RECREATION IS AHEAD. 



Mr. F. C. Wilson is a Chicago advertiser 

 who uses Outing. Mr. L. S. Abbott is the 

 Chicago representative of Recreation. 

 He called on Mr. Wilson and advised him 

 to also use Recreation; stating, as one of 

 the reasons why he should use it, the well 

 known fact that Recreation has a larger 

 circulation than Outing has. Mr. Wilson 

 is not well informed as to these 2 journals, 

 and so disagreed with Mr. Abbott. A dis- 

 cussion followed, the outcome of which is 

 best told in the following correspondence: 



Chicago, July 3, 1897. 

 Mr. G. O. Shields, 



Editor and Manager Recreation, 



Dear Sir: I called on F. C. Wilson yes- 

 terday and made a statement about our cir- 

 culation which he disputed, and said he 

 would bet $100, if I dared to take him up, 

 that we could not prove as large a circula- 

 tion as Outing has. If you want to take 

 this bet, and if you are ready to prove this 

 circulation, you can make $100. Do you 

 not think it would be well to accept his 

 challenge? 



Awaiting your reply I am yours truly, 

 Lynn S. Abbott. 



ANSWER. 



New York, July 6, 1897. 

 Mr. F. C. Wilson, 

 Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sir: Our Mr. Abbott writes me you 

 question my claim to having more circula- 

 tion than Outing has, and that you offer to 

 bet $100 I cannot prove this claim. I accept 

 your challenge and enclose herewith my 

 certified check for $100, which is to be 

 placed in the hands of Mr. Raymond, of the 

 J. Walter Thompson Agency, of your city, 

 as stake holder. Please deposit with him 

 a like amount. 



The conditions of this proposition are 

 that I, and the publisher of Outing, are each 

 to make affidavits as to the number of 

 copies of each magazine printed, for each 

 of the months of January to July inclusive, 

 1897. Furthermore,' each publisher is to 

 furnish affidavits, from his printer and his 

 binder, as to the number of copies printed 

 and bound in each of these months. Furth- 

 ermore, each publisher is to furnish an affi- 

 davit, made by an officer of the American 

 News Co. as to the number of copies of 

 each of these magazines bought by that 

 company, for each of the months as above 

 enumerated, and as to the number of copies 

 of each magazine returned during these 7 

 months. 



Furthermore each publisher is to furnish 

 post-office receipts, signed by the postmas- 

 ter of New York City, or one of his as- 

 sistants, for postage paid in the months of 

 May, June and July, on said magazines. 



If you cover this bet, I will appoint one 

 man, you are to appoint one and these 2 are 

 to select a third to act as judges, and to pass 

 upon the affidavits and proofs to be sub- 

 mitted; to decide whether or not such tes- 

 timony is competent, and to pay over the 

 stakes to you or to me as the judges may 

 determine. 



I submit this proposition through our 

 Chicago office, and invite you to go with 

 our Mr. Abbott and see that the check is 

 properly deposited in the hands of Mr. Ray- 

 mond. Yours truly, 



G. O. Shields, Edr. and Mgr. 



MR. WILSON WRITES HIS CHECK. 



Chicago, July 14, 1897. 

 Mr. G. O. Shields, N. Y. 



Your favor enclosing certified check for 

 $100, and the bet proposition, received. I 

 compliment you on your promptness in 

 this matter. It is exceedingly gratifying 

 that you should be willing to put up your 

 money on such a challenge as this. 



Mr. Wilson read your letter several 

 times, drew his check, after some little dis- 

 cussion about various things contained in 

 the proposition you made, and agreed to 

 meet me at the Thompson office this after- 

 noon at 4 o'clock, sharp, to make his de- 

 posit. Yours truly, 



Lynn S. Abbott. 



MR. WILSON FAILS TO KEEP HIS APPOINT- 

 MENT, OR TO DEPOSIT HIS CHECK. 



Chicago, July 14, 1897, 5 p. m. 

 Dear Mr. Shields: I have just returned 

 from Thompson's office, where I went at 4 

 p. m. to meet Mr. Wilson. He was not there 

 but telephoned me he would not put the 

 money up unless the publishers of Outing 

 would agree to show their hand. He said he 

 had telegraphed them and they replied by 

 referring him to Rowell's directory. I told 

 him this was no proof, and he would have 

 to furnish proof according to our offer. He 

 replied that he had written them, explain- 

 ing the matter, and that if they would show 

 their hand he would bet. I have an ap- 

 pointment to see him again on Monday, 

 July 19th. Yours, truly, 



Lynn S. Abbott. 



ANOTHER PROPOSITION. 



New York, July 17, 1897- 

 Mr. F. C. Wilson, 

 Chicago, 111. 

 Dear Sir: .1 understand Outing declines 

 to furnish proof of circulation. I, therefore, 

 amend my proposition and will bet you $100 

 that Recreation has more than twice as 

 much actual paid circulation as Outing has. 

 Same conditions, as to proofs, are to gov- 

 ern in this wager as stated in my letter to 

 you of July 8th. 



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