The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-06-24


hard work Fitzsimmons. they told
US, finished his training few days
before the scrap and spent the rest
of his time chopping wood and putting
an iron shot with the ranchers who
came around to see him box.
Only few more days stood be-
tween US and the great event. The
hundred or SO of newspaper men gath
cred in Carson We're on tiptoe for some
new sensation. They had written up
everything from Corbett's food sched-
and they were always around looking
and listening and asking questions of
everybody. certain bunch of these
reporters from San Francisco news
paper had the inside track in a way.
Corbett having accepted an offer of
$1,000 for exclusive interviews. One
Of these men on a dull day thought up
scheme to make a good story. He
proposed to Corbett that he take run
over Fitzsimmons' road and meet the
Australian face to face. Corbett had
no objection to looking at fitzsim-
mons. Every day Fitz's run took him
from Cooks ranch. where he was
training. down past the big stone
buildings Of the state prison
So 1t was fixed up that Corbett was
to visit the prison quietly in the MORN
ing just about the time Fitz would be
out on his run With Homer Daven-
port. the cartoonist and a couple of
writer's in a rig. Corbett and started
1t all came out right After awhile
we saw Fitzsimmons' head bobbing up
and down In the distance He came
running along. swinging a stick in his
hand. AS he reached us he started to
go by without paying any attention to
our party. But the reporters called to
him. and he stopped. Corbett and Fitz-
simmons were face to face. II any
thing the Cornfshman was the cooler
of the two. l knew that they had met
before in the east and that they were
bitter enemies. They hardly looked at
each other now until one Of the writ
ers said. "Shake hands. gentlemen"
Corbett held out his hand.
But Fitzsimmons stepped quickly
back and refused.
Last time l offered to shake hands
with you." he said. you struck me in
the face. The only time I'll shake with
you now is after I've whipped you"
'Then you'll never shake with me-"
said Corbett. flushing up angrily. This
is your last chance"
| For a moment it looked as If they
would come to blows right there on
the road. and l thought I'd see good
Ayh Ryyf hn int
simmons went on his way. and we kept
on to the prison.
| Corbett was in rage. Hell shake
hands after he's whipped me. will he?"
he growled.
Fitzsimmons made quite an impress
sion on me that day. He looked like a
light man to fight for the heavyweight
championship. for. although his shoul-
ders were nearly as broad as my own.
any one could see at a glance that he
was just a mass of wiry sinew from
head to heels. with no big muscles
worth mentioning. And yet he had
knocked out lot of good men in a
punch or two. and he was a cool fell
low, who evidently liked to fight Fitz
was a funny combination of fighter
and practical joker. Even over at
Shaw's we heard of his pranks in the
training quarters. On this day. SO
heard later. he continued his run to
Carson and. going into one of the tenn
porary newspaper Offices there. spent
half an hour trying to break all rec
ords on punching machine that they
had brought to Nevada to try out the
fighters with. And after that. when he
saw lot Of photographers waiting for
him in the street. he tried to escape
through the back window for a joke.
lost his balance and fell head first into