The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-16
Carpenter
 Set Record
 On Publicity
Dempsey : Carpenter Fight Was Written More About
 Than Many Battles
Rx Trx RIckARn

: tcopyrisht. 1884. fn usitsd states and Grsat .,s s:s,. Sss.s:ssT ias The Age Herald As r have said in e previous chap ter, it is comparatively easy to se- cure another big attraction when you have put over the first one success fully. The concluding arrangements for the Dempsey -Carpentier fight were not nearly so difficult as some of the earlier championship affairs. The main thing required was patience. I felt reasonable certain sooner or later would have the famous Frenchman in America. My patience was never exhausted and was certainly well re- warded.
 The mere fact of the long delay in securing that fight gave 1t all the more publicity. Some writer termed 1t 'the battle of the century" and I think he was not overstreching 1t a bit:
 Big Event
 As an exhibition of boxing art it was not in the class with some of the others, but as an international event think the Dempsey -Carpentier affair was easily the battle of the century. venture to say that more actual words were written about 1t than any single happening in America. Certain ly no single military battle ever got as IhuCn uOL1Ccs GV6n LuG 1uAuk uI&tlVt of President was small in publicity as compared with the advance news of this fight. It ran on for days and weeks and months. had sensed this when I first began negotiations for Carpentier during the war It was a big stake well worth playing for.
 In the minds of many, including my tier being a good match for Dempsey. Just the same knew the people wanted to see that fight. The inter national flavor overshadowed any pos sible uneveness in the quality of the two boxers.
 When 1t finally became possible for Carpenter to leave France after the little difficulty in arriving at terms. Dempsey signed to fight for $500 900 and Carpenter for $200, 900.
 Chief Worry Is Getting Enough Seats
 Can you imagine how, such figures would have startled old John L. Sul- iivan in bis palmy days Two men fighting for q purse of a half million dollars was undreamed of ten years ago.
 The amount of money to be paid the lighters was a secondary considera- ton. Tho only thing to cause me worry or anxiety was the erection of an arena large enough to hold the CasNT CrGwd; ,na1 rhsrs vas no doubt in my To have held a fight like that in an enclosed building would have meant the loss of color, of flavor. There was no ball park or other outside place properly arranged to hold such a fight. Oovtousiy there was but one thing to do.
 Built Big Arena
 had to use all my experience in building a bigger and better arena and. at the same time, locate it in a spot where the greatest number of people could reach 1t without too much inconvenience. There was never a question In my mind that the scene should be somewhere in the vicinity of Greater New York. New Jersey ai- lowed Tights Of that nature. I turned
 These calculations and subsequent sey City known as Boyie's Thirty Acres. Every move we made brought new spurts of publicity. For one time In my life the fight market was ab- solutely gluttsd with free advertising,
 All this time, though, was very mindful of the fact that, every move made nad to be worthy of the pub hcity. In other words, there must be no slip. It was up to me to run this affair successfully .and not disappoint the public. Consequently the building of the arena at Boyle's Thirty Acres was done with such care and skill as could be intrusted in every able mind could find.
 Not NTishap, Not An Arr..t
 Our arrangements for handlinr inc vast crowd had to be perfect. We worked on that problem for weeks. The police of Jersey City regarded inc matter with deep interest and growing pride: Their help was invaluable.
 doubt if the public to this day fuiiy realizes the perfection with Every man on his job seemed to take a pride in his work The result was astonishing. We handled nearly 100,- 900 excited people that historic after