Show Dearth of Good Fighters on Coast BY BYE E. E D D. B BURROWS SAN FRANCISCO Aug 21 Where Where the deuce arc are all the top notch fighters fight fight- ers anyhow For over a week now Sunshine James James' Coffroth has been quietly poking around through the pugilistic bushes hushes and brambles in search of some sort of big game for his September banquet table but sq far he has been unable to find anything which in iii his opinion would provide more than mediocre entertainment for the patrons patron s of his Mission street arena Occasionally Occasionally Occa Occa- atonally James W. W has fired his trust trusty y match lock at some fleeting boxer that stuck his head out from cover but invariably the powder has either been In insufficient or inefficient and the quarry has glided back into the forests unscathed Garibaldi of the North End club another gunner who usually comes back to camp with something worth while is meeting with the same kind of luck and as yet has bagged nothing but a few squirrels which no one cares much about Garry has been on the verge of landing a match for two or three weeks but Just as he and gets away aws awn a bee line on a boxer the latter Professional ProCessional pugilists are a strange lot take them by and large Worse than that they are getting stranger every day and if they keep on at the rate they are going it will soon be a case of the promoter organizing regular posses to go gunning after pugs I I cant can't understand it said Cof Coffroth froth the other day There are plenty of boxers of the first rank who need money and who have had money moneymaking moneymaking moneymaking making matches offered to them but but they dont don't seem to want to fight This lethargy seems to be epidemic not on ly out here but all over the country Those Tho e who can fight wont won't fight and those who cant can't fight the public has bas no desire to l see ee Possibly the Amalgamated and Independent Order of Pugilists has sent out a strike order order or or- der or possibly t Hbo the boxers have decided decided de de- de that they can get et alon along without money money something's something's s 's up that is sure surl Even the second rate fellows have the bu bug and when they consent to talk fight they usually ask some outrageous figure for tor their bit bit that queers the whole hole thing If not that they size U up their proposed opponent and then demand demand de de- de mand that he ho do some impossible stunt before they will consider a match Here lIere are re and Kaufmann for instance Kaufmann Knufmann has the chance to meet Deet either Jack Johnson or Jack OBrien O'Brien either one or whom would draw a big bit house with him yet vet he refuses refuses re reo re- re fuses fuss because one or two of lii his myriad of managers tell him Wm that there is a chance of his being beaten Of course there is a chance there chance there is always a chance of being beaten Kaufmann Jaufmann has been bawling for a match with Johnson John son ever since the latter returned from Australia but when Jack lack consents Al AI runs for the woods Then I T offer him hima a fi fight ht with 0 OBrien O'Brien time tho only man whoever whoever who ever knocked him out and aDd he builds bUIld up a barricade of technicalities that nobody can surmount I understand understand under uDder stand has a 3 little better excuse for de dt delaying delaying de- de laying his return to the coast lie He ha has some easy easy money in sight in iu the east tast after fter which h ch he is coming out here Still it seems funny Cunny to me inc that Billy would miss an an opportunity to fight o OBrien O'Brien especially when ho he had bad another another an an- other fight offered him for three thrle weeks later ha have They e me inc le guessing The writer while talking with Willus Britt Dritt over the tho phone from Point Arena yesterday happened to mention on Al Kaufmann's Kaufmanns aufmann s 's offer to beat Ketchel in tc ten tep rounds or forfeit his hill entire end of the purse In answer one ODe of Britt Britts a gurgling laughs came Iame rippling over the wire Sure he said Rail well fi fight ht him that way or way or any othet way pro cay pro providing viding he lie first shows show's us what he lie can do Let him fight tight Jaek Jack 0 OBrien O'Brien whom knocked out in throe three rounds runds and sad who knocked Al out in seventeen When 0 Brien OBrien gets t e-t through with him we wo will Vill ill be glad to gather up imp the pieces and pound them into shape a again ain Britt and his money maker arrived from Point Arena to today having haying hay hav ing hired a team and come comae via the mountain trails After a day or so in San Francisco Ketchel Ketche and his manager manager man man- ager will leave leae for New York there thereto to en engage Sam Langford before the Fairmont Athletic club Britt has bas wired asking askinA a postponement of the Langford match for one ODe week makin making it September September Sep SIP 10 instead of the This will give ive Ketchel Netchel eighteen days das in which to train At it is u. u understood d that he will meet the Boston black at catch weights Stanley will not have ha much to todo todo todo do and should be able to enter the arena in magnificent shape shap As soon as the battle is over Ketchel will hurry back to the Pacific coast where he will have havo fully three weeks to prepare f for Johnson 0 whom h he is scheduled h J to meet e on October 12 2 Britt rI reports his charge to be bo in fine fettle and this is borne out by the statements of travelers who have ha recently been to Point A Arena rena |