The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-02
TALKING
IT OVER
by JOE WILLIAMS

CLEVELAND, July al have
- never been much Of hand at
figuring out problems in finance
and economics, and when the pro-
motors Of the schmeling- Stribling
championship announced that the
cost Of admission has been revised
downward, specifically from IS to
SO for the bleacher seats, and in
the same paragraph predict that the
total gate will soar from the an
ticipated 100000 to S750000, I do
not get it. 1 mean to say, do not
know what they are talking about.
DICK Dunn. who is out here shirt-front-
Ing for the Madison Square Garden Cor
poration Of New York makes such state
ment In the Public Gazettes. There is at
the moment a great slsshing Of prices
affecting a number Of commodities. due
TO one thing and another. but 1t scarcely
seems logical that this said slashing has
been inspired by an over-zealous rush to
buy. Possibly IN the present instance
the reduction was prompted BY the fact
mat the customers we're too dawdling in
their approach to the box office
In any event it is difficult for the lay
mind to reconcile the optimistic protests
as expressed by Dunn with the fact that
even II the SIS seats DO sell. they will
bring 50 less. Maybe Einstein can make
II add up. The truth is this has been
very tough fight to put over. despite the
fact that the locale is new. and therefore
community novelty and that the fight
is being staged as tho opening feature Of
the eity's magnificent new stadium on the
lake. front a circumstance which was
supposed TO add many thousands to the
aggregate receipts.
However. public opinion seems to be
that championship or no championship
striblng is still Stribling and schmeling
is Just another boy who weaves like
Dempsey.
For O number of days now the Garden
advance agents babe been touring neigh
boring villages putting on the ballyhoo
and in other ways exercising the subtle
lure Of the cone-on. 1t has been an in
spring spectacle to watch Mike Jacobs
and Walter st. Denis throw their peddler
bags across their shoulders and start out
for such thriving centers of social activity
as East Liverpool. Dover. Wellsville and
Springboro exhorting the natives to rally
TO the cause OF the 600 ex-millionaires.
r AM told that hundreds of natives
i have made purchases out of
sympathy alone and that the sight
of the two gentlemen trudging the
countryside crying out, Here you
are ladies and gents, a brand new
championship fight marked down to
meet red ink prices" is so crammed
with poignancy that only hearts of
granite can possibly remain I'M
moved.
Mr. Jacobs he is an expert at beating
the drums OF ballyhoo and his present
labors merely carry him back to the days
when it was his business to stimulate APP
plause and steam up excitement. a trick
he performed by the simple process Of hir-
ing professional enthusiasts.
was surprised to hear from Mr..
Jacobs own lips that he used to apply
the batteries TO hesitant hands for no
less god of the drama than the late
Belasco. This was in the early days OF
the masters career and 1t was Jacobs
duty upon arriving in a cold water town
TO 20 out and employ mess OF cheer
leaders using Annie Oakleys by way OF
remuneration. who at given cue. stood
up and banged their palms violently to-
gether and emitted loud whoops to the
supreme artistry Of the performance.
Jacobs hastens to add that the Belasco
genius seldom needed an artificial stimu-
lus. but that the device was used largely
sas spur to diffident natures. Very like
" A. is true as Jacobs tells you. that
there is a psychological oddity about pub
10 initiative and unless there is some
tb,no IN performance completely heart
,,,a rr,ing or emotionally obvious the custo-
,,,ars viii wait until some one else starts
the applause before Joining in.