OCR Text |
Show Hghiers everywhere- 7 f bui none for jeffries . ' r ' - - . v . -. The last b! rift In darkened heavens has -disappeared for James, I. Jeffries. The; Big- Fellpw has been pining away through lack of opponents. Billy De-. De-. lane baa dally cheered up the champion cham-pion with tales that before another day had passed 'he would have someone that-Jeff could play with. But.no one wanted to play in the back yard of the former boilermaker. While challenge after challenge went chasing around the country emanating from every source, like Marconi wireless tel- egram, all had a redemption clause which read . "ANYONE BUT, JEF-FRtEa JEF-FRtEa For pastime Jeff was forced to take a nightly fall out of "Davy Crockett," but still this did not appease the heavyweight' heavy-weight' of heavy-weights. Then, came the challenge of Ralph Rose, formerly of Ann Arbor. Mich. Jeff pleaded by wire to the collegian to come on and sign articles, and even offered of-fered to send him a ticket. ' But Rose then sot Into difficulties with the faculty fac-ulty and. although barred from colle-. giate games, failed to connect with Jeffries' Jef-fries' offer. ' Jeff one night in Detroit too playfully "roughed it" with Jim Kennedy, his former sparring partner. After Kennedy Ken-nedy was taken to the hospital Yank Kenny filled the breach, and Is atlll Jeff's, theatrical playmate. Then Frank Gotch, the wrestler. Issued Is-sued exactly 783 challenges to Jeff, all of which and some more Jeff accepted. But when Jeff would reach a town Gotch had Just left M Sharkey, Corbett, O'Brien, Gardner, McCoy and all the rest graciously passed up Jeff. Ruhlin and Fitssim-mons Fitssim-mons have not yet ordered their press agents to desist sending challenges to Jeff, but for obvious reasons Jeff fails to put a crimp into his postage bill by replying- to each letter from that duo. Then came news from Australia, where the Cornishman halls from. Billy Bil-ly McColl, who was champion of Australia, Aus-tralia, challenged Jeff. Jeff accepted this and sent his acceptance prepaid, marked "Rush." , M Then came- the news that McColl had been defeated by one Squires. Then Squires was taken on conditionally by Jeff, but now the cable brings the news that Squires In a fight with Pat Farley in Australia Monday night broke his arm and will have to retire Indefinitely, if not for good from the ring. Jeff is disconsolate. He yearna for an opponent who is not hors de combat before he gets into the ring. Jeff announces that he will remain In the ring only one year more, and that if he is not signed up with some one soon he will make a theatrical tour of England. Won't some kind, prospective fighter please come forward and accommodate Jeff, so he will not be forced out of the business? Any challenges to the champion cham-pion sent to The Telefrram will be forwarded for-warded prepaid. Surely someone ought to be willing again to bring the sunshine sun-shine Into the life of James J. by agreeing agree-ing to play "rough house" with him. Jeff la kind and then, again, modern doctors can patch a man up in great shape nowadays. First "come, first served, and the more the merrier. After' all. It may be that Jeffries) may have to accept John L.'s challenge, aa no one but. the old champion seems really anxious to fight. |