Bisbee daily review., 1910-07-03

When James ]. Jeffries was born
thirty.five years ago April 10 last
first-class fighting man was created.
lie was endowed with everything that
goes to make up fighter, right from
the start. He did not need to tram
and school himself TO any great eA-
tent He had both the brain and
the Drawn. and all he lacked was the
ambition 10 win tame as fighter
When that ambition did como to him
il REQUIRED but two years for him to
yanouish every fighter worthy of con-
sideration. and made the champion
shin title one of his personal assets.
Once he secured it, the only way he
could find Of ridding himself OF the
burdens it imposed was to give II
away. That is what jeff did with IT.
He looked over the field of worthy
heavy weights with a view to adopt
ing one of them as his heir. Eight
wears after his first fight he decided
that Marvin Hart was the heir-appar-
ent. and abdicsted in Hart's favor.
One of the striking things about
Jeffries is the fact that 1t took a
great deal of argument to convince
him that he was a fighting man at
Despite Natures generosity 70 him
in the matter OF size and strength
he had a strong suspicion all the
time that he was intended to be a
farmer Through his early life he
displayed great fondness for getting
close to nature via a fishing rod or
a gun, and spent quite a bit of time
Smong the mountains. He developed
decided fondness for country life
and when he resigned his high state
as champion, having annexed enough
money through purses. moving pic
lures and stage appearances to do
what he pleased he hastened TO farm
in Southern California with the inten-
lion of ending his days as a sort
OF country squire. Had John Arthur
Johnson and the color question no
interfered with his plans. he would
in all probability have carried ou
that determination.
Jeffries was born in Carroll. Ohio
in 1875 but his parents came to Cali
fornis so soon after his arrival thai
he is looked upon almost as a ma
tive of that state. Little is recorded
of his doings prior to 1897 beyond tht
fact that he was a mighty hunter
a good boiler-maker. and a rough ant
tumble fighter with whom few caret
TO mix. He never was an amateur
lighter. The first time he entered
the ring he did so on the spur OF ths
moment accepting the challenge of 4
colored fighter named Hank" Grit
fin because of the money he woul
get by defeating the challenger. TIL
light occurred in Los Angeles. Cal.
in 1893 and jeff accomplished tn
defeat Of the colored man in fourteen
rounds winding up with an artist
knockout.
While this victory did not seem [
arouse jeff to any ambition as ;
tighter, il attracted the attention O
lighters 70 him as a valuable train
ing partner. He seconded a middle
weight named Billy Gallagher in Sa,
Francisco two years later, and Gal
lagher got him a match in 1896 witt
Dan Long, Of Denver. There was
$1,000 purse up and Long went q
sleep In the second round whe,
Jeff's eft encountered his nose.
II was shortly after this that Jir
Corbett began to prepare for his fgb
with Bob Fitzsimmons, which CAV
The latter the championship. Harr
Corbett, Jim's brother who was O.
the lookout for sparring partner,
sent Jeff up to Carson City Neysd,
10 join Jim's training staff. Corbe-
hammerd the big fellow unmercifulI
but jeff was absorbing knowIedg
OF the fighting game through ever
pore These were his first real bo.
ing lessons and he took them from
master Of the craft Within thre
weeks after Corbett's defeat. JET
was in the ring again on his ow
hook, doing away with the aspir
lions Of two promising heavy weigh
in quick succession in 1897.
So much had Jeff benefited by Co
belts training that he was marke
as a coming fighter at once and
match was arranged for him vii
Gus Rubin. of Akron. Ohio whie
was fought in San Francisco in -Is9
The fight went twenty rounds to
draw
In the same year Jeffries fOue
Joe Choynski a twenty-round dra'
He recalls this fight particularly. !
says, because Choynski landed on h
jaw the hardest blow he ever ]
ceiyed. Il was a Highlander, al
had so much good will behind IL tn
Jeffries never forgot IT, That pun
was one of the things that MAJ
Jeffries call Choynski to his q
when he decided TO return to the I'll
TO fight Johnson
During the next year Jeffries /
San TO find out how strong he real
was He knocked out Joe GOddar
OF Australia a hardy fighter with mar
victories to his credit followed tn
up By knocking out Old Peter JAG
son III three rounds. and making Nc
lean Pete Everett quit in less thi
three. A twenty-round draw wi