The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-03
By James J. Corbett, Former Heavy weight Champion of the World.)

{ Special to The Evening Farmer.)
 New York. Aug. S.-The St. Nicholas Athletic Club corralled a great draw Jack O'Brien, Philadelphia lawns lit tie brother, and Leach Cross, the fighting dentist. The bout is down, on the cards for this coming Wednesday night.
 O'Brien scored an emphatic hit with local sports when he showed them g flash of speed which recalled his ia nous brother when at his very best some years ago, and right now the youngster is one of the best attrac- tions in the market. New Yorkere appreciate a boxer of class when they , see one.
 As for Cross. he is always a card in this town. Leach is an East Side He- brew, and it is safe to say there is nc 8ighter anywhere who has a greater following than this young man. When -'Leaches.' as his admirers term him. .as billed to give an exhibition of skill with the gloves the promoter can bank colony is for Cross to man and cheerfully comes through with admis- sion money every time he starts
 While O'Brien lacks the experience of his older adversary, he is classy
 
 5s altogether too fast for the New Yorker and will probably outbox him From beginning to end. Cross great est chance rests in his hitting ability and to bring home the bacon he will have to land a wallop with Rpwer enough to slow the young Quaker down 50 his own speed. Leach can hit hard. Of that there is no doubt. guess he's game enough too but I think the sO,fsrien boy will throw so many gloves at him that he'll grow tired of doeging Those continuous jabs on Rhe countenance without being able. to get In an effective punch in return are what test a boxers gameness "Wednesday evening will put Leaches No the "acid," I feel certain.
 Cross Is trying for a match with Wolgast and even offers to bet some dough that he can trim the champion. Toe Rivers is another boxer to whom he has been making overtures. A match at the present time with either of those boys -is out of the question, as the champion will not box again before Thanksgiving so he announced The other day, while Rivers has an Important Labor Day date with Joe nGAndot, Il the Southern lightweight of whom great things are expected. Leach is considered a very careful match maker, and side-stepped both Jack Britton and Willie Ritchie when pro- 1noters tried to bring them together recently. 1t is a sure thing he is con 9ident of beating O'Brien or there would have been no match. Young Jack will succeed. I believe, in con- vincing the Hebrew of his error of judgment in this instance.
 Jack Johnson is not the only cham pion with big ideas and a very high valuation of his services. Ad Vol gast when approached by Jim Golf roth who wanted an option on the lightweight champion. for three twenty round engagements, modestly named g5e. 800 guarantee with a percentage privilege and a divvy on the moving pictures Coffroth has dealt in star bouts ever since he horned into the game and is tolerably familiar with the caprices and exaggerated ideas of champions. but Ads demand nearly put him down for the count. The red headed one shrewdly figured Wolgast would make a lower rate per battle bn a wholesale order. but the Pchamp'' Insisted on the union scale for the en- tire Contract.
 coffroth. by the way, has been try snw for an opening in Southern Cali fornia and is thought to have closed deal for a piece of ground at Venice, near Los Angeles. upon which he con- remplates the erection of a modern and commodious arena. Dufficulty in securing dates for his San Francisco club has forced Jeems to seek newer and more liberal fields. However, if khat anti-prizefight law the feforners are, trying to jam through out Los Angeles way passes "Oily Jim" will be in Dutch, as the saving is.
 Los Angeles is some bear of town and boasts more than its share of red pIooded sports who dearly love to watch the boys slam each other about hn the ring. Yet the city is a hot bed Tor professional reformers. It was in Southern California the holler arose pver betting on horse races and which resulted in chasing the ponies out Of she Golden Gate entirely. Now the lone-haired ones are trying to nail the Rid down for keeps and will succeed in doing so if not given a battle. It s rhe strdngest thing in the world to me hhat the public and this applies to other communities as we'll as Califor- pia stands for this sort of interfer- pnce with it's liberties. If put to a popular vote it is a cinch the Xiii joy'' folks would be showed under, hut somehow or other they so cleVerly manipulate. matters that they win pearIy every time they start on tna Eou. It's a case of an organized mi nority putting the kibosh on an unor- Eanized majority.
 Monday night Gothamites will have their first glimpse of Luther McCartN since Billy McCarney brought the pig hov East Jim Stewart, the Brooklyn trial horse, has been chosen to give Luther his metropolitan tryout. Stew Frt himself will not do as a cham pfonship possibility; he is a very in- consistent performer. but has the knack of waking up occasionally and fooling the boys He did this with cari Morris twice. Jim should be able to bring out whatever fight there ls in McCarty so that we may get kon7ething of a line on the big Vest erner.
 McCarty professes confidence and havs he will put Stewart away barring hccident. His feat of stopping the plephantine Morris suggests great hstr1ehing power. Others of greater lame including Jim Flynn, found it fnnoesib1e to even daze the Oklahoma wfknt. If Luther wins this heat he EAmam ramNm nmM&