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Show PAGE SEVEN THE DRAGERTON TRIBUNE, DRAGERTON, UTAH Tuesday, May 16, 1950 SPORT LIGHT insunss Cy J:nl3 Jim Jeffries Was One of Best Athletes GRANTLAND RICE n FEW DAYS AGO big Jim Jef- fries celebrated his 75th birthday at Burbank, California. Quite bald, with his left side partially paralyzed from a stroke, big Jim a s still quite ,, husky citizen. How good was I big Jim in his prime? He must jpv been pretty have j ? tough on June 9, X 1899, When he knocked out Bob at Fitzsimmons Coney Island, for Grantland Rlcethi was Jefries 11th fight. He had been Corbetts sparring partner two years before when Jim was training for Fitzsimmons and he was only 24 when he stopped Red Robert of CornBy j There are few left who saw Jef- delphia Eagles in 1948 and 1949. fries work in his prime. To most of He won the first in a raging he was a lumhe modern experts bering, floundering giant who about knew little boxing. But you can write it down that from 1900 through 1905, Jim Jeffries was a great fighter who certainly doesnt deserve to be shoved as far down the list as many have placed him. snow tornado and the second in the middle of a California cloudburst with a team that was at its best. on a fast field. There maybe smarter coaches around than the often querulous Mr. Neale, but I cant remember their names at the moment. Greasy tleaie Reports Greasy qualifies as a typical the that It seemed rather logical member of the coaches guild, this best man to interview about since he is just about as pessimisprofessional football situation was tic as Frank Leahy of Notre Dame he coach of the best National or Red Blaik of 'Army. To these two, every silver lining has a cy League team the last two years. His name is Greasy Neale. He clone cloud, and the only light, doesnt answer to EarL Greasy frivolous tune they enjoy is Chopwon the big title with his Phila ins Funeral March. wall. Just where is Jeffries place In the ranking list of heavyweights? It is on record that by 1905 he outclassed the field so far that he had to retire. It to suggest any was a THE FICTION JACKIE'S BEST WORLD CORNER Richard H. Wilkinson By It'i a shame. The joke challenger. It is also on record that he was d a fat man when he tried 'to come back against Johnson. Jim weighed 285 pounds when he started training for this fight. The first timq I saw Jim Jeffries , was in 1903 in Atlanta. He had just come from' under a shower and I thought I was in the same room with a grizzly bear. He was 6 feet anc 2 he weighed 215 pounds his covered hair black legs thick, and body. He was then one of the finest athletes Ive ever seen. He could high jump around six fee and he could run the 100 in 10 flat. I saw him workout one after noon and he" gave a remarkable exhibition of foot and hand speed What few people know, Jim Corbett told me one day, is that by the time of our second fight Jeffries had become as good a boxer as I was. I have never seen a fighter improve as he did. You couldnt hurt him with two axes, he was dead game and he could punch. Jim Jeffries was a great fighter when he bald-heade- BEFORE Darlings circus, largest to ever visit New England, came to Dexter, Silas Ledbetter called his son in from the barn and said: here, DAY THE been youve a pretty good boy this summer. Guess hand with the on bein you deserve when it circus other boys at that gets here tomorrow. The Ledbetters were poor as church mice, and Jackie hadnt dared even let himself think his pop would let him attend the circus. Consequently, his. round blue eyes grew even rounder. Old Silas grinned and swallowed a lump in his throat. lie dug down into his pocket and brought out a shiny, new silr. ver Jackie carefully placed the half-dollin a pocket of his tattered overalls, pulled his straw hat well over his ruddy face, puckered up his lips and began to whistle. He whistled all that afternoon and retired In 1905, as great a was still whistling when he came seen. ever have I as fighter in from the lower lot for supper. I all. of them best the Maybe Once upstairs, Jackie carefully couldnt name 'anyone to even off his shirt and then felt in took hurt him, much less beat him. the pocket of his overalls for the And Corbett saw Jack Dempsey half dollar. Hed better sleep' with , wreck Jess Willard. Corbett had a it under his pillow, he reasoned, like hed read about folks doing. deep and profound respect for Je he before a as fries It was right then that Jackies fighter heart sank, right then that the Willi o half-dolla- ar O zoo would've liked this specimen!" world turned black and there was a horrible, terrifying, empty feeing in the pit of his stomach. The half dollar was gonel Jackie wanted to cry', but he was too much of a man for that le searched through the other ocket very carefully, 'and then ooked in his shoes, and under the ed and about everywhere that the lalf dollar might have been. But ,t was gone, completely vanished. And so Jackie, his heart aching with misery, crawled into he conldnt bed. And then help it he cried. Bat all the time he kept telling himself he was a man now and hed better stop crying before mom came np to tack him in and kiss him good night. If mota found him crying shed feel bad and probably cry, too. And Jackie didnt want that to happen. he decided, HE COULDNT, let mom know that he had lost the half dollar. Or pop either. That wouldnt be fair. Hed just go off by himself tomorrow afternoon and make them think he was at the circus all the time. He wouldnt want them to know for anything. There wasnt any one in the world had a better pop and mom than he. Jackie fought to keep back thef tears. He didnt wait long after breakfast and set out with hlsi pitchfork over his shoulder and a whistle on his lips. DANNY SCHOLL Once out of sight of the house, I the whistle died. The ache and official to discuss a film contract misery in his heart just wouldnt with Danny. He has had plenty of let it go on. Still, he was going to radio experience, and as singing see the parade anyway, and pop lead in the musical, Call Me Mis-an- d mom would think he was go- - ter, was signed by.MGM for a role ing to the circus. It was comfort- - opposite Ann Sothern in Nancy ing to know that pop and mom Goes to Rio. He stands six feet-wer- e four, is good looking, is now appear- happy. lot lower Jackie reached the ing on Broadway In Texas, Lil out the hay and began to shake Darling and doing fine. as pop bad asked him to do. He couldnt loaf on the job, be Irene Tedlow, Mrs. Archer of told himself, because if be did Meet Corliss Archer, says she has learned a lot about bringing up pop wouldnt think him very r. for the her two young children from her grateful Jackie turned the hay in one years on the CBS show and about windrow and started on the next what to expect when they reach But all the while his heart fairly I their teens. Shes had the role since sobbed with misery. And theq ab I the very beginning, and has never d ruptly that same - heart almost II missed a performance, but to beat. Jackie stared and agaa her household, does other radio stared at something round and shows and several movies a year, shiny that lay In the stubbles under the forkful of hay hed justl Kathi Norris, who has Just picked up. After a long time. It switched to NBC, will be groomed seemed, his heart began to thump I hy the network to. become its He felt goose pimples I male Ben Grauer. In addition to run breaking out all over his body. He cng her shows on another network wanted to cry and shout and do all I she ha been a special events reI sorts of things. porter, may be teamed with Grauer. And then Jackie remembered that hed been working here- on the i Xo enable future army officers t0 afternoon before, and the half-dol- eir Shakespeare as well as lar must have slipped out of his Articles of War. 4he U. S pocket He picked up the coin, tary Academy at West Point has ar squeezed it lovingly and, holding ranged witb Universtal - Interna It tightly in his clenched fist, went I tionai 0 ahow Hamlet once a year to shaking out the hay again. The at Academy best mom and the best pop in the Katherine Locke, who won ac world, he told himself joyfully. claim in The Snake Pit but re Wartime Entertainer Inspired 1 New Song Hit Open Parachute half-dolla- 'one of the best POCKET BILLIARD PLAYERS IN THE U.S., STAYED OUT OF TOURNAMENT PLAY FOR AWHILE DURING THE WAR. HE HADNT TOUCHED A CUE FOR A YEAR WHEN HE ENTERED THE 1042 WORLDS CHAMPIONPRACTICED FOR SHIP TOURNEY THE TITLE! WEEK-AND WON A man-cease- fe-aga- in. 'QUIZ CORNER WHAT BABE RUTH 50 TIMES WORLD SERIES GAMES ANO DREW 33 BASES ON BALLS. STRUCK OUT IN i mhGSeV TWO - GOLFERS HAVE WON THE US. AMATEUR AND OPEN TITLES, IN THE SAME . YEAR ? COCOUS3NOT A99Ce'(9iC0SNVA3 500 tired to private life following her marriage to Norman Corwin, the ace. radio writer, has been pnrsnaded to return to the screen in an important role in Souqd Of Fury. A savage story of mob violence, much of which will be shot in 'Phoenix, Ariz., it stars Kathleen Ryan, Frank Lovejoy and Richard Carlson. Madge Blake, former Pasadena school teacher, who waited until her children grew up before embarking on an acting career, ba been cast for the Important role of Evelyn Kejres slap-happ- y In sister-in-la- w The Cost of Living. Vanessa Brown, starred with Lex Barker in Sol Lessers RKO Tar-za-n and the Slave Girl, came up with the most novel excuse for leaving a party. I simply must go, said she. Ive got to go elephant riding early in the morning. ... The new Wheres the the traces development of Fire?, fire fighting from the early days, captures the thrills of big city fire fighting, and covers the activities of a volunteer fire department . . . Paramount has taken up its option on John Lund for a sixth year and lets hope they give him better roles to close in late . . . Originally-se- t Gildersleve show Great "The May, will run to June 14 . . . And Meet Corliss Archer will leave the air for eight weeks beginning June 25. ODDS AND ENDS March of Time, Gene Nelson, dancer whos now scoring his first screen triumph in The Daughter of Rosie OGrady, wants to be the screens first male star. He was featured In one of Sonia Henles" shows and in It Happens on Ice". ice-skati-ng Charlton neston, husky, Broadway and television actor recently discovered by Hall Wallis, makes his movie debut in park City, opposite Llzabeth Scott. Television was never like this, he said. six-foot-t- wo Bob Garred, news' broadcaster, and Bob Garred, golfer, had their big- gest day recently. Ace reporter for ABC Garred was proclaimed the West's best news broadcaster by the Radio News Club of Southern California. .Released by WNU Features |