The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-02

of Navy Among the
Visitors.
New York, July New York and
the entire metropolitan area which
reaches out and embraces the now
famous "Boyle's Thirty Acres" in Jer-
sey City, seethed today with frenzy
of excitement wholly unprecedented
in the annals of sport as the hour
rolled slowly around for the battle
of century''-the fistic clash for the
worlds heavyweight championship
between Jack Dempsey, American
title holder, and Georges Carpenter,
idol and champion of Europe.
New York'S mansions and her gor-
geous hotels early began disgorging
brilliant parties of men and women in
tent on threading in ample time the
cluttered automobile highways that
lead to Promoter Tex Richards NAM
moth arena in Jersey City.
On to Jersey City
Less opulent fight fans had begun
the scramble toward Jersey City
hours earlier, by ferry, by fliyver and
by train, but even the earliest arrivals
this morning found themselves out
generated by an advance guard Of
about 800 men and boys who had
spent the night in line at the big
arena waiting. for the first crack at
the IS unreserved fights.
Unenthusiastic advance guardsmen
plainly showed the effects of their
vigil in wrinked. muddy clothing and
haggard expressions. Some had cat
mapped on boards, newspapers and
gunny sacks, but the majority had
remained awake all night, Tending off
the cold. damp of the night with a
big bonfire. They breakfasted on
hard boiled eggs, hot dog coffee and
sandwiches from the stands of ven
doris that encircled the arena.
The weather forecast promised fair
weather with a temperature of 80 or
S5 degrees
Dempsey Is Primed and Eager
Champion Dempsey, primed and
eager, awaited the hour to defend his
which he had been spirited from his
training camp at Atlantic City late
yesterday The challenger left his
quarters at Manhasset by automobile
shortly after breakfast for Port Wash
ington. where a yacht waited to bear
him to the fight city. Both had is
sued last minute statements, assert
ing they were ready for the battle
of their lives and breathing confidence
in the outcome.
Odds favoring the champion hat
shortened markedly during the night
and Dempsey rated Il 2 to / favorite
over the French challenger. The chal-
lenger, however, ruled the sentimen-
tai fayorite.
Study in Superlatives
New York newspapers, whose ac-
count of the coming fight today was
measured by pages rather than by col
umns were study in superlatives.
The fight was described as the great
est heavy weight encounter in the his
tory of the sport. 1t was staged in
"the biggest arena ever constructed
before the largest and most brilliant
assembly ever turned out for sport
ing event." and the purse-$50, ,000-is
the most generous in the history of
the ring.
Dempsey is described as "the great
est heavyweight champion since John
l.. Sullivan, while the handsome
Frenchman, who has been called vari-
ously "a Greek God" Mystery Man,
"Man of Destiny" and "Wonder Man,
is acclaimed as the greatest heavy
weight Europe has ever produced.
Greatest Interest Ever
The bout unquestionaby has Great.
t,,fn
by pugilistic encounter. The crowd
that was struggling its way out to
Boyle's thirty acres all during the
forenoon, assembled from every cor
ner of the world. There were repre-
sentative citizens from the far west
middle west, south and east who had
been rolling into the city for forty
eight hours on every train while the
steamers deposited hundreds of en-
thusiasts from France, England and
Spain-even from far away Japan and
China.
Among the spectators were promi
nent state and city officials, an as
sistant secretary of the navy, scien
lists, artists, theatrical stars and i'm
presarioS, men whose names were
famous in every field Of sport, and jus
plain citizens.
5000 Women on Hand
II was estimated that at least 5000
. women would he in the big aren;
when the big gong for the main bou
rang at 3 o'clock
Promoter Rickard announced las
night that the seat sales had exceeded
the $1,250.O00 mark and he estimated
the final sac would pass the $1,500,00l
mark with at east $4,000 of the 91,11,
seats of the huge arena taken. A full
arena woud mean sale of about 81,
100000. Elaborate police arrange
ments have been made to handle I;
capacity crowd.
Purchasers who bought seats from
spaculators at advances of 400 to 50
nor cenk over market prices groane'