The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-18

Paris Promoter Says Jack
JOhnsOn's Days Are Over.
He's a Knock to Boxing Game
and Doesn't Draw Much.

New York, Oct. 1s.-Charles w. Gal
vim, known to old-t1mers on the west
ern and Canadian racing tracks, slip
ped into town this week.
Calvin for several years back has
been promoting fights in Paris. 1t was
he who was responsible for the intro
duction of Sam McVey and Battling
J. johnson to the French arenas, and
he has handled many American pugil-
lists since in the 'gayest city of the
world Calvin is here in search of
boxing talent and will take back a
couple of good middleweights, feather
weights and bantams when he returns
to France. He will try to secure the
services of Jack Dillon, the crack In
dianapolis middleweight, and, if posi-
BILE, sign up Johnny Coulon to meet
Ledoux, the French bantam title hol-
der.
johnson in Dire Straits.
'tMistah ]. johnson is in low finan-
cial water right now,'' said Calvin.
What's more, he will never be able
to put up anyt ing like the scrap he
used to do. He weighs $50 pounds, is
as cumbrous and slow as an overfed
hippo in his movements, and looks as
though the only way to get the fat
off him would be to cut it away in
chunks with a carpenters plane.
He is the first negro boxer who lost
popularity in Paris. You understand,
there is no color line there as we have
it in this country, but just the same,
JohnSon'S actions have hurt his repu-
tation in France past all repair. They
don't want him in Paris rings, and he
arouses no interest in the rest of the
country when he travels around. The
best proof that he is we'll toward being
broke is shown by the fact that for
months past he has been going around
boxing with circuses, engaging in ex-
hibitions for small money. The last
time 1 saw him he boxed an exhibition
at Bordeaux and only drew $3.50 to the
boxoffice.
Kind of rotten that for a worlds
champion, Ell? If he ever fights Lang
ford over there, which l doubt, he will
have to be content with taking a per-
centage without any guarantee. There
was a time when he could have de-
manded a guarantee and named his own
terms. But that hour is past. Jack ].
is tanned, believe me, and is lucky to
get by at all.
Gave Him Good jolt.
1.-THE first bad jolt he got was when
he landed in England. Since he had
been in that country several people
with whom he had made and broken
contracts managed to get court judg-
mentS against him. Consequently when
J.. J. put his big fiat hoof on King
Georges soil the natives walked all
over his pet corns. They were glad to
see him, very, because he was ripe
for a trimming and they We're ready
to trim him legally. They swatted him
for about 10000 odd plunks or SO, on
court judgments, grabbed his autos
and all his junk and fed him with
lemons, generally speaking. When he
wanted to earn a few iron men in the
music halls the members of the actors
union raised a squawk and barred him
out.
Then he did a hike to Paris and
already told you how they sort of gave
him the chilly stare. Everything he has
left is in his wife's name. If she ever
gets the notion to blow away from him,
and that isn't the most unlikely thing
in the world, there'n be a big, sad,
lonely coon washed up high and dry on
the beach without a bean in his kick
and the men in the moon making faces
at him.
well, I don't wish him any real
harm, but if big coal wagon weighing
Is tons was to skate over him from