Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-26
GUNBOhT MAY BOX
CARPENTER SOON
Manager Buckley Receives Of
fer from Leading French
Fistic Promoter.
SMITH READY FOR PELKEY
Sailor Shows Great Improvement at
Training Camp and Expects a
Hard Battle.

San Francisco, Cal, Dec. 26.-While
Jim Buckley, manager of Gunboat
Smith. is extremely confident that his
heavyweigh will defeat Arthur Pelkey
at DAILY City on New Years day, his
faith in the gunner is not causing him
! to make the mistake of counting
chickens before they are Matched.
Within the last day or two Buckley
has received a cablegram from lead
/ ing French promoter in which the
gunner is offered q match in Paris
with either George Carpenter or Sam
! Langford.
Did you accept?" Buckley was
asked.
Not yet" was the reply. at will be
time enough to do that when the Gun
boat-Pelkey battle has been fought. I
do not suppose they would want Smith
if Pelkey beat him.
There's a touch of chivalry about
BuclIey's action in the matter, but
while he intends to be thoroughly sure
of his ground before acknowledging re-
ceipt of the offer from Paris, he has
practically decided what will do in the
event of Gunboat winning from Pei
key.
IF it had not been for Jack John
son breaking his arm with the other
Johnson, Gunboat would have looked
for n match with Jack and no one
else" said Buckley. Smith has beat
en- Langford once and that should be
enough, especially in a case like this
when every tough opponent you dis
pose of means a step nearer the cham
pionship.
with Jack Johnson out of It for
several months, as he will be, if in
deed he ever fights again, it is a horse
of another color. We will be quite
willing to meet either Langford or
Carpenter and will journey to Paris
If necessary to make n match. We
would prefer, though, to box in this
country. Sam Langford is barred in
New York, but / will give Carpenter
personal guarantee of $4,000 if he
Will agree to meet Gunboat there with
in the next few days. If this offer is
not acceptable it will be a case of
packing trunks and crossing the
water for there will be no one left on
this side for Gunboat to box"
Buckley is more than pleased at the
way Gun boats training is progressing
over at Channon's. He considers the
gunner is lucky in having Jack Hemp
hill and Bill Sloan for sparring part
ners.
Il don't think Gunboat ever was as
well fixed in that line before" said
Puckley. These fellows are grand
workers and they keep Smith well ex-
tended all the time they are boxing
with him. l am sure he will be In
the shape of his life when he meets
PelEey on New Years day"
Buckley referred to- the fact that
Pelkey is a much heavier man than
Gunboat, but says that Smith has be
come accustomed to weight handicaps
and thinks nothing now of concedinC
10 or 20 pounds to an opponent.
I'VE look for a stiff fight, but II the
same time we expect to VIM" said
Buckley. I'VE are glad that Pelkey
has made so many friends among the
sporting element since he opened shop
at Millett's. We have heard so many
stories about his speed, his pluck, his
great strength and nard lookc that 1
THINK some 81 the bows are
trying TO Scare the gunner. / saw
where one writer said nat al, pcIkev
needed was a cloak Of wild animal
Skirs, rough whisker around his face
and war club in his Land 20 make
In look like the original cave man.
Why, Gaby Deslys would look like
he cave man if you rugged her out
hat way