Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-11-20
DON YAKlS IE BLUFF
FOR 1 llcE IEE1Ue u lreus1
Dss Hsas g the HsrssDss Take Asy
oss<k il ts-nsv Ne 0esns Dss ~
ths Expense Of the nsrssDss-
ssms On. Hssa 0siaseas

oSns On IA o0 ~ r. sto8s
Wednesday evening ~ 10 o'clock, .
reporter for the TxLxoRAN-HsaALD
met Don J. Leatners IN tho lobby Of the
Norton House. Mr.. Leatners inime-
diateiy assumed that beamlng ar
which be usually dons in The presence
OF reporters aad other people who are
sp. TO bring him INTO public notice. and
sald, as>he paused for . moment.
well, gSod Svsang. Whsts gong
on toaighu
Nothing" returned the reporter,
ana then addsl, Anything going on
in the horse Lpe"
Nothing that know of" said Mr..
Leathsra
"Anyx1raiugemenss being made for
coming rsees?" asked the reporter.
Il don't KNOW . damned thing, re-
turned Mr.. Lsathers. ps0usiy.
Yesterday morning the Democrat
contained notice that the associates
press would announce that Don u.
Leatners, through the Democrat. would
offer $ioo. 900 for the week OF the races
81 the meeting of the Michigan Horse
Breeders in August next.
Instead Of Mr.. feathers making any
definite announcement to that effect
over his signature. he interviewed =
reporter and told him that he, Leath-
ers, would act independently of the
Horsenan's ASSOCIATION and offer $780,
600, divided into purses, with no en-
trance tee If the horses could be pro-
cured. The Democrat upon this
fimsy statement telegraphed the
news the country over - an actual
proposition made by feathers. Con-
serya.ivs hoIseman were astonlshed 1T
the nerve displayed and Mr.. feathers
was made the subject of much good ns-
tured r,diculc In the hotels and clubs.
Received With Isersaulisy.
Yesterday afternoon q reporter for
tho TELEGRAN-HERALD WAS detailed %
get the opinions of the horsemen con-
corning THE offer.
Several prominent citizens would not
believe that such an offer had bsen
made, alleging that it was merely 3
newspaper "fake." Others believed
that the offer bad actually been made
intellect from which the idea emanated
had become 60 enlarged by tho news.
paper notOriety given its proprietor
during the last stallion race, That II
actually believed, by some unknown
and indetiuible process, 1t could carry
out the provisions Of the Wild and
chimerical offer which, in its supreme
eelf-sotisfaction, it had devised. The
dominating opinion was that the offer
was Q hybrid produced by the union OF
q diseased and disorganized intellec,
and desire to make bluff of the tirAl
water for the purpose Of calling public
attention 10 the president Of the Grand
Rapids Horssmen's associa ton, and tC
a certain 2-year-old colt in which the
aforesaid president owns . part inter
est.
Dsast Understand tt
The following are some OF the opin
ions elected from prominent horsemen
George D: Sisson-"I don't care to
saw ANYTHING about it until see 'Luth.
ers.' / don't understand the ID
thing. I've been away"
A.. J. Buwne-"It 10 utterly impOssi
BILE. 1t seems wild in fact. He couldn't
clear himself even if if he could get the
horses here, which he can't. You vii
| never see horse race that will create
more excitement than that Nelson Al
| lerton race, and there wasn't any $50,
| 600 crowd at that. 1t doesn't seen
| possible that such an Offer could have
been made"
DIR. j. B. Griswold-"It is out of thu
| question. Those horses can never bt
brought here. Everybody knows thai
| Stanford doesn't care for money anC
wouldn't let PaIo Alto come here ever
on . surety of winning 100000. NJ
, records could b lowered, and it il
doubtful if even 2:l2 could be made
| The race won't come off,"
w. A. Tateum-"It would be gooc
thing if there was any prospect of get
| ting the horses together. but there ISM
! the slightest. 1t would be utterly i'm
| possible TO get those seven horses to
rether. IL Mr.. Lsathers had adver-
! tiscd the race to be held tor So, 00'
purse on condition That five OF then
entered, tnere would have been little
more chance for it to come Off,"
Think He Il Premature.
J. BOYD Pantlind-"rve been away
but IT'S big advertisement. dom
suppose the horses can ali be brough
| here"
Another gentleman, who wished hi
| name suppressed, saId feathers
head 10 sWelled. He made 5000 out o.
the Ailertou race and had ms name
| printed ~ big man in all the papers
/ He thinks be can repeat the expert
! ment and make another haul. Is won
work. Public interest was intense ovel
Allerton and Nelson. No such inter
est could be aroused over them again
or over field of the speedisst AMI
mails in America. Unless Leathers
who lie abundantIy able to do 90, pat
this money Up, he will make . laugh
| ing stock of the town. l think he wa
foolish to make such an outlandish OK
| fer until he had consulted the member
| of the Horsemaa's ASSOCIATION. j Cal
explain HE action oniy On the theor,
that he wants 70 become lion in nors'
| circles. TX 1t turns out all rignt, twill
be . good thing for the town. sse1 bu
If it doa't, horsemen wall play shy ol
bona fde offers for fear they are bluffs.
Still another: "Nonsense, nonsense
No city the sire Of this city eau MAKE
each . meeting pay. Nobcdy wouit
come here, but horse owners and tram
ers, and the towDspeople would hav'
to make the crowda People ut dis
lance would read the Newspaper &C
counts And be satisfied with That
Leathsfa has gone eff half-primed
stiit he'sa merry fellow. got tue money
and AL matter of pride no nay ham
IL up ia spite Of probable small receipts
! BAT that he sill, don't think.