Evening star., 1921-07-02
Mob PoulS Into Arena as
Gates 0pen-Hundreds
Stand All Night.
OVERCAST SKY EXPECTED
FOR BATTLE OF CENTURY,
Dempsey and Carpenter on Their
Mettle and Cheerfully Confident.
Odds Decrease.
~ the a Snocief ted Press

i>i-r'SlDi,, Jersey City. y. j., July
2.-Gates to the big fight opened at
s:45 and in popped the crowd. Through
the entrances on each side Of the big
wooden octagon poured the men and
women who today were to witness
Jack Dempsey of America and Georges
Carpenter of France do battle for the
heavyweight honors of the world and
the plumpest purse in history.
Soon the saucer of yellow pine.
which, when the sun was out, glis-
tened like giant bowl of brass, WAS
Hecked with humanity. But. unlike
an ordinary saucer. it filled from the
oriIn down. Instead of the bottom UP.
Tor the first TO arrive was the gallery
sod with the periscope eye, who had
camped all night outside the arena
Tor the privilege of paying Promoter
Tex Rickard $3.50.
Gradually. however, the wave of hu-
manlty rolled down TO the ringside.
as the more plutocratic ticket holders
reached the stadium. Unlike the ordi-
nary snow. today's performance, ad-
vertised as the battle of the CEN
tury, had no exclusive bald-headed
row Hairless pateS. in many cases,
We're replaced by coiffeurs par excel
fence. Tor women, who recently had
cSpouSed the boxers art. had turned
out in full force for today's carnival
of blows.
Nany Sit for Hours.
The carly comers sat down to wait.
lh'N found just three things TO do:
Debat". III" weather prospects. which in
ne morning appeared dubious: admire
Inc world : greatest arena. in which
'o.coo-cd could nestle just AS costly as
the proverbIal sardines, and speculate
Oh futuI,, rlng history.
And chatter il did. this democracy of
the rines!dt., The chi,f topic at first
was III" weather.
\ $ultry day had followed humid
night. Tho sun tried To pierce the
Scrc-: ming clouds tina, gave a constant
threat oI rain, th'n gav.. up the attempt
after 4 hrl'f unsuccessful effort. II was
an ideal day for tho spectators. for no
on. lonGrd fsr the Scorching sun and no
one waited il 10 rain.
But the crowd had many things TO
talk about. Every one had something in
comngl-fear- of sunbHrn and interest
I IN The Slight unrica santncSS which later
was to occur OF ;he canyaS-covered
square in front Of them. This led to
conversation even among men and
women as far separated as 5th avenue
and the lower East Side. New York, and
Chicago, America and Europe; as for
elsn 10 on" another as prince and pau
per; with interests as varied as those of
lawyer and ditch digger.
Here From Five Continents,
and shop girl. n" merchant prince
and Ii" twertr- -!uilar-a -a-wcek clerk
who worked FOR Lin;. tn" man who lived
by his brains aHG his fellow without a
continents
And fighting ;htlr way out TO Boyle's
IhlrtE Acres Were coming thousands
more. all PARIS OF the great army which
hoped tins afternoon To witness the show
OF tisticufts, who's, result would be
flashed the world Ground.
The streets around the big saucer
reSembled an early morning scene at a
circus. Vendors Of flags. souvenirs.
seat cushions. peanuts. hot dogs" and
all the other articles that find a ready
sale among holiday and sporting crowd
did a thriving business.
Just before the gates were opened
several hundred ushers and police mad,
a thorough search Of the arena to rout
out all SquatterS. Scores of BOYS who
had secrcted themselves during the
night in an effort To witness the fight
without expense were pulled out of all
sorts of hiding places and sent scamper-
ing through the gates
streams of water were then turned
on the inside of the arena to wet il
down and prevent the possibility of
fire A few youngsters who had
eluded the earlier vigilance of the
rolice were driven out of hiding by
the deluge of water and soon found
themselves in the street.
A large force of police outside the
saucer succeeded in maintaining order
throughout the night and no arrests
We're reported at an early hour this
morning.
Crowd Starts nt Seven.
The real human tidal wave started
to move toward Jersey City soon after
O'Clock. Tube trains under the Hud-
son river, running on a three and d-one-
half minute headway with additional
n crowded tl
every ferry added its quota to the
throng arena-bound.
Several hundred police in uniform
and plain clothes mingled with the
sirable characters. who generally
make large crowds their hunting
ground. Mayor Hague had requested
that all persons arrested with criminal
records in Jersey City be held for
ninety days under a state law that
makes such detention possible. This
was expected to act as a deterrent to
the criminally inclined.
New York Never 80 Excited.
NEW YORK. July New York
and the entire metropolitan area
seethed today with "A frenzy of excite
ment wholly unprecedented in the an
nails of sport as the hour rolled slow
ly for the fistic clash for the world
heavyweight championship.
New York's mansions and her gor-
geous hotels early began diseorging
brilliant parties of men and women.
intent on threading in ample time the
cluttered automobile highways that
lead to Promoter Tex Richards mann
moth arena in Jersey City. Less
opulent fight fans had begun the
scramble toward Jersey hours earlier,
by ferry. by flivver and by train. Bat
even the earliest arrivals this MORN
ing found themselves outgeneraled by
an advance guard of about three hum
dred men and boys who had spent the
night in line at the big arena, waiting
for the first crack at the $3.50 unre-
served seats.
These enthusiastic Advance guards
men plainly showed the effects of their
vigil in wrinkled, muddy clothing and
haggard expressions. Some had cat
mapped on boards, newspapers and
gunny sacks but the majority had re-
manned awake all night, Tending off
the cold damp of the night with big
bonfire.
They breakfasted on hard boiled
eggs, hot dogs" coffee and sand
wiches from the stands of vendors
THAI eneirele the arena.
Both Primed and EaGer.
Champion Dempsey. primed and
eager, awaited the hour to defend his
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column 6.)