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Albuquerque Morning Journal
Albuquerque Morning Journal
Contributed by Loren H

Description: Reno Waiting For Call To Battle

Date: July 3 1910

Source: my granary

Reno is waiting now, Tomorrow and Monday morning and then the moment when announcer Billy Jordan will cimb out of the ring with all the speed that his fat legs can carry him crying: Let'er go.
Another languid sunset in these brown hills and the great Jeffries Johnson battle will be on. In the meantime the desert city is rapidly taking on the appearance of a national convention. The delegates from the world's sporting centers are arriving on every train.The streets and hotels are filled with a shifting mob of gentlemen,thieves, gamblers and pugilists.The hum of conversation on the street is punctuated with the click of the routlette wheels and the cries of the souvenir hawkers.And all are waiting for the event which nothing but earthquake or fire or death can now prevent.
The camps of the fighters are quiet with the peace of suspense.The arena is waiting out in the white dust ,an ugly skeleton that in a few hours will be palpitating with life and the thrills that the red gods and down men's spines in monents of physical strife.Probably not another stick will have to be touched.
The purse money is up.all of it. the sum of $101,000 which the fight lovers will pay Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson to measure their sinews,their brains and their fighting hearts.
The only movement from the rival camps today was in the way of pleasure and thought killing. Both Jeffies and Johnson made auotmobile trips into town.Johnson just for the fun and to have the crowd stare at him and Jeffries because he had to in order to get to the fishing grounds that he decided to visit late in the afternoon.
The critical time of waiting is being watched closely by sight experts.
Jeffries has surprised them all by his apparent unconcern on the eve of the greatest moment in his life. Nothing else was expected from the black man.
To the sporting men who made the trip to Moana Springs in the early afternoon a restful scene was presented. On the lawn at the side of his white cottage sat Jeffries and his cronies around a small table. The fighter had on a soft shirt and a soft cap rested carelessly on the back of his head. He was leaning over a hand of cards figuring how to win a few cents from his oppoonents.When he succeeded he was happy and his laugh rang out so that the crowds hanging over the fence marked 'private' smiled in sympathy.
Over the group a great willow tree spread on restful branches. From a branch hung a cage with two pigeons. On the green lawn a tiny white dog played running occasionally to lick Jeffrie's hand. Around all swung the great bare hills and the green meadows.
Of the thoughts that passed through Jeffries' mind, between hands as he glanced past the group out into the brilliant sunshine and the blue sky, no one fo his intimates pretended to say sometimes his eyes would take on a deep somber look and he would scowl.Again his eyes would flash in fun, a dimple would show and all would be merry as a wedding morn.
To those who braved the sunshine wand the dust and the bumps in tohe road and made their way to Rickard's road house on the other side of town, another scene of rest was shown,but it was rest of a different kind.There was much hilarity and loud merriment her and the sound of singing and instrumental music breaking out at odd times proved that the black champion and his crew were amusing themselves as if the fight were a year off and they were way down south in Dixie.

Submitted: 04/16/06

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