Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-10
BIG JEFF WANTS MORE OF IT
neno Dose Didn't Cure Him Of His
Hallucinstions.
nv w. w. AUGHro.

- BY w. w. AUGHT0.
EAy FRANCISCO. Cal. March a.
Ihare was a rumor a few days ago
q fairly well defined rumor, it may b,
.stated-that Jim Jeffries Is becoming
FESTIVE In his retirement. that his hal
.fs IN the ring. as It were, and that h
Is consumed with a desire TO wipe out
the indignities thrust upon him by one
Jack johnson at Reno q year and . halt
ago.
As Mr.. Jeffries refused either 10 con-
,flrm or deny the report. Il created a
small ripple OF excitement It's just as
well. In fact. that Jeffries kept hts lips
Closed and thereby gave the rumor an
air Of instability. II he had confirmed
the story without further ado. Il might
have grieved him to discover how little
the public Is interested In his pugilistic
ambitions.
II serves to show the changes year
or two bring about. Not 20 very long
ago. when Jeffries, after much hanging
hack. announced his readiness TO box
johnson. the news created worldwide
,eommotion. Now that he Is seriously
suspected Of a similar design. all that
rs heard is an occasional smoker.
Yet they say it's true: that the hope
OF bringing about another clash with the
negro springs eternal in the Jeffrles
breast. and that the only reason big
Jim has not been more definite in re-
gard TO hts purpose is that he Is main
,faining his old policy OF unbosomine
himself a bit ct a time. Now that some
kind friend has broken the Ice for him.
II Is prophesied that official confirmation
iof the rumor viii shortly be fortheom-
ing and that Jeffries viii devote him
self TO tbs furtherance OF his scheme
irrespective OF sneers and jeers from
The sporting body.
@'Here's the way OF H." said a well
Known man who is friendly with JeffrIes
and was In the old days. This new
notion Of Jeffries is not based on the
ekpectation OF making money. Jim has
fcid me not once but doxen times that,
TX II hadn't been for the financial as
'rect Of that first night with johnson.
~ might never have come out OF re-
tfrement. butt this IL different prop
S<ltion. TO begin with. Jeffries believes
he was doped that July day when he
faced johnson at Reno You know what
a. close-mouthed fellow he Is. lie viii
not reveal the source OF his informa-
ton. but he says he has become pos
sessed Of convincing information that his
suspicious were well founded. He
knows and everyone who saw the fight
knows. thst he was not himself that
day. He believes that. n he had felt
as well as he did on any OF Ids ordinary
training days he could have licked
johnson. He has been taking good care
Of hImself-hxs been training quietly In
fsct-and he Is going to bring about an
other fight II Il can bc done"
As johnson IL perfectly willing 10 obiIge
Il seems that the only thing needed
now Il some definite declaration Of his
Intention from Jsffriss himself. II that
were forthcoming. It il reasonable to
suppose that purse and battle-ground
could soon be located.
Personally the writer has no expscta-
tion Of seeing the thing come to head.
Indecisicn was always one Of Jeffries'
charzcteristics and he IL likely TO
abandon this new project on some pre-
tense At an instanfs notice. But. II
he comes out Of his shell and decides
TO 70 right through with the thing. II
Is interesting 10 speculate on the kind
Of fellow Jeffries win appear when he
has pitched camp and Is In full swing Of
training.
To begin with. he viii probably be
more tolerant Of and more spproach.ss,..s
BY nowrpapermen. Time was when
timid correspondents dared not approach
the awful presence Of the champion UNI
less conveyed BY Blu Delaney or some
other soft-voiced. kind-hearted mediator.
Those we're the days when poor. ratified
photographers used to get their legs en-
tangled with their tripods while en-
deavorinx 10 make the most Of few
minutes granted BY the big fighter.
There may not be any Jim corbetts
or ZOO choynskis around Jeffriex next
stronghold and probably no Bob Arm
strong croaking eternaliy. dis man
Jonnslng had no Idea what he Is goin'
against; no idea" There will be less
%t"@t& &At&@tt &AtAa1t49AA 8AI more
work In all probability.
One thing that win increase Jeffries'
stock Of determination viii be the idea
that. n he can overthrow johnson. he
WIN not only revenge himself and re-
gain the championship. but restore an
tbs credit that was his before he fought
johnson first. and which he was de-
prived Of when johnson laid him low.
The knowledge that he lost his all
in tho shape Of prestige through the
defeat by johnson must he one of the
bitferesf pills Jeffries was forced 10
swallow. Before that day At Reno he
was the Jeffries who licked jim Cor
bett Bob F1tzslmmonA Gus Rubin and
all the rest Of them
After that day he was simply the
Ir.<F~4.w - -