The story created a bombshell in New York. Rickard was besieged for confirmation; but all he could confirm was that his lease would be renewed for only one year. He knew nothing about any sportsmen becoming interested in the erection of a structure to take the place of the famous old landmark. The story in the _Telegram_, he said, was news to him, but he was interested. That was my ace. I was not only eager to get public reaction but also Rickard’s. I did not have long to wait. Rickard sent for Scanlon and me. Before meeting him, however, we made certain that we could obtain other backing in case Tex should turn a deaf ear to us. New York City at the time had a man of wealth in the building business. His name was George Backer. He had just completed a large commercial building on Fifth Avenue near Thirtieth Street, then the largest in the city. Scanlon, McLean, and I got in touch with him. It didn’t take us long to convince Mr. Backer that we had something worth while. He was quick to see the possibilities and promised us that if we could get Tex Rickard to organize a company to put up $2,250,000, he would back the venture with an equal amount. He told us to tell Rickard of his interest in the matter. Before we left Backer, he told us to see Judge Mayer again and find out at what price the barn opposite the _Morning Telegraph_ on Eighth Avenue, between Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Streets, could be purchased. He, like Scanlon and myself, favored that location because of its proximity to Broadway and the theatrical district, which, even then, was moving northward. Backer gave us permission to work with his architects on the preliminary plans. They estimated that it would require about $4,500,000 to erect the building and buy the land, and that was the amount we set out to get, half from Backer and the remainder from the Rickard syndicate. We were certain that with Mr. Backer behind it, the plan couldn’t fall through. With great faith in our eventual success, I arranged an appointment for Scanlon and myself to discuss the matter with Tex. The following day we went to his office in the Madison Square Garden tower, where the three of us, with Frank Coultry, Tex’s treasurer and Ike Dorgan, his publicity ace, went into conference. We unloaded our plan to the group telling Tex that Backer would show good faith by putting up $500,000 to underwrite the undertaking and the remainder when Rickard’s share was posted. We also placed before Rickard the blue prints for the installation of an ice floor in the arena, the new invention of a Philadelphian who had already tried out such a plant successfully in the Philadelphia Arena. We convinced Rickard that with this new system, he could use the rink floor for ice hockey one night and within ten hours, have the floor ready for a fight, basketball, horse shows or for any other purpose.