New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
So Say Officers of Ship on
Which He Sailed to
Reach Barbados.
DID NO BOXING FOR
FEAR OF AN INJURY
Shipped His Own Hens To Be
Sure Of Getting Fresh Eggs.
and Ate Plenty of Pastry.

Jack johnson. heavyweight champion
OF the world, is greatly in need OF
training. He said so himself when he
left the Lamport & Holt steamship
Highland Harris at Barbados on Feb
ruary :, and announced 70 the ships
officers, who had become interested IN
him, that he would have 70 DO some
tai! training when he got ashore.
The Highland Harris. which had been
a. an anchorage, came up 90 her pier
and began discharging her chilled beer
cargo Yesterday Practically the en-
tire crew. who had taken fancy 10 the
big pugilist. were anxious for news OF
his arrival al Tampico.
Captain Robinson, master OF the
Highland Harris, who takes an interest
in all sports, especially prize hghting.
said that Johnson was in the PINK OF
condition and in his opinion could
knock out any man In the world for the
next FIVE years.
The chief officer, who also is inter
ested in fighting. said he believed that
johnson would lose in his fight with
Willard through lack Of training.
IL was said on the steamship yester-
day that Johnson announced when he
boarded the vessel that he would do no
boxing or other training on board. lie
said he had injured his arm while
sparrine on board the steamship that
brought him from Southampton to
Buenos Ayres and that he did not wish
10 take another risk Of that kind:
II the champion adhered TO this re-
solve he has had no training for thirty
DAYS. for he has been at sea practically
-. - Z
ure from Montevideo. Uruguay, on Jan
uarv 20. and his arrival at Tampico on
Thursday.
Although she is freighter, johnson
decided 10 board the Highland Harris,
rs she was the only vessel making
Barbados as port OF call. that would
and him there in time 20 get connec-
'lons for Mexico.
Blu, he liked our ship immensely"
snid the chief steward yesterday. TO
usc his exact words, Johnson said 10
me when he left US at Barbados: Boy.
] could not have been better fed or
hotter treated on the finest liner on the
western ocean than ] have on the
Highland Harris He is a black man,
Johnson is, but he's got white heart'
There were six in his party, lncluo-
ng his wife, his nephew, Gus khodes'
Frank Hagney, his sparring partner
from sydney; his chauffeur and mas
stHr.
lack came aboard on January 20. and
.c .,'.s careful TO see that the twenty
<olr choice chickens he had snlpPeed
wore housed in q proper place. lie
wanted fresh eggs every day and those
hens laid so many that Jack passed EN-
around ,u:.
Didn't he give any boxing eXhi6luon
fo. the officers during the trip the
steward was asked:
40. sir. He never once put on the
Gloves. He said he wouldn't on tne
,r.t day out and he stuck 20 his WORD
lie was afraid the ship might ron or
DIV, sudden lurch and he said he
wasn't taking any chances on being IN
l,rcd He did absolutely no training
during the eighteen days he was WIN
us. bu. every morning shortly before
noon he stripped and was massaged lot
about two hours. His men worked nara
over him
uCN question.
cause / had charge Of his meals for
frbter | could not understand how
he could get away with so much pastry.
lie likes pastry and eats an awtuI !o'
Of 1t at nearly every meal.
"He got so crazy about pastry that o.
often went into the kitchen and cooked
IL himself. i was pretty good stun,
too. He kept beautifully away from
alcohol. He never drank drop during
the eighteen days he was with US, and
his trainers told me he never TOOK IN
toxicants. He didn't even drink coffee,
but he drank great quantities of Poland
water with every meal and allowed NM
self ono cigar day -.
Did he do much walking, rope SKIP
Ming or running on deck was the next
question, and the steward answered:
"A little, but nothing 20 speak OF.
He usually played Switchboard from .
u. IN. TO 6 p. m. Most Of the time he
iosfed in a steamer chair and read, and
sometimes he shot at sharks with the
captain's rife. Just before we got into
barbados Jack killed four OF the SIX
sharks we caught on February 6. We
trawled for sharks, and after we got
'em on line and hauled up near the
surface CAPTAIN Robinson and Jack
would shoot EN-. We always hauled
EN- abroad, chopped off their tails and
threw 'em overheard as meal for their
comrades"
Asked why johnson carried his chaut-
four with him, the chief steward eI-
planned that johnson had brought two
bir touring cars with him from London
10 Ruenos Ayres, but he sent them
back and took his driver with him on
tho trip from Mexico. He also said
that Johnson never talked about his
fight or about fighting. He would an
swer questions. but never prolonged the
conversation. If the subject was prize
sighting.
Johnson told the ship officers that he
had great admiration for Georges
Carpenter, the French champion, and
regretted that the war in Europe
- s,,. sbprt tempOrarilv the Young