The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-21
What Edgren Says
An Authoritative Sport Feature by
the Foremost Sporting Writer
and Cartoonist in America.
and CQrtoonlSt in America.

than he weighed at Havana. There
were no scales in his place, but he looks
about ESQ stripped. AS he weighed 20
when he began training to fight Johnson
this is not at all an excessive weight
willa:d's body was thicker and h"afi-
or. around waist and hops. than al
Havana, but no heavier than in the
Moran fight. 1t could hardly be expect
cd that he would be in fighting 1oTHs
Two months before the Dempsey raa'ch'
IT have been taking taking good care
OF myself all the time" Willard tnld
mo while he was getting ready to blk
Il don't look like booZsr. do =?
He didn't With the grease paint
washed off willard showed clean
ruddy complexion. Stripped. his skin
was white and clean, without blcm-
ish.
The rel orts about my drinking have
always been exaggerated. l never nave
boon n Prohibitinaist. and I take drink
whenever l want one but that isn't
nftcn. never drank enough to hurt
mo. The trouble is that since I have
been champion I can hardly take a
drink Of soda without somebody's
sprcadinS a STORY that I'm sousinG up.
THAT'S right" broke in Roy Archer
"N-hv. ono day in Kansas City Jess was
around the hotel and n lot of his friends
wore inviting. him 10 join them. know
Joss was only drinking minteral water
that day. hut I hoard an old fellow out
side talking about Vt.
THAT fellows go ag to get licked the
next time ne fights. he said I've seen
him go into the bar six times No tGnt-
er can carouse like that and be any
Soodr"
Rv this time the big fellow was ready
RI 20 TO work. He called for three
minute rounds and tackled q pulling ma
, chine. For three minutes and then an
other three. he yanked Tex ORoukes
elastic ropes vigorously. danced from
side 70 side and worked 50 hard that the
sweat drippcd from the end OF his nose
and began to soak through the thick
cotton underwear that covered his arms.
His movements wcro littic cumoer
some perhaps. and lacked some part OF
tn, speed that he might have put into
q, Havana, but of course he isn't In the
full swing Of his training yet. But ne
didr', fall over his feet, by long shot
and there was an apparent reserve OF
, strength and speed to draw on at any
time.
Dempsey Doesn't worry Him
During tho minutes rest Willard
talked about the fight.
I've only seen Dempsey In the ring
; once, and that was a long tine ago ne
said. He didn't impress me as being. a
contender" then. I don't see why l
, should be blamed for not taking him on
i sooner. 7 don't care whether It's Dernp-
sev or any one else 50 long as the purse
is right AS far a. Dempsey ts con-
ce,-nrd 7 have he"n willing to take MN
on any time Why there was big SHOW
planned for the Salvation Army tund
: in Chicago and they wired mo and asked
me- if I'd como up md fight in one OF
rh:> bou:S and they'de. pay my expens Sos
went right up and paid my own eX-
pcnst$. as l always do in these AFFAIRS:
They asked me who I'd take on and l
! said: Get INC Dempsey. Yes. and the
! dav Of the show Dempsey got sick. They
| sent wcrd that Dempsey was awful sick
! in his hotel That's the way Those
! fellows talk about what they're going to
do 70 the champion If they can only got
! a chancc--nnd lhcn IL they get IT II eyre
sick I wasn't worried over fighting
! Dempsey for nothing and I'm surely not
! worrying over fighting him for 100000
| JOSS chucklcd over that idea
! Here time was called. Willard step
ped through the ropes and Hemrle was