The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-06-20

knit d the
tu b b o r n
m o u ntainS,
Robert AddIo our car sped.
In it was Mike Jacobs. Sid Mer'
er and I. Mike was gloomily
clacking his store teeth. It was
the first day Of training sched-
uled for Joe Louis since the
"Super.Man," the "Invincible"
Brown Bomber had been knocked
out by Max Schmeling.
Mike was sad because he
didn't know how his biggest
drawing card would turn out.
Louis was matched to box Jack
Sharkey and although the old
sailor man had gone over the
hill of his fistic peak, Jacobs
worried about the outcome. The
formerly unbeatable colored boy
was more of an enigma in de-
feat than he was in victory.
The Thinker
do you think" Mike barked
at Sid, Louis can beat Shar'
key?"
Sid sucked at his pipe for a
long time then said, II don't see
why he can't unless he's gun
shy"
Thus was born the phrase
that has echoed around the
boxing world for the last two
years. Is Louis gunlshy?
The car came into Pompton
Lakes and after q careful ex-
animation by a State trooper,
we entered. It seems the sched-
uled workout wasn't until the
next day. We found Louis in a
little cottage down the road. A
lot Of men were playing bill
lizards but when we entered
there was an embarrassed sill
ence with only the ivory balls
clicking crafty around the Ia
bic as the men faded back to
the wall.
Louis was looking out Of the
cottage window. He murmured
A greeting then sat silently by
the window with his feet, in
wooden sandals, propped on the
ni1I
"Joe," what are you thinking
about?" he was asked. "IS it
Schmeling and what you'll do
to him if you ever get him into
the ring next time?"
Max Can Punch
Louis turned with the near
est thing to amazement his
buddhs.like face has ever reg
tstered.
"smellin'? No." he said. ST
amt thinkin' Of him. I was
thinkin' Of Jesse Owens"
ut was during the last Olym-
pics, the day sitter Owens had
scored his third individual tri'
ulnph)
Il was thinkin,," Joe con-
tinued, "he must be awful fast.
I was wonderin' how long it
would take him to run to New
Yawk if he could keep up tibet
pace all the ways. Man, he
really fly, doan hep"
But Schmeling-?" the ques-
ton was persistent.
II toll you," Louis said almost
sullenly, Il doan think about
him atall. What for? He just
another fighter and he beat me.
He hit me hard and he gave me
q good lickin'." He smiled. Man,
I couldn't even open my mouth
after that bout. He's a good
fighter; he can punch hard"
Jack Blackburn, Louis trainer,
burst in:
THAT Schmeling-he don't do
that no more to 'Chappie.'
'Chappie,' he learned his lesson"
Is He "Gun-Shy?"
Louis closed his eyes, and
seemed to be doing. Suddenly
he was wide awake.
"You know" he said, "this is
my lucky camp. I tr ain for
smellin' at Long Branch on the
Jersey coast. You see them
trees?"-he pointed down the
road-"well, right about there
was turn in the road and every
night them autos come around
somethin' like down near the
trees and the headlight shine in
my eyes and I can't sleep some
times all night"
Again, the question, pounding
like a rivet:: do you think you'd
beat Schmeling in a return
match?"
For the first time Louis
seemed awake. We'd find out if
he were "gun-shy." We'd find
out If he feared Schmeling. Joe
got to his feet excitedly.
"You know" he said. II jus
figured it out. owens can travel
almost 80 miles an hour"
We just thought you might
like to know if Louis were gun
shy" right after the worst lick.
ing he had ever taken and pos
sibly ever will take.