The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-05

championship OF the world today be-
meath skies momentarilly threatening
rain. More than 10000 assembled to
watch the battle OF the mastodons-
Jess Willard, Kansas cowboy, and
white hope, 245 pounds OF Caucasian
Drawn, against John Arthur johnson,
title holder. with $50 pounds OF en-
bonied muscle.
The crowd, save for that in cheaper
priced seats, was slow il assembling.
The gates had been opened for the
general admission seats at a. IL.
These were filled with 5000 fans at
IL o'clock. an hour and a half before
the big battle of giants was scheduled
to start The reserved seats were
slower in filing, only few hundred
fans being seated at 1880. The big
arena showed a vari-colored mass,
struggling in each entrance. An hour
before the fight a few workmen still
worked feverishly putting the finish
ing touches on the temporary seats.
Prepared for Rain.
Directly in front OF the judges
stand on the track stood the twenty
foot squared circle. A tarpaulin was
ready to be spread instantly if trop-
ical shower came.
At noon Mutuel betting machines
showed Johnson 10 to favorite.
The betting was very light at that
time.
No championship battle OF hands
has ever been staged amid such pic
turesque surroundings. Over the top
Of the fence enclosing the race track
was the dense green of tropical YER
dure. The air was close with the
scent of foliage. The race track
grand stand formed the main grand
stand for the fight. Four thousand
spectators were massed here-the
only ones in the 10000 protected by
roof from the threatening skies.
Five thousand seats filled the race
track on both sides OF the ring. TIE
cheaper seats were massed In the
center of the circular track.
Half a mile away royal palm trees
quivered in the faint breeze.
Many Women In Stands.
At 1905 there were at least 200
women in the grand stand. All were
gafly dressed Their strikilgly color
ed dressed formed a background to
the duck-suited handles of Havana, or
the black suits OF the American spec
tators.
Armed soldiers of the republic Of
Cuba, picturesque in their uniforms,
patrolled every section of the enclo-
sure. keeping splendid order.
At 1910 it was apparent that the
fight would be late. All officials were
at the ring side, but the principals
had not yet shown up. At that time
nearly all the seats We're taken, but
there was a never-ending stream Of
humanity still pressing forward from
the entrances.
johnson got his $4,000 share of the
money an hour before the fight was
scheduled to start, II answer TO the
agreement by which he accepted the
challenge OF the white hope, Willard.
Crowd Smaller Than Expected.
At the time for the fight to begin,
there were only 10000 spectators in
sight, and the advance sale of 100000
claimed by the promoters looked
mythical. The movie men and the
newspaper photographers at 1925 be-
gan setting up their machines to pre-
part for the entrance OF Willard and
Johnson.
Mrs Johnson, white wife OF the
negro champion, was shown seat at
the ring side by Tom Flanagan,
Johnson's chief second, at 1890
President Menocal Of the Cuban re-
public. entered a box IN the grand
staoe at about 1890. He was accom-
! panied by a party OF Cuban officials
I The Cuban fight fans gave President
Nenocal q noisy welcome.
! II was announced that Johnson re-
ceiTed s2e, 600 for his services In cur
reucy IN his dressing room He had
previously received $1,000, making
the 10000 guaranteed the champion
when he accepted Wizards challenge
- The officials we're introduced to the
= crowd during the wait for the fighters
= to put in an appearance. The movie
a men put their machines into action
and clicked OF several tee. OF film
= while the officials bowed.
A Oraas Announcer From Pfrc.
promoter Curley had row With
a Mace, the Official announcer. and
y dragged him out Of the ring Cu-Iev
= then put IN a CUB. The crowd was
growing weary at the failure Of the
y fighters to appear and brxe1, er,tI,-T
ed this preliminary not on tho af.Ar.