New-York tribune., 1916-02-26
Worlds Champion Pugi-
list Pitches His Camp in
Uptown Hotel.
NOT so VERY SLENDER,
BUT HE LOOKS FIT
Is This To Be a Day or Night
Fight? He Asks Tom
Jones the Barber.
By W. o. McGEEHAN.

Jess Willard. champion heavyweight
OF the world. and Tom Jones, cham
lion middleweight barber, Of kewsnee'
emerged from the lower level OF the
Grand Central Station yesterday ana
pitched camp at the Colonial Hotel
Tex Riekard. the spendthrift promoter
co, the first peek at the man TO whom
he will pay $4,000 for forty minutes
Of ring work.
Willard was the same quiet, unas-
suminc person who made the wise
ones laugh when he said that he could
vhin lack johnson. The broad-brimmed
soft hat and the dark gray suit gave
him the look Of big lumbermsn VINO
was waiting to be shipped to camp by
the employment agent. The victory
,be sdulation Of the peanut-devourers
Of the circus and the idolization Of the
small bows have not altered him a par
ticle.
Physically Willard looks fit. He IS
rot as slender as he was In the days
vbcn he first begged recognition as
fighter. In those days he looked as
though an olive could cause pro-
,uberance in his lean frame. Neither
;s he as slender as he was when ne
,c.prned from Havana after defeating
Johnson. But he is not fat. lie Is
q, even stout. According 10 our no
tion Of proportions, he is carrying Just
about the right amount OF beef Tor 'hs'
huge frame. a.. ..or;ors
.lmert which hattened the champion
~ Chicago was given By Willard him
.olf. II had a bad cold. Gut what
really troubled me was neuralgia
"That's it," chimed in Tom Jones.
when went back TO Chicago 10 see
Jess he could hardly open ms eyes
When he did they were all bloodSh not
| was sure that the AghV "ouiu
20 be called of. u.:,,.-l
IFS awful. that neuralgia" Willard
,eminisced. Its like tootnsche III
The head. And toothsche can hur'
some. too. .,or
II seemed rather incongruous 70 rear
O. mar six feet seven in his STOCKING
foet and supposedly the strongest man
s.. tho world speaking so seriously
eoout a toothschc. 1t was Ike walch-
;rc an elephant thrown into panic Dy
tho squeak Of mouse.
When the conversation was s"i'1neu
"a Moran Willard seemed not 10 nav
the slightest interest. He listened WIN
far-of look in his eyes while tne
suddenly Willard Clipped in: SAY,
- La,-ar'. hoard vet Is this 70 be
a day or night hght!
Some of the audience gasped IN sur
rrisc. Here was man VINO was 70
fight for all he had and all he hoped
10 get out of the game and YET olG noo
lnou, the time of the meeting. Even
Inc phlepmatic Jefries displayed more
interest in his personal affairs tnah
that. The resemblance between VII
lard and the lumberman seemed more
complete. He was contracted lot GER
tain lob of which he felt himself capa-
bIe and ne was not going TO think any
TOO much about that lob until the time
came for him to get through with H.
..No. | have never seen Moran sald
Willard with apparent indifference.
do not expect to see him until see I'm
in tho ring. / have no special plans foi
The fight vet. That will all come after
"When / get through with TINS hgh'
hardly think that there Will be mucr
more for me to do. But | will hght
@nv one the public demands until
have satisfied people that | can WIN
them all. Then will retire. 1t took 9
LOT of hard work for me to get what
have and want some time TO enjoy IT.
"Win you fight Dillon" he was
asked.
"Surely will il the public demands
it," Willard replied "But | do not
think il would be a good fight. think