Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-20
GAMBLERS ANNUITY.

ness OF Gandler. GanOler purchaseu MS
greatness, and got It at bargain: A cen
tury ago Gambler sold tripe at Tottleton. He
sold good tripe, and consequently was IA
nous man in his line and time. But Gambler
aspired TO fame after death-to an immortal
name in the ear of succeeding generations of
TottletOnians. Triple was not calculated to
give il him. Posterity would not be likely
to remember that their ancestors bought good
tripe at the shop of Gambler But still the
tripe- seller of TottletOn was resolved that
the name of Gambler should be handed down
10 generations vet unborn. This is how
Gambler did it, He made will and died
The making OF the will was deliberate at
fsir; but not so the dying part of the bust
ness Gambler did not intend to die when he
did, but he could not help himself In the
full vigor of his manhood he fell a victim to
hard-bOiled eggs. They opened Gambler and
declared hard boiled eggs to be the cause,an
then they opened the will, and found that the
eminent tripe-seiler of Tottleton, setting
aside his relatives, had left all his worldly
wealth TO be applied to the purposes of char
ity The reward of conscientious tripe-sel-
ling had not been great, for the whole of
Gamblers worldly wealth amounted to no
more than two hundred pounds In his will
he directed that this sum should be placed
out at interest; and that the annual proceeds
should form an annuity to be granted by the
votes of the hOuseholders of TOttleton TO des-
titute but deserving old men of that parish.
1t was especially directed that the benevo-
lence should be called "Gandler's Annuity"
was first brought to a knowledge of the
name and fame of Gambler about two years
ago, when / went out to take up my abode
at ToteletOn. TOttleton is a very pretty place
in the merry month of July; and the chest
n ~ l. IL. l..
of the broad white road which constitutes
Tettleton's only street, are most beautiful to
see, especially when they are in full bloom.
But there was another beautiful feature of
Tottletown which seemed to do it infinitely
more credit-its almshOuses. 1t appeared to
me that the private houses bore no sort of
adequate proportion TO them, and the only
houses which didswere the public-houses.-
The way in which these two institutions
were regularly alternated on both sides ofthe
road for more than mile suggested that the
one was the cause of the other. 1t seemed
as if the public-houses had brought the
whole neighbOrhoOd TO poverty, and consign-
ed the entire population to dependence. The
moral inscriptions which met the eye told but
of two things-strong drink and old men and
women of the parish come to grief. The
Cock and Bottle appeared TO be responsible
for seven poor old men; the Nag's Head for
nine poor old women; and the bell for four
teen orphan girls. There was, however, a
striking disprOpOrtiOn. between the size of the
publIc-hous and that of the almshouses.-
The latter were so small and compact, and
with large superscriptiOn in front of them
so like a neat parcel, that they might have
been brought down from somewhere by the
carrier. Possibly they might have been left
at the Cock and Bottle till called for.
Well; if the sins of TOttletOn had been
multitudinous, Charity had done her best to
cover them.
had mentally pointed this moral when
Mr.. Gubbins, running out from the Swan, ad-
dressed me. Perhaps l should state that
hOnOred the Swan with my patronage, as re-
CARDS the family mild ale.
BEG your pardon, sir; but I'll take it as
a favor if you will give your vote for Pars-
ley"
ventured to inquire who Parsley was, and
what he was standing for. Was it the Dor
Ough, the country, or simply the vestry
No; Parsley did not aspire so high. He
was merely a candidate for Gamblers Annui-
ty. Parsley's qualification was all right.
He was seventy-fve years of age, native of
the parish, had paid rates and taxes for over
forty years, was eaten up with the rhematics,
was past work, bore an excellent character,
and hadn't penny in the world. Gamblers
Annuity, amounting to 60 l4s. I'd. would
make him happy and comfortable for the re-
mainder of his days. The statemen of Pars-
ley's numerous merits in the way of age, DIES.
titutiOn and incapacity was not TO be resisted,
ami think L should have cried Parsley
fOreverl" or the spot, only itOccurred to me,
considering Parsley's age, that it wouldn't be
much use. However, promised to enter an
h fs.lf 4
vote for Parsley.
When at the appointed time turned out
into the village, and came in sight of the
Swans swinging sign, could see that some
thing was creating great sensation. 1t was
the election for Gamblers Annuity. Could
Gambler have looked up from his grave he
would have had no regrets on the score of
the hard boiled eggs. That fatal indigestion
had awOke 10 a glorious Immortality. The
hOnOred name of Gambler was in every
mouth. The boys shouted it in triumph; the
grOwn-up people murmIred il in grateful ad-
miratiOn; and in the bow-window of the
Swan it was inscribed in large letters, hind
side foremost, in the innocent idea that an
inscription designed to be read from the in
side could be easily deeiphered from the out
On mingling with the little crowd that had
collected round the horseback under the
the candidates being discussed with great
animation. l say candidates; for l now
learned for the first time that Parsley was
not the only one. There was another, and
his name was Barrowfeld Would / vote
for Barrowfeid?
According to the representations of his
friends at the horseback, Barrowfield was
aged, INDECENT, and afflicted 10 an unprece-
dented extent One bold partisan ventured
upon the assertion that Barrowteld had been
present at the coronation OF George the
Third. Another declared that, however that
might be, he could testify from his own
knowledge that BaTowfeld had been pres
ent at the military practice last W ednesday
week, and that he had not even winked when
they let off the six hundred FOUNDER. This
was addueed in evidence of the profound and
stony character of Barrowfield's deafness
Ii Is mentioned, as further supporting Bar
rowheld's claim to the bounty of the immor-
tai Gambler, that even if he were elected and
were provided with victuals for the rest of
his lite, il would not be of much advantage
to him, as be hadn't a tooth left in his head.
II was also stated incidentally that, in the
course of his long career, Barrowheld had
sustained fractures mostly cempound) of al
most every bone in his body; had lost two
wives, three cows, and donkey; and had
had his grey hairs brought to the very verge
Of the grave by the misconduct of a large
family of sons and daughters, who, according
to the popular account, had fallen in and
marched quiek-step to the bad, in delibe-
rate and organized manner.
Hearing OF the overwhelming merits of
kUNA = IL Il