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PAGE SIX "THE niCmiOND PAIXADIUSIAND SUN-TELEGRAM, STJXD AY, ; JULY 31, 1910. wvnm w m Jack Johnson TeUs Efcate Careiv LiT Artha's Own Story of That Great Event m mm JHFF nNCE more, If you please, let us contemplate Mr. Johnson. m irnuc pus on, penmvo highbrow, this pace Is not ..for you.) . A mafa f lltiat eMtuei Vf t TnVincAn than when I discoursed with blm three months ago, or by grace of knightly conquest he has become the world's Incomparable sovereign, most formid able and august beater and bruiser ot men. Strange to relate, !ae did not seem puffed op. If anything, his manner was more grave and level-headed than before. "Mr. Johnson." said I, M a great many people who are not at all In terested In the technical part of your profession, have expressed some cur Icelty about the pbychologlcal side ot It Mr. Johnson ducked his head, but did not lose confidence. "Yae'm." he purled smoothly, "the psy lo psy the psylocolleglc aide of mah profession Is surely a mighty Interesting thing to every refined and edjucated person, ma'am." "In your recent affair with Mr. Jef fries I continued, "there appears to have been In addition to the exchange of blows, a constant . ripple of polite conversation." "Oh, yes'm," said Mr. Johnson. "I was conversing most pleasantly with Mr. Jeffries 'most all ot the time we was In the ring." "Was that your 'considerate way of making the time pass more agree ably?" I Inquired. "Not exackly. ma'am," said Mr. Johnson; "It was more to talk the oth er man's mind off his work, so as to catch him easier." "Dear me! Doesn't this seem rather unkind?" "trnVIni Mnultil Mr. Tnhnunn with a slight puzzled look. "I do as sure you that I was most careful, ma'am, not to say one word to Mr. .Jeffries that wasn't strictly gentle manly." "In the second round," said I, "you said to Mr. Jeffries: 'Don't you rough me.' Was that because he had been hurting you?" "No ma'am. I was only kidding him. And I did get a laff out of him that time." "An actual, spontaneous, merry laugh?" "Well, no. It wasn't that kind," con fessed Mr. Johnson. "It was more the kind of laff that would curdle the morning's milk." And here a very small white gen tleman spoke up. Hart Is his name- Mr. 81g Hart and he seems to be Mr. Johnson's right hand man. "Jack Johnson," he said enthusias tically, "Is the greatest kidder In the business." He gave Mr. Johnson a look ot such admiration as a toy spaniel might feel for an elephant which was not only large and ferocious, but also witty and entertaining. "What was the neatest thing he said during the fight?" I inquired en , couraglngly. "Oh. I don't know he said so many" returned Mr. Hart, rumpling his back hair. "What do you think. Mr. Johnson?" I Inquired. "As fur as I can remember," replied Mr. Johnson, looking at the celling, "one of the best Jollies I gave old Jeff was when he came into a clinch, and I said, 'Whatchoo wantar hug me fo. Mr. Jeffries? You know puffickly well you don't love me.' " "And that was a hot-one you hand ed Corbett," exclaimed little Mr. Hart, "when you sang out to him. 'You'd better come right up here, Jim, and MR. JOHNSON help your man.' There were a whole lot of meanings to that Jack, it meant that Jeff needed help, and It meant that you could have taken on Corbett, too, and It meant that you had beaten Corbett at the kidding game. In fact, you fought two men at Reno." , "Is the conversational part of It considered so Important?" I inqlured. "It certainly Is, ma'am." said Mr. Johnson, musically, "which was why Mr. Jeffries had Mr. Corbett to do his kidding for him." . A proud and important negress en tered with Mr. Johnson's breakfast, which consisted of chickens. Yes. dears, this conversation took place In Darkest Africa. Mr. Johnson was chezlul, as they say in France. How many chickens? Well, there were two to begin with. We bad hoped the professor, the patron of manly sports and I to find Mr. Johnson alone; but a champion like a monarch, Is never alone, and there really was a certain atmosphere of royalty in the clean and well ap pointed little restaurant where Mr. Johnson, watched respectfully and so licitously by many courtiers, chiefly white, sat down tp eat. "Not a trace of self-consciousness," whispered the professor, "and eating under observation is a very severe test. The man is either a child or a master of deportment I'm inclined to think the latter. Observe the extra ordinary economy of effort" Fully half a chicken had vanished Irrevocably, and Mr. Johnson, with a lazy air, had seemed merely to wave his hands now and then. A few swift strokes with a carving knife had dis membered the bird as if by magic, and the "whole of the breast had been ab sorbed In two leisurely mouthfuls. The outlying parts were quickly fol lowing. Precision, speed, a graceful rhythm and a deceptive air of deliber ation were the keynotes of this aston ishing performance. An anaconda ab sorbing a rabbit couldn't make less fuss about It. "Jack," said the patron of manly sports, "some of the papers said that yOu looked nervous when you first en tered the ring." Mr. Johnson opened his eyes very wide, suspended for a moment the process of deglutition, and looked plaintively at Mr. Hart, as if to say: "What calumnies must not the right eous suffer withal!" "There's nothing to it," said Mr. Hart briskly. "He was kidding and cracking jokes every second." "Weren't you, honestly, the least little bit nervous at first?" said I to Mr. Johnson. "No, ma'am," said Mr. Johnson sol emnly shaking his head. "I've never been nervous In all my life." "I believe you," said the professor, slapping his knee. "Why should I go and get nerv ous?" continued Mr. Johnson, strip ping and devouring the meat from the last drumstick, "when I had just ar rived at the very place I had always wanted to be, sitting plumb opposite to my friend, Mr. Jeffries, in a twenty-five foot ring?" Picking up the carving fork, he deftly speared the second chicken oft the dish, held it aloft and eyed it with a luxurious smile. "What makes a man nervous," he proclaimed, "is not being satisfied. Ah'm never nervous, because Ah'm always satisfied." He transferred the chicken to his plate and attacked it with a zest ap parently sharpened by the discussion. The waitress reappeared with a third chicken, which she placed before him. "The cook would like to know, Mr. M X. VaAVSi r CVette.e?e M X v- , tv:V-:.-;:'.v.:::-';4 ' " kmmm 1 r.'Vv-'VA''.v,.:;::::--l .C.:.v.:X.v;Cv;v...l fc'&S&i &&&. :? V:iv.v:f- c 1 v A SHOWING HOW HK LIFTED MIL JEFFRIES OFF HIS V FEET EARLY IN THE FIGHT Johnson, whether you'll be wanting any more chicken," ahe said deferent ially. "No, I thank you." said Mr. Johnson ceremoniously, "that'll be about enough this mornin'. Miss Lily." And Miss Lily's polished black face was wreathed In smiles as she made her exit, treading on air. "There's been a good deal of discus sion. Mr. Johnson," said I. "about Mr. Jeffries's condition.!' "Jeff was in grand condition," said Mr. Johnson quickly. "But there seems to be an impres sion that something had gone wrong with bis nervous system." Mr. Johnson warmed up here, evi dently unwilling to part with any of the honors of victory. "His nerve was all right when he refused to shake hands," said the black man earnestly. "His nerve was all right when he tore the stars and stripes sash off his waist because he saw that I was wearing one like it. When a fighting man's nerve is broke he wants the other fellow to have a friendly feeling for him. Mr. Jeffries was just the other way. He had a fighting edge on. If his nerve hadn't been all right he couldn't have lasted three rounds. He couldn't have tak en the beating he did in the game way he did. No, ma'am, Ah take off mah hat to Mr. Jeffries and his nerve was all right" "You bet it was!" said Mr. Hart, as Mr. Johnson readdressed himself to what was left of the second chicken. "Didn't you feel sorry for him?" I asked. Mr. Johnson looked at me dubious ly and picked a wishbone with some deliberation. "Well." he said, cautiously, "In the thirteenth round I guess I kinder did begin to feel somewhat compunctious." "Is that all?" I persisted. "Is it pos sible to batter a man on and on, as long as he is able to stand up to see his eye swollen shut and his face cov ered with ugh! do men do that sort of thing without a moment's real re gret?" "Mr. Jeffries had done it many a time," said Mr. Johnson philosophi cally. "It isn't in the nature of woman to understand fighting," put in the pro fessor oracularly. 'Ah guess you're right, doc," said Mr. Johnson, wiping his mouth. "And didn't Mr. Jeffries hurt at all?" I Inquired. "Not In the least, ma'am, not in the least," said the big- black man. "Ah assure you Ah was in just as good shape when Ah came out of the ring as you see me now. Not a mark on me was there, Sig?" "But," I Insisted, "some of the pa pers said that you grunted once or twice when Mr. Jeffries struck you." "Well, Ah may have grunted, but If it was from the heat, not because Mr. Jeff hurt me. Ah didn't see anything coming mah way from him that could hate caused me any pain." Vay, Jack," asked the patron of manly sports, "what about that left you gave him on the eye in the sixth round? I've been wondering if that didn't put old Jeff all to the bad for the rest of the fight. Was that something you calculated?" "No, sir," said Mr. Johnson, "I never aim tor such a small mark as a man's eye. I never take a target any smaller than his whole head and any one of his features is welcome to get it" "I read with great Interest," said the professor, "that in the first round you demonstrated your superior strength by lifting the other person off his feet." "That's right, doc," said Mr. John- "MOST PEOPLE son with a cheerful smile. "Was that done with calculation?" "Sure it was," said Mr. Johnson. "You had determined on it before hand'" "Yassir because I knew that It would take the heart out of him." "And could you judge whether it had' the desired effect?" "Mr. Jeffries kinder wilted," said Mr. Johnson "and his face went funny. Here I'll show you how I done It, doc, and then you'll know how it feels." He rose from the table and advanc ed toward the professor, who rose somewhat hestantly. "I sprang it on him," exclaimed Mr. Johnson, "in the first clinch, when he started in to roughing It some. Come on, doc." "I'm a little doubtful as to the value of a literal demonstration," said the professor, hanging back. "Did ah hug him very hard?" "No, I didn't hug him none." said Mr. Johnson. "I only took him like this it won't hurt, doc." And, placing his fingers under the professor's elbows, he lifted him into the air as lightly as if hethe profes sor, not Mr. Johnson had been made of bajnboo. "Bless my soul!" ejaculated the pro-' fessor, gazing Into Mr. Johnson's black face. "Not that you're anything like Mr. Jeffries' weight about two-thirds of it. I should say," continued Mr. Johnson, depositing the professor on his feet "The sensation is remarkable," said the professor to me. "I never exper ienced a feeling of such utter helpless ness,' with the disquieting conscious ness of being at the mercy of an over whelming force. No wonder Jef fries face went funny, as our interest ing friend expresses It" "I'm curious, to know, Mr. Johnson," said I as Mr. Johnson went back to his chicken, "how you think . you would have compared with John L. Sullivan, tn that gentleman's prime." "Mah dear lady." said Mr. Johnson pityingly, 'It you knew anything about the game as It's played youwould n't ask any such questions as that Mr. Sullivan was a great man In his time,, and he is surely Is now a very cultured and kindly old gentleman: but his style of fighting wouldn't go for a minute In these days." "Do you mean," I inquired, "that you could beat Mr. Sullivan as he was at his very best?" "Yas'm." said Mr. Johnson. "As easily as you beat Mr. Jeffries?" Tm afraid it might be some easier." said Mr. Johnson with due delibera tion.... ' . : t,v ; . "But the business of pummeling peo ple." said I, "is so old , ana simple that" "Simpler exclaimed the patron erf manly sports....' y ; "Simple!" echoed Mr. Johnson and Mr. Sig Hart And the proceeded to explain to me what a very complex art modern pum meling is, and how assiduously the pummeler ha to use his brains, and LIKE THOSE SMALL FIDDLES." SAID MR. JOHNSON, APOLOGETICALLY TAKEN TO THIS KIND. DOC, BESAUSE THEY DON'T BREAK SO EASY." if they hadn't talked together the pro fessor and I might have learned a great deal about it, but as it was we looked at each other in helpless be wilderment There seemed to be something about "long-arm work" and short arm work" and I did gather in a hazy fashion that the latter bad been developed in re cent years and was speedier and more baffling than the older methods. "Jim Corbett Invented a new style of boxing," said the patron of manly sports, "but Jack Johnson has gone him one better. He has framed up entirely new ways of stopping blows. Instead of waiting to block them with his arms, he -reaches out and catches them on the fly, as if they were base balls." "Is that clever?" I inquired. "Clever? Why, it takes a speed of eye and brain and hand that is simply marvellous! And another trick he has developed is to stop a blow while it's on the way by prodding the front mus cle of his opponent's shoulder with the tips of his fingers isn't that right, Jack?" "Yup" grinned Mr. Johnson, through a mouthful of chicken. "That'll take all the steam out of the biggest wal iop." , ""You must have i worked very hard at your profession," said I to Mr. Johnson. "Ya'm," said Mr, Johnson, mod estly, "I've worked hard at it ever since I was a child." "You've been hungry and cold at It, too, haven't you, Jack?" said the pa tron of manly sports. "Lord, yes!" said Mr. Johnson. "I don't believe I ever .got really enough to eat as a regular institootion until after my fight with Burns. It cer tainly is wonderful the . way my strength has been building up since then!" . ' . And he heaved a sigh of happy re pletion as he surveyed the devastat ed skeleton of the third chicken. I looked at Mr. Johnson, hero and idol of his race and wondered in what way civilization could have used his pecu liar talents if there had been no such profession as prize fighting. Cool, crafty, patient, ambitious and im mensely strong, courageous and quick he seems to have been ; especially molded for fighting in some individ ual form. His singularly flat head it slopes almost without an angle from the eyebrows back to the cone shaped crown might have been built by design for the glancing off of bloks. In action I saw his sparring exhibition at Hammerstein's that af ternoon he has weirdly reptilian way of drawing down that flat head down between his prodigious shoulders, and anon protruding it and " playing it swiftly from side to side likta huge turtle. "Mr. Johnson," said I, "what do you think of the popular theory that in beating Mr. Jeffries you were demol ishing the supremacy of the white race?" "Why, I haven't got much patience with that kind of talk, ma'am," said Mr Johnson with lazy good humor. "I kinder think the white race will get along with Its finance and its ar chitecture and its literchoor and wire less telegraphy just as well as if Mr. Jeffries had beaten me instead of me beating Mr. Jeffries. The greatest fighting animal known is a gorilla. It's so strong and savage that a grown up one was never captured alive. If a gorilla was shut in a room with me and Mr. Jeffries, ma'm, it would kill us both, but that wouldn't prove that the gorilla race was better than the human race." I wondered if-the happy thought' was Mr. Johnson's own, but didn't like to ask. He rose, looked critically at his feet and danced a ' few shuf fling steps not ungracefully. "Give us a tone on your fiddle, now," said the patron of manly sports. "Say!" exclaimed Mr. Johnson, with animation. "I was just wondering what it was I wanted, and that is sure it!" He went into an adjoining room and appeared with a bass viol almost as large as himself. "He doesn't play solos on It, does he," exclaimed the professor. "Wait till you see," said Mr. Hart "Most people like those .small fid dles," said Mr. Johnson, apologetical ly, but Ah've taken to this kind be cause they don't break so' easy." He played something. It was prob ably a tune, but somehow it really had a thrilling effect. It thrilled the chan delier and the teeth , in one's head. And bye and bye Mr. Johnson turned up his eyes and sang. That is, he in toned in a deep lugubrious voice, ac companied by the spasmodic "zoom zoom" of the instrument, that highly, moral and sentimental verse of which the refrain ran thus; "You may search the whole world through ' . 'WHAT MAKES A MAN NERVOUS NEVER NERVOUS BECAUSE "BUT AH'VB From Chlny to Peru, But you'll never find another friend like your Mo-o-otber!" . We all congratulated him " warmly on this performance, and the profes gagement. "Is your mother very proud of you?" I asked Mr. Johnson, as we prepared to go. "Yas'r, Indeed she Is, he replied ear nestly. "But she'd be just aa proud of me if Ah wasn't the champion or nothing." Turkish women do not wear veils because of their religion, as many sup pose. It is merely the survival of an old custom. When the Turks still lived in Tartary before the time of Mo hammed, it was the habit of the man to steal such women for tcIvm at. tracted them. This lead to so much fighting that about the second century after Christ the Turks came together and decided that henceforth the wo men should go veiled and should not meet men, but should dwell In harems as soon as they arrived at woman hood. Rice is "wet," that grown for the) most part In flooded lands; or "dry" that raised on uplands. Its growth ia. those regions where civilization has penetrated least is pathetic. Parts ot the east are still covered with virgin forests of tall trees; underneath all is dark in heavy shade. Creepers twine up hundreds of feet and are all topped off with Indescribable orchids, all hunting for air and sunshine. In the thick wood a suitable spot Is chosen ior rice uey muse nave or starve. Undergrowth is cut out and staked and hedged around to make a fence for the little rice farm. New York Press. . . IS NOT BEING SATISFIED; AH'M AH'M ALWAYS SATISFIED.".