The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-02
1MACK COFFEE
.7ilkEEPS CROWD
a13A UP ALL NIGHT
Many Travelled Thousands of Miles
TO Witness Battle Of Minutes
Today.
BY MAX BALTHAsAR.


fight, and long past midnight, IN
private homes as wei las in crowd
ed hotels, vigil was kept as though
for a crucial battle between ma
lions Instead of a battle for the
worlds fistic supremacy.
In the streets and in the corrid-
ors of the hotels crowds were gath
cred throughout the night,sall buzz
zing of the struggle, only few
hours away. that has kept the world
astir for months.
AS dawn approached sleepy-eyed
fanatics, some of whom had travel
ed thousands of miles to witness
spectacle that might last only a
minute or two, and whose extreme
duration of actual fighting could
be only 311 minutes, dragged them
selves to their rooms for a cou-
pie of hours of rest, or invaded the
already crowded restaurants for.
another cup of the black coffee that
had sustained them during the long
night watch. Others, who hoped to
see the fight from the general ad-
mission seats, Wended their way to
the arena to join the long line that
had begun to form hours before,
watchfully waiting for the opening
of the So gates, which was not to
come for those first to take up their
positions for more than IL hours.
With the coming of dawn the
subway trains from New York be-
gan to disgorge their thousands of
fight pilgrims and before o'clock
Jersey City was crowded as it was
cd Inf Do L
and butchers, lawyers and long
shoremen, extremes from every
walk of life, mingled on a common
basis, an amalgamation of red
bloods-plebeian and silk stocking
all stirred by common impulse.
Hot dog" vendors, soft drink,
fruit and candy, fight picture post
card, fight button and souvenir
q stands of all sorts did thriving
business, the parveyors of food and
drink being overwhelmed all morn
ing long. Every train from the big
city was bringing in capacity
cargo of human freight and at noon
the fortunate reserved seat holders
started on their pilgrimage to the
arena, where they found thousands
waiting for the general admission
windows OF open.
Tension Snaps.
The opening of the gates for the
SIS boys acted as an exhaust for the
tension that had grown as the min
utes Jagged and the nervous, i'm
patient mob became a happy, laugh
ing, pushing throng.
Once started the steam to the up
per tiers of the huge arena was a
steady one, but the line seemed I'M
ending and those far to the rear
feared that they would be unable to
get within before the big fight
started. There was no delay, how
ever, in passing out the coveted
pasteboards.
Once in their seats the men, and
the women, too, Immediately pre-
pared to make themselves comfort
able. Many, remembering the
scorching, almost unbearable heat
at TOledo-with water at so cents
a glass-brought bottles of water
with them, and all had food in
some form-candy, fruit or sand
wiches-and the smarter among
them did not forget the lemons with
which to quench their thirst when
The opening of the reserved seat
gates was the signal for fresh
buzzing. AS each well-known fig
uro entered there were shouts
frcm those who recognized him
Cor herr and then the crowd set
ted back YEARLY to await 1.-The en-
trG nee of other distinguished spec
tatn-s.
Ringmen of note were .cheered
by the male members Of the audi
TN g. but when the smartly- gown
ed society women trickIed in with
mUch ado they remained silent
while the women in their seats
buz7cd merrily of crepe de chine.
llwns, ranniers, falling leaf skirts
and ali that sort of stuff.
Arena Fills Early.
Long before the hour set for the
appearance of the first preliminary
boys the arena was well filled, but
hundreds still remained outside,
waiting their chance to pass in.
When the first pair of boxers
stepped into the rig they were
given a rousing cheer and with lit |
tie delay they went to work.
This bout over, another pair al !
most Immediately hoped between
the ropes and were at it before the |
crowd, which by this time almost |
filled the arena, had had an oppor-
tunity to become impatient.
When word was passed around !
that Dempsey had arrived in his |!
dressing room an air of tenseness
spread through the vast thrOng, but /
when it was announced that Car
.pentier also had arrived the pre-
liminaries began to pail.
How lohg are these ringwarm-
ers going to last?" and When are
they going to bring on the big fell
lows?" were questions that passed |
from lip to lip.
Mild demonstrations were started |
by jokesmiths a number of times /
with shouts of Here they come"
which served only to increase the /
impotence of the crowd when the |
hoax was revealed.
But at last the preliminaries
were over. Followed introductions
of notables, the inevitable picture
taking and then the ring was clear
ed for the entrance of the star
gladiators.
There was a tremendous roar as
each OF the principals made his APP
pearance at the head of the aisle
leading to the ring, the demonstra-
tians continuing after they had
crawled through the ropes y