BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 43, 31 May 1910, Page 8

BOXING.

Tlii: CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE. (By "Uppercut.") Jim Jeffries is in training at Rowardennnan, in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the public is regalea daily with a account of everything the big fellow does. The place is located in a 'hollow in i.ho ranges, where redwoods ana pine trees abound. There are fine roads, a river for swimming', and boating and trout streams galore, so that Jetfries has an environment that suits him to a nicety.

Jeff is taking things a little easier, but at that he is not loitering by any ' means. The road work continues, and so does the hand wall and baseball, but not to the same extent. It was many days before he could make up his liund tobegin boxing. First of all, he had a few rounds with Sam Berger, and the next day he set to with his old standby, Bob Armstrong. In this particular bout a funny thing happened. Armstrong, according to instructions, struck out with plenty oi vim, and one of his punches landed on Jeff's "lead over the ear. Jeff immediately dropped his arms and circled around as though suffering with a still' neck. The explanation given was that he was seized with cramps in the cords of his neck, and Armstrong was pedmitted to take a rest while other men of i Jeff's crew massaged the affected part. 'Jeff,said afterwards that he felt the same thing previously while playing handball, and that he did not think the blow delivered by Armstrong had any connection with the return of the affection while sparring. It seems to be the opinion of all who have watched Jeffries at worK that 'His wind and his capacity for exertion are as intact as in ttie old years. He is certainly reduced to fighting lines, *o vxr as his shape is concerned, and he does not complain of any tired feeling. Bob Armstrong, who is Jeff's principal sparring companion at present, is, as all the world knows, a colored man. He has been with Jeffries through many campaigns, especially in the times when Jeff used to train at Harbin Springs. Bob was asked how he thought the fact that he was helping to train Jeffries would affect him with the colored people. "It's just this way," said Bob. "if Johnson wins, I'll be a joke with the colored people. They'll have the laugh on me, and they'll keep rubbing it into me for years. If Jeffries wins, there will be no race feeling at all, so far as the negroes are concerned. They are good sports, and they forget about a thing very quickly. They'll congratulate me because I was with the winning side, and if I start any business, such as a boxing school for colored youths, my association with Jeffries will be a boost and a help to me." As a rule, after a visitor to Rowarucnun has expressed surprise at the way Jim Jeffries has trained down to lighting proportions, he winds up by saying, "But his face looks old, doesn't it ?" Truth to tell, Jeff's face has a drawn and aged appearance, although you do not notice it when he is flushed with exercise. The photographs that have been taken recently are particularly severe on him, as they give him the appearance of a man of 45, and I think Jim would feel happier if all the cameras in Christendom were smashed to smithereens.

When he opened camp, he was cer-j tainly a martyr to the snap-shot sleuths.■ He though it would decrease the agony J if he posed for them at certain hours oy appointment, and he did .so, but not w.'th the best grace possible. There are photographers at Rowardennan, however, from all points of the United States. There are free lances and men from the big journals, and they are readier with the "shutter" than a. grouse shooter is with the trigger. They give Jim no res*. It is expected that Frank Gotch, the champion wrestler, will join Jeff's crew within the next few weeks, and that Jim Corbett will oecome an inmate of the camp about the first of June. Corbett, it is understood, will engage in fast glove work with Jeffries, and will also have a few gruelling bouts in private with the big fellow. One thing is certain: if expert assistance and a strict attention to business ican accomplish anything, Jeffries will land in the ring in fine shape on July 4; and it will tneii ■remain to be seen if his wonderful ttgiuino; qualities have been impaired by five years of retirement.

The promoters, have had trouble in a way with JacK Johnson, who seems averse to putting in a too early appearance in San Francisco. Johnson announced some time ago that he had selected Seal Rock Hotel at Ocean Beach as his, training quarters, and that he would begin work there about May 1. Jack Jlei-on was in the East when this announcement was made, and his partner, Tex Richard, wired him not to return to San Francisco unless lie brought Johnson with him. Johnson is being arrested about three times a week on an average, and there is reason for Richard's uneasiness. But, somehow, the negro seems to evade all the charges and lawsuits brought against him.

So as to ease Rickard's fears pro-! bably, Johnson started training' in a gymnasium attached to his home in Chicago, but according to all accounts, it was a wood deal of bluff. The newspaper men ridiculed what Johnson did. and they have succeeded in creating a dotiot as to the negro's purpose. For that matter, ever since Jeffries arrived in San Francisco a couple of months ago, there has been as much argument as to- the chances of Johnson being poorly trained for the big battle as there was' formerly in the case of Jeffries. Jack is charged with too much partiality for the night life and the primrose path, and they say he has cultivated a wonderful taste for the stuff that sparkles in the glass. Some doubting Thomases go so far as to say that they believed Johnson's one year of riotous living will be found to have taken more out of him than Jetfries' five years of retirement have accomplished with respect to the alfalfa baron's lighting force. But it hardly thought that Johnson will ibe found wanting on the score of condition when the test comes. Johnson is decidedly uppish, and yet he spring's arguments' that justify the way he goes about things. '•Someone .asked me the other day in a hurry who 1 intended to have with me when T trained," said Jack. "Well, I haven't made up my mind yet. The result of this (iulit means everything to me. It's all the world or nothing, in a way. and I'm going to think not only

twice, hut a dozen times, over every-1 thinjr tlr.it comes iv]). When 1 select my: tvniniiw stall' every member of it, wlllj have to -taml the seavchlijrlit. 1 will want tii know just what eaeh helper--; feelings are towards me, as well as how competent, he is. I haven't engajeci si man yet. lint when I do make up my crew. I'm not likely to make any mistake." How much money will be taken at the oale'/ is the favorite query. Promoter- and others, who in the liesiiiniusr felt that Rickard was afflicted with some kind of madness when he bid 101,OOOdo. for the fight, now believe that the Nevada man and his partner, Jack ("ileason, are in a line to clean up handsomely. xi3k>^

"Rickard is tlio most frankly enthusiastic of them all about the takings. 1 ■asked him the other day what his lowest estimate of the receipts was, and lie replied, "See here. [ have a low estimate, but I don't know why 1 happen to have such a thing about me. .My low estimate is 35l).O00dol. My high estimate is the capacity of the house, and 1 think we'll turn people away." The capacity of the house, hy the wav, is 680,0l)lklol.,'so that if Rieka'rd's dream comes true. a. new world's record in the line, of gate receipts will nave been established—one, in fact, that the promoters of the universe will tilt at with poor success for the balance of time.