The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-07
Barons Drop Fifth Straight 10 Crackers

CIhlS is the second of a series of ar- ticles which MT. Corbett has written. giving the inside details of the financial side of the Jim Jeffries-Jack Johnson fight IS related by Jack Gleason, "The Man Behind" It forms one of the most romantic chapters in pugilism. Many of the details which this series of articles discusses, never before have been pub lished. The next chapter will appear to- morrow)
 When 1t was announced that the Wig wam theatre had contracted to pay Jim Jeffries . salary of 5000 for a one-week appearance, the other theatrical folks in San Francisco were aghast. The Wig wam was one of those 1o-20-3o-cent houses and the idea Of paying such a tremendous sum to any performer seemed to out siders lik3 financial suicide. But the manager of that Wigwam correctly fig ured the great drawing power of Jel- fries, and although he paid the cham pion a record sum for a one-week ap- pearanee, he cleared thousands of dol lars for himself through Jeffries' appear ance.
 Big Jeff drew crowded house to every performance during his appear ance at the Wigwam. which was in Jan. uary, 1909. Folks in San Francisco want ed to see him and to get a line on DIS condition through workouts on the stage. So they jammed into the Wig wam in an endless stream.
 Jeffries. in those early workouts in the
 
 of condition. He was as fat as a pro- boise, slow in his movements and nil- lion miles removed from the condition of his championship days. He was al elast 30 poundds overweight and rusty in his soarring work. Just the same, his every appearance provoked tumuit of applause.
 Through the engineering of Jack Glea- son. it Was Sam Berger who became 5ef- fries boxing mate in those exhibitions. Gleason was very fond of Berger, who was a clean, hard working fellow, anu he had made the condition with Jeffries that if ne vent into exhibition work at the Wigwam, Berger was to be his spar ring partner.
 At that time Berger was fairly we'll known along the Pacific slope as heavyweight boxer, and Gleason, who had seen him in some of his bouts, felt that he was the man who could brlng out the best there was in Jeffries in that era. But Jeff hadn't heard much aoout Berger aud had other ideas as to a spar ring partner. Gleason, however, held out in his advocacy of Berger and in sisted that Jeff give Berger $250 for his work of one week as a sparring com panion. Jeff baked at first but finally agreed 70 give Berger s2Oo with an extra $50 if he made good.
 At that time Gleason s only interest ill Berger was a friendly one. But. when he insisted upon Berger as a sparring partner, for Jeffries, he was casting bread upon waters.' The kindness which he did for Berger then was repaid and in the end enriched Jack Gleason S1o0,0o0 or more.
 Jeffries was such spectacular success at the Wigwam theatre that William . Morris, then a rising power in the vaude- ville and moving picture world, decided that Jeff would be a great drawing card on the road. So he offered the big cham pion contract calling for S2500 per week for a period of 20 weeks. That meant exactly s5C,000 for Jeffries for less than five months work. But Jeff wasn't ex- cited about it at first. That one week of performing at the Wigwam theatre had spelled real labor to him, and Jeff then was a bit too bulky and out of con dition to fancy hard work.
 But Gleason finally convinced Jeff that the $509y0 was about the easiest money that he ever could earn, and Jeffries ac- cepted. At the time of doing so he an- nounced that he had made Berger his