, and
Rickard and his associates came to
believe that Reno was the proper Sc
lection. So Reno it was, and everything
was switched to this town and the hur-
ried construction of the arena was be-
gun.