Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-03
wEsTON's SECRET.


New York Sunday Mereury.l
"Itis now generally believed that
Weston's extraordinary feat is the
result of a lOng-cherished determine
ton on his part to regain his lost lau-
rels." observed a well known wealthy
gentleman of sporting proeliyities to a
Mercury representative. In a meas
nre it is. But there is more than that
In it. | know to an absolute certain
ty that it is one Of the best laid and
carried out plans to scoop a big win
ming that was ever c%Oncocted. | dare
not give you names but | will tell
you a story, for the truth Of which in
its minutest details | pledge you my
honor.
"A friend Of mine, a club man and
a passionate sportsman, was a heavy
hacker Of 0'Leary against Rowell in
the international match at GilmOre's
Garden. Even when things looked
darkest and most desperate for his
man he stuck m%anfully by him. The
consequence was that he came out the
loser of over $4,000. His bets we're
private ones in NEST cases, and except
for a few heavy outside ones. his losses
remained unknown to the general
public.
my friend went to England on
business Immediately after the match.
He there met Weston, whom he had
known before. Weston expressed
himself warmly in regard to Ameri-
cas- losing the belt, and said: i'll had
a couple of months training, | believe
| could win it back My friend be-
came convinced by his enthusiasm
that he did not oYeFestimate himself,
and suggested to him to try it. After
some talk Weston agreed to 90 into
training at once. Then the idea
struck my friend to recover his losses.
Previous to that he had, as he told me
himself, been aetlated only by desire
to see the belt returned to America.
"WestOn's popularity as a walker
was deep in a decline, and che betting
in any match he entered for was sure
to be against him. If he was known
to have been in training it might be
more favorable; but if his prepara-
tiOns were kept secret betting men
would regulate their investments by
his old record. Any one backing him
under these circumstances could get
long odds, and my friend, firmly CON
WINGED that the walker could win,
determined to iHdOrse his convictions.
His losses on 0'LeaFy had seriously
crippled him He deliberately and
at no little sacrifice raised $l50,000 in
cash, mOrtgaging a quantity of his
real estate in this city to do so. Every
dollar of this money he applied to the
one purpose. The victory OF this man
meant a fortune to him or nearly
absolute ruin, and he told Weston so
without reserve. i am putting near
ly every cent / own on you, he said
If you win, half of what / gain is
yours. / only ask two things o fyou-
one is to keep quiet with your train
ing, the other to DO your best
Weston did so. No soul outside
Of the plot knew that tbe eKrehampion
was laying himself out for 3 biz VIC
tory and fortune by rigorous training.
When he vent on his pedestrian tour
through England people spoke Of it as
a Snowman dodge. 1t was really a
part OF his preparation for the contest
on which he and his hacker rested
their hopes. My friend meanwhile
vent quietly to work laying out hi
$4,000 where it would do the mos
good. He worked so quietly thai
scarcely any one knew what he wal
about. Every one thought that Yves.
ton went into tie match with no pre-,
paratory training. 1t was not until he
began to show up i'd Che match that
people began to think tbat he had
been preparing himself for do task
and to find out that some oae bad
quietly been putting up money on him
all along, and held nine-tenths of the
bets laid against Weston in the race
| don't know how much the thing ha,
netted him, but it is safe to say that
the scheme has cleared a big profit
There isn't a sporting gentleman Ii
London who is not bit to a greater OF
less extent, for my friend is hand-in
glove with all of them. and had bet
booked with all. He has called twicr
with his brother, each time giving tn.
amounts of his books"
Halt of this money, Of course
goes to Weston? p
My friend has promised it. He
well known as a man who never break
his word"