Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-24
$l6,4O4,8OO Set
AS Sum It Cost
To See Big Bout
That's What 10000 Fans Paid
To See Dempsey Knockout
The Frenchman in Four
Rounds
BY RAY PEARSON.

When Tex Rickard built his 81
gantic arena in Jersey City to enter
tain that worlds record crowd o,
the afternoon of July ?, he undoubt
edly did not realize how mucl
money was to be pulled out of th'
pockets of the hstic fans. We gran
that the New York promoter, who
seems gifted with greater foresight
than any man we ever have known
did anticipate just what happened
a crowd that paid something like
$l,650.000 to watch Worlds Cham
pion Jack Dempsey and George.
Carpenter, the European champion
perform.
But that outlay of coin for tickets
to watch the scrap was relatively
small amount when the necessary
expenses of trip to the Jersey City
arena are considered. For instance
what a pretty penny it cost those
fans who had to make long journey
before the privilege of watching
Richards show was realized.
Just think of the railroad fares
the sleeping berths, and the hote
bills. Then add on to that the price
of feed" in New York, and we
might add that the business of wear.
ing the feed bag in Gotham isn't any.
thing small.
Figures Awe Inspiring.
Only yesterday l was tanning
with Chicago man who made the
trip to Jersey City to see the battle
of the century," and, comparing
notes, we hit figures which are awe
inspiring. In the first place, we SET
the average price of tickets for the
bout at $3.50. That might be a
bit high, but we were forced to
agree on that figure after considering
that every $50 seat was sold and
that the total receipts amounted to
ST l,650,000. That much money was
taken in on an estimated paid at
tendance of $4,000 people.
Next let's take up railroad fares.
1t is a moral cinch that New York
provided only a small minority of
those attending. The great majority
of fans who sat at the ringside
weren't New Workers, but fans,
male and female who had made the
trip to Jersey City by rail from other
cities. We might mention the num-
Der of boxing followers who
journeyed from Chicago on special
trains as an example. 1t is estimated
that Chicago alone furnished close
to 10000 of that ringside attendance.
Now, the railroad fare from Chi to
Gotham, berth included, is some
thing like $52.78 That's only one
way; and doubled it meant lot of
coin.
s6 a Day Just to Eat.
Now, let's eat a bite and find out
where we get off on this jaunt east
ward. Eating regular" means three
meals a day, and sometimes hstic
fan will gobble four just to show
that he is in good health. Three
meals a day means at least Sc, If a
person Furnishes the food OH din
ing car or at a New York hotel.
A place to sleep in New York dur
ing the hectic days Immediately be-
fcre and after the day of the inter
rational battle probably cost an
average of 81 per day. Then to add
to that for period of say four days
for it required that to make the
trip in comfort-thcre were incl
dental expenses which must not be
overlooked. That amounted to sew
eral dolalrs a day but in doping out
this story we'll hit on S. day for
said incidentals, although that is a
slim cost in New York.
Some Bill to Pay.
Now, making a little tab on the
price it cost a Chicago fan to see
Dempsey knock out Carpenter, these
figures result:
Cost Of ticket to fight {Average) 27.b0
Cost OF transportation. Chicaso-New
Cost ' Of T hotel, New York oour
Cost % Of foo, food, New York ifour days. sa.SS g
[ncidentals ................ @V'oo
IOtaI ''''' '~~o~'oO
The next thing to do is to multiply
that $2O5.O6 by $4,000, the total paid
and we arrive at these
huge figures-$16,4O4,SO0. Nearly
sixteen and one-half million dollars.
And lust to think it was expended
for the pleasure of seeing 10 minutes
and 16 seconds of actual milling be-
tween Jack Dempsey and Georges
Carpenter. Roll that over in your
mind, Mr.. Fan.
Many from Other Continents.
There may be some persons who
will take exception to these figures.
They might be tritle high, but the
writer hasn't figured on the greater
cost of fans who came from foreign
countries to see the fight. There were
500 of them from Paris, who paid
liner fares across the Atlantic. Then,
TOO, there were fans from London,
/ few from Australia, and a few from
South America. Also, we mustn't
:orget that many fans made the trip
clear across the cotinent from Cali
.ornia to see the bout.
Well say Tex Rickard doesn't
iabble in piker coin, and we'll also
say the fans don't, either, when
Rickard sets the stage.
Huoo Cto oJ;,,x,