JOHNSON AND JEFFRIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 6

JOHNSON AND JEFFRIES.

A MATCH, IF— (BY TELEGRAPH—PKESS ASSOCIATION'—CorYnIGHT.) Now York, March 4. Ten thousand persons greeted Jeffries, exchampion pugilist, in New York. Ho verbally promised to meet Johnson, but Johnson only, if ho can train, to his old form. Ho is being banqueted every night. / "UNEARNED INCREMENT." CAN JEFFRIES KEGAIN HIS FORM? When the world's boxing championship went to "Darkest Africa" hundreds of thousands of Americans rose like one man and shouted to James Jeffries to recover it for tlio white race. A tremendous Jeffries boom set in in the United States, and Jeffries has made the most of it by securing largo sums for sparring at the music-halls. At the same timo he did not, and has not yet Riven, the American public tho quid pro quo which it demands—a promise to fight Johnson for the championship. At first ho shouted and reiterated with much emphasis, the statement that ho would not reenter tho ring; then he gradually ceased to reiterato the negative, without venturing tho affirmative; and subsequently public enthusiasm was stimulated by an unofficial statement that Jeffries would fight Johnson if ho could regain his old form. And that is about as far as tho present cablegram carries tho matter, except that the words aro reported to come from Jelfries's own lips. He will fight Johnson if he "can train to liis old form"; at the same time, ho is being "banqtietted • every night." It is not clear how long it will tako, with a course of lucrative music-hall engagements and nightly banquets, to determine the problem whether Jeffries can and will get back to what he used to be. "Doubt Means Money." In January Jeffries signed a contract for a twenty weeks' vaudeville engagement, now running, at a remuneration of 50,000 dollars. It may be that he is sincerely ignorant as to whether he can'physically make himself equal to tho task proposed to niin. At the same time, a man on tho crest of such a boom can hardly bo expected to bo in a hurry to clear up this interesting stato of doubt—at any rate, not till the right time arrives. A confidant of his is reported Yo Wi -stfi\V. "Now, look here, don't you think Jeffries would be foolish in showing his hand as long as there is such an overweening desiro on the part of the public to see him on the stage. Offers , of engagements are pouring in on the big fellow, and in this particular instance do°ibt means money. If he gave out to-morrow that ho would bo ready and willing to box Johnson a few months from now all the people who aro crazy to see him and sizo up for themselves whether he will ever bo fit to fight again would say that settles it. He will be matched presently, and we can wait for the hght. It we don't sea it we will read about it. Better Than Bruising, Mr W W. Naughton comments in the Sydney "Referee"-.-"Just think of it Ho can live at the best hotels, eat aud drink what he likes, and in addition to being exempt from tho rigours of the training camp, will not _ Uβ bothered with tho knowledge that there is a hard fi"ht and a possible reverse at the end ol it all." When things break that way, how many in Jeffries's position would harbour tne notion of creeping through the ropes again on bruising bent? And the funny part of it is that it is all what you might call unearned increment. It is what Jack Johnson has done —or at tho best what Jeffries may, possibly do—that has brought tho big fellow out of the alfalfa and into the limelight, and has mane .1 tremendous drawing card of him. To be frank about it, you might imagine from existing conditions that it was Jim Jeffries that beat Tommy Burns and not Jack Johnson, a-id for that matter Jeffries to-day is a better card through Johnson's defeat of Burns than he would have beeirif ho himself had flattened littlo Tommy. Strange, isn't it?" "Round-bodied, Flat-muscled," Describing Jeffries's appearance and work when lie came onco more before the public at the Wigwam Theatre, San Francisco-sparring there with Berger, a heavyweight—Mr. Naughton writes:—"Jeff's legs looked big, but not bi<">er, I think, than in the old . days. He ivas kind o' full about the waist-line, and his shoulders and arms did not display the mounds of muscle that took tho eye when he' was' champion. He has certainly lost the strong man attributes that were a heritage of his boilermaking days, but whether 'or not persistent exercise will bring out the hills and hummocks on his. upper frame again 'is something I would not undertake to decide. '.Tust now ho has the appearance of a round-bodied, flat-muscled fellow. Ho looks to mo as John L. Sullivan looked in the early 'eighties. This, in tne opinion of the wife-head?, is because four years of masterly inactivity have permitted the fat to get the better of tho muscle, just as weeds will chnko tho flowers in an uncared-for garden. But if Jeff's outlines suggested a gladiator run to seed, certainly no fault could be found with the degreo of activity he displayed." Training Prospects. When it was all over (adds Mr. Nanghton) hero is what the writer thought'he had discovered: That the bulbous muscles of Jeffries's frame had been effaced by billows of fat;.that Jeffries was surprisingly fast on his feet, and remarkably neat at ducking, blocking, and defensive work generally. Tho questions that wero still to be answered were: "Will Jeffries stand tho training to place.him in condition?" and "Is his hitting department in as good repair as, tho bnlanco of his'fighting qualifications?" Mr. Naughton has a suspicion that the latter question was answered at the beginning of tho second week of Jeffries's engagement at the Wigwam, when it ivn.s reported that he had knocked Berger sprawling. But there is some doubt about (hot report; Berper declares that ho slipped and wrenched his knee, and thereforo discontinued sparring. It was, however, asserted by tho manager of the theatre—whoso eyes would not be blind to business—that Jeffries "put Berger away all right." There is much money in boxing, and the persons in it nre generally keen bnsiness men. Jeffries has not yet got beyond tho "if" stage, nnd apparently has a motive for prolonging it. But there Beetns to bo a general impression in San I'raneisco that he could bring himself to tho proper physical notch for Johnson, or any man, with a fow month? of conscientious effort,