Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-29
BY Ed w. Smith.


has been selected to referee the
Johnson Flynn battle.)
HAST LAS VEGAS, N. NJ. June
r 29.-Jim Flynn won't be fac
ing any shell of a man, de-
void of a resistive interior forma
ton, next week, a man like Jack
Johnson faced in Reno two years
ago next Fourth of July.
We have, Tom Flanagan's word
for the statement and Toms word
goes for a whole lot, at least out
= in Old Town. where Jack Johnson
is training. In other words Jack
Johnson today Is all man and not
merely a man upon the surface
and something else underneath.
Several of the leading critics of
the country have been casting
doubt upon the colored mans con-
dition, continually referring to the
possibility Of the champions fol-
lowing in the footsteps of Jim JEFF
fries after his layoff before the
Johnson battle
The other day I saw Flanagan
scanning a story to this effect and l
asked him what he thought about
it. The Merry Mick" tore off one
of his big smiles and looked
thoughtful for moment or two
and then said THE whole thing
about the situation is that these
critics are figuring that Jack John
son is just like all of the others in
the past who has gone into decay
through idleness. 1t is not SO.
Flanagan Praises Johnson.
And to begin with, champions of
the pastor rather should say my
old champions who have aspired to
come back-have in the main been
men of indolent habits. Most of
them anything but harm in phys
business and anybody who knows
anything knows what that means.
Others have gone into business
equally combining and of similarly
wasting character and as re-
suit the idleness has never done
them anything but harm in a ply
ical sense.
How has it been with Johnson?
How has he spent his idle time
during the last years?
We'll, just review those two
years little bit He has done
enough stage work to keep himself
in reasonably good physical con-
dition and for a long period in
England and France he trained
steadily for the proposed battle in
England with Bombardier Wells.
And when he wasn't training he
was out in either his racing or his
touring car. getting his lungs full
of the finest of fresh air.
Jack never spent much of his
time at any combining amusement.
He isn't a drinking man in the
sense of sitting or standing around
for hours That isn't his idea of
drinking at all, He drinks beer
and wine, but never to excess. His
chief fun is driving one of his
cars, and the way Jack goes at
these sports keeps a man in fairly
good physical condition
Il can tell from his present work
out that Johnson is in the finest
of condition for his battle. The
way he has gone at his training
indicates that he realizes he is up
against a tough man and that he
intends to be prepared for any and
every thing that is liable to hap
pen.
Work Is a Revelation.
His work today should have
been a revelation to those who
know him best. I've never seen
him show so much aggressiveness
and force as he did against his
sparring mates. The old lighting
instinct seems to be aroused in him
right now and l think he will dis
play greater skill and astonishing
speed in this contest than he ever
did before.
Il doubt if Flynn has to wait for
him very much. And l doubt also
whether Flynn's great strength ano
his rough tactics will do much to
batter down the wonderful defen-
+ sive tactics that the colored star
always has shown. I've tried my
best4to figure Flynn as having bet
ter than an eighteen round chance
with Jack. but can not do So"
There was some hurried confer
ring yesterday and the Johnson
party, with Watson Burns, train
ing head of the camp came into
the city to settle the question of
the ring. 1t was Burns who in
sisted to Johnson that he accept
nothing smaller that a twenty foot
ring and to discard the promoters
first construction an arena that
measured just seventeen feet and
six inches inside of the ropes.
The Johnson party won the ar
gument. The ring in which the