Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1893 — BLUFFING THE SCRAPPERS. [ARTICLE]

BLUFFING THE SCRAPPERS.

How a Slim Young Man Intimidated the Sports. “I saw a funny thing in Cheyenne k few weeks ago," said a Detroiter who returned from a Western trip the other day- “I was wandering around town to see the elephant and chance led me into a big saloon whero all the scrappers made their headquarters. Back of the saloon was a building where a professor of the manly art gave instructions, and where the ‘pugs’ thumped each other at exhibitions. They were ‘trying out’ a new arrival that day and 1 should say there were forty or fifty tough looking chaps in the place. Soon after I entered a young man who had come through fronj Denver in my ear dropped in. He couldn’t have been over 24 years of age, while he was over six feet tall and his weight only about 1 20 pounds. He was long-faced, thin and long-legged and reminded you of nothing so much as a boy on stilts. Two men were getting ready to go on when longlegs peeled off his coat, vest, tie and collar, put them in my charge, and climbed upon the platform.” “That was a deft to tho crowd?" “Exactly, and in about a minute they put a man up to punch his head off. They gave long-legs a second and the first thing he did was to take the glasses off the young man's nose. The latter reached for them and said: “ 'Excuse me, but I always light with my glasses on.’ “ 'But they’ll get knocked off or jammed into your face.’ “ ‘Don’t you believe it! It’s never (happened yet, and I don’t think it will now.’

“The scrapper over in the other corner couldn't make it out. Here was a man so sure of himself that ho was going to put up his dukes with a pair of eye-glasses on his nose. He must, perforce, be a kuocker-out from Ivnockersville, and it was better to retreat than to carry around a broken jaw. He therefore retreated. Several others came forward, but when they saw long-legs seated cross-legged In his corner with those glasses poised so jauntily they didn't want anything of him. Then he got up and said: “ ‘Gentlemen, there is no limit to weight. I always fight in glasses, as I’m a little near-sighted. I will, however, remove my glass eye and false teeth if deemed best. Will your best man step up here for a couple of rounds?’ “But no one stepped. He waited a minute or two and then pulled off the gloves with a look of disappointment and got into his clothes and we went out together. He didn’t look to me at all like a scrapper, and as we walked down the street 1 said: “ ‘What sort of a deal were you giving that crowd?’ “‘A gigantic bluff,’ he answered with a \augh. “ ‘Are you a fighter?’ “ ‘I never struck a blow in my life, not even in fun.’

“ ‘But suppose one of those scrappers had tackled you?’ “ ‘I should have hacked down and asked ’em all up to drink. But there was no danger. I’ve tried it half a dozen times before, and the glasses always settles ’em.’ “ ‘How about the glass eye and the false teeth?’ “ ‘I simply rung ’em In to help on the bluff. Haven’t got a false tooth in ray head, and both eyes are perfect. It’s a bluff of my own invention and works like a charm. Please don’t give it away.’ “And that afternoon,” said the Detroiter in conclusion, “when we took the train east there were a hundred sports down £t the depot to see longleg) off, and I’m a duffer if they didn’t present him with a bottle of wine and give him three cheers and a tiger!”—Free Press.