Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-17
EASTERN FANS
ACCUSE PACKEY
Of GOLD FEET
Proposed Tour Of Australia Is
Looked Upon as Excuse to
Avoid Gibbons.
BY Tom Thorp.

between In" Arthur john
son and Sam Langford in London
was rumored here to- day The fact
became known that the National
Sporting Club of London, although
the authorities declare they will 40.
tolerate a fight between these two
fighters has made an offer of Sl5,-
600 for a twenty battle.
The offer contains so many ifs"
and "ands' that 1t is very probable
both fighters will turn it down. The
fact alone that a club such as the
National Sporting Club would come
forward with an offer for such n
battle between Their. now, in the face
of all the criticism that such q
match has started, is taken as a tip
by the wise ones" that perhaps the
authorities are not so opposed to Il
battle between these two fighters rs
many of the foreign sporting writers
would have Us think.
If Johnson and Langford do final
ly sign articles, it is a certainty that
the match will be held some time in
the near future, as one of the clauses
of the offer was that the managers
of both men should come together
and either agree or turn the offer
down before the first day of April.
tMaybe this is only an April fool
joke on the champion)
THAT something besides "love"
L caused Packey Mcfarland to run
out of his match with Mike Gibbons,
slated for Madison Square Garden,
New York. was the opinion of 81
who read of the latest announcement
of Mcfarland to tour Australia in
the very near future.
The announcement that the Chi
Cago fighter accompanied by r. L.
(Snowy) Baker, intends to engage in
three fights before the sporting pub
lie Of Australia and perhaps con-
tnuo around the world and to sign
to feht as many more battles on the
other side as possible, loses for this
popular fighter some OF the prestige
that he has so long held in the hearts
of all lovers Of the manly sport in
this country. Perhaps he thinks that
the going over in Australia Is much
softer than his bout with Mike Glib
hons would prove TO -, and the
excuse my wife to-be won't let
me- is only one of the many that our
So-Called champions" are resortins
to in these days of passing the buck
TO crawl out of bad lacing
THE custom that is in vogue in
L England Of making fighters live
UP to all their agreements or else
withdraw from the limellght of pub
Hcity might help to establish the
fighting game on a much better foot
ing if it were put into effect in this
country.
THE mysterious disappearance Of
L the immense sums collected by
the different racing associations
throughout the country by virtue of
fines imposed upon jockeys, fees for
registration, license fees paid Dy
Jockeys and trainers is causing con-
siderable speculation among those
who have time to sit down and fig
ure out Just how much the toIA
amounts to,
To date nobody is in a position to
offer an explanation, Friends of -he
sport have advanced the theory that
the fees collected have been put ~
pools for the purpose of paying doc
tors and hospital expenses OF jockeys
injured on the various courses
throughout the country. 1t was Cor
this purpose that the different racing
associations were allowed to collect
these large tolls.
The money collected has amounted
to at least $4,000 each year, but that
it has failed to flow down the proper
channel is shown by the fact that
any of our most prominent jockeys,
in the days when horse racing was
known as the sport of the day
have been allowed to de in neglect,
while on the streets of many of the
more prominent cities can be found
some of the little fellows that hav-
worn the winning colors in great dis
tress, suffering from injuries sus-
tanned in some classic Of the turf
Unless some explanation is made
and very soon, too, the sport VIII
surely feel the effect during the meet
ings that are scheduled to open very
shortly.