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Show WAITING FOR BELL TO SOUND Boxers in Readiness for Battle. 0'Keefe and Gardner Put Finishing Touches to Work. Both Naturally Confident of Winning and Predict Fast Contest Betting Bet-ting Light as Yet, T T "I" J v r- 4 'h -J- -! -I- v v -I- O'KEEFE'S STATEMENT. 4- -r 'I am In good shape and If de- -J. feated will have no excuse to offer J- r I honestly believe and feel that I will beat Jimmy Gardner I know -J- r that It will ho tho contest of my ! life, but I will show tho public that 4 I am Gardner's master at the box- Ing game. That a all." t 4 4- - 4- aj - ; Tf i y -j- "Take your corners, gentlemen. Now, are you already? Yes? All right Time!" And the gamo of fisticuffs commences, with Manager Wlllard Bean acting as master of ceremonies and referee of tho twenty-round contest between Jimmy Gardner of Lowell, Mass., and Jack O'Keefo of Chicago, two of tho foremost lightweights in the pugilistic world, at tho Suit Pulace soucer track this evening. Much Interest in Match, It 's a match which has aroused the utmost Interest among tho, sporting public all over the country, and one that will bring forth a boxer who by all the rules of pugdom will have an Inalienable right to challenge the Hon James Brltt for the white lightweight championship of tho world lioth the participants In the contest are lr. the best of condition and as Is usually the case, express themselves as being In reftdlnes.t to put up the battlo of their lives The men are to weigh 140 pounds ringside, and, according to tho latest reports re-ports both will make the weight without any trouble. Gardner bring the only ono In doubt. 0'Keefe Finishes Training. O'Keefe finished his preliminary work yesterday with a long run out through Red Butte canyon, accompanied by Billy St 1ft. whlb Mrs. 'Keef and Manager Slg Hart followed tho two athletes on horseback. ( n his return to training quarters O'Keefe weighed In at 136 pounds agnlnst ITT which he weighed after breakfast. break-fast. The clever little boxer was in splendid splen-did shape. In extremely good spirits ond ChOOk full of confidence that ho would be returned the winner Realizes Ho Is Against Tough Game. lie realizes that he Is going up against perhaps the hardest game In his career, and while not making any strong talk of putting the other fellow out of commission commis-sion as easy as taking candy away from a baby, still ono can see the determination determina-tion to wade In and m.ke good sticking out all over him. Yesterday afternoon he took a couple of hours rest and then he and his charming frail went out for a drive to the various points of Interest In the city. On their return O'Keefe Inserted a light lunch under un-der his belt and shortly after retired for the "heap big" sleep that will put him In trim for his night's strenuous work at the saucer. Manager Hart Is Confident. WhllS not in the least overconfident. M..n.iger Sig Hart Is ilrm In his belief that his protege Is going to chase Gardner to the tall and uncut und Is already making preparations for O'Kcefe's future. He Is rather of tho opinion that Gardner will bo unable to make the weight and cites an Instance of when Gardner failed to mako 137 pounds at 5 o'clock on the day of the Lowell lad's battlo with Buddy Ryan In Chicago Gardner, ho said, must not bo underrated as his defeat of Rvan, the w Iter-weight champion In ulx rounds testifies; also his defeat of Mike Ward, tho lightweight champion of Canada. Will Bo Grond Exhibition. To The Tribune sporting writer yesterday yester-day Manager Hart said: "Tho coming exhibition between O'Keefe and Gardner tomorrow night will bo one of tho grand -i st manifestations of scientific boxing that has ever been seen in any cltv, bar none, and everybod) who uttends will certainly cer-tainly get a run for their money. O'Keefe was never In better condition In his life and will havo no kick coming If he should fall to deliver the goods. If Gardner wins 1 will take off my hat to him as being tho greatest lightweight boxer in tho world Roth men are determined and game to the core and you can stick this In your bonnet bon-net there will bo no crawfishing on O'Keofe s pait. and as to Gardner's gamc-ness gamc-ness there Is no question. Will Take O'Keefe to Coast. "If Jack win I shall take him on to the coast luid do my best to forco that native son. Jimmy Brltt, Into signing up for a match with my man. Jack has never done tho training that ho has been doing under mo lately, from tho tlmo he left mo at Butte two yean ago Somehow he never nev-er would work under any ono elo llko hs does for me, nnd that may bo duo to tho fad that 1 know how to handle him Bo.-f.r;( Bo.-f.r;( lire .i'. nciiMitlvn nowaduvs, and, like glass or dynamite, must bo handled with care. Western Al Smith, who had O'Keefo under his wing for a time, wus a poor matchmaker and made u sucker out of the young fellow. Now he Is there villi the gcii'-rul delivery and you will realize thut fact when you see him work tomorrow night. Before leaving I want to thank tho people of Salt l..nko and the jireps for the kindly manner In which the have treated our party and can us-suro us-suro them that It will never bo forgotten " Big used to be out ahinfd of a show once rion a time. Gcrdner Outfit Arrives Today. Jlnuny Gardner and Brother George, along with the rest of tho outilt. are duo to arrive hero this uftcrnoon and will mako an Inspection of tho ring whit h Is the samo one In which Georgo Gardner defeated Jack Root at the saucer a few years ago. Root will also drop down from Ogden with Smiling Willis Eiogan and M Angelo Son reck, to take a peek ut the do ings Work on Ring Commenced. Yeeterdnv Manager liean started n fori ,,f mi n to work putting up the ring nnd overhead canvass, electric lights and other oth-er nciesHorleM together with tho sens around the ringside Ho reports tho sole of seats as exceeding expectations and i tes that they wni remain on sals during dur-ing the day at Btlckney'j cigar store eg South Main stret 1 Preliminary Will Be Hot Stuff. The preliminary to the main event will I . . i.il.-d at o'clock and. u. or. ling to it,,, dope there Is a surprise in storo for the sport -followers It will bo between A I Taro. an ambitious mlt artist from tho wilds of Everett, Wash . and Kid Arnold of Salt Lake-no relation to Tony, how- 1 ever. Both these young men havo been In hard and constant training for tho past month, and as each Is out for a reputation tho bout will be worthy of close attention. Betting Odds Favor GarJner. There has been quite a little betting on tho outcome of tho O'Keefo and Gardner match, with the odds about 8 to 5 on tho Lowell lad. Thoso odds will probably bo stronger this evening when the Ogden push arrives, as they cannot see anything to It but Gardner This plunging on Jimmy will give tho short-enders a splendid chance to get their money down. Views of Sport Followers. Regarding the attitude of the sporting public as to which of the men will pull off the victory, here urs a few opinions Ira Jones. Former Caller In tho Stock Exchange O'Keefe for mine. Llko his work and think he will put It all over Gardner. Tom Bennett. Veteran Referee There's nothing to It. I tell vou. O'Keefo will turn the trick about the sixteenth round. Ho ban tho strength and Is In lino condition condi-tion It will be a long battlo and muy go the limit Wayno Rose O'Keefe has a chance and the short end looks good to me. I shall tako a little of the Gardner money. u no had lust Let Jlon (,. J.'o. lotting the other man pick the winner In the three battles, on the schedule, the two Gardners and Fltz being tho short money choice Lon Groesbeck Can't see anything to It but Gardner Ho la too fast for O'Keefo and too clever. B J Kelly Why, my boy. what foolishness fool-ishness Gardner is far too fast and clever for the- Chicago lad. Gardner should win In about eight rounds Clot anv passes? Jack Kelly the 'Sparrow Cop" Shure, ma a-an. they'S nnthln" t It hut Gardl-neer Gardl-neer He' a a folno hit uv a la-a-ad nn' he II put S mug an that guy fr'm Chlcegy thO t' 11 make Ut look lolke a futhall Tin rounds Ol giv him to do ut In. Como awn. JNs nnd Rugs. "Chip" O'Connor Gardner win win in a canter and never miss ids stride in golQg over the Jumps. About twolvo rounds i give him. Dick Dreyfus My money goes on, Gard-ner Gard-ner Can'l sea anything eiae to it. l oin Met oy What do I know about Q rdner ni O'Keefe? Talk to me about i jii r or old Kangaroo and I'll answer you Martin Mulvey- Have, nothing to say exc. pt 1 look on It as I did the Si hreck-Gardncr hreck-Gardncr conteal James Donaldson Looks llko a protly even break to me. J |
