Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-11-16
A Scene In San franclscO-HOw
an Election Bet was paid.

lCuT ~ The Chicago Tribune,
Some days before the election.
when Il wHs generally conceded that
the State Gorlld go for Gorham, but
the city wonld give the Democratic
ticket small majority, Mr., Higgins,
II warm friend Of Mr., Gorham, bnp.
tered Michael Hayes, an equally
warm friend of Mr., Haight, for a
bet in any shape on the result.
Hayes fought shy, but finally said,
~ will bet you 500 that | will pro,
pose bet you will not accept"
The bet was taken and Hayes pro-
posed to carry u hand organ through
Montgomery street b y daylight
playing before all the banks and ho-
tells, and soliciting contributions for
the orphans, the proceeda to be
equally divided between the Protes.
tant and Catholic asylums, If Haight
did not carry the city by 1900 ma
jority, and if he did carry it by that
number Higgins was to do tho same
thing, The bet was made, and Hig-
gins lost. Now mark the result.
Anywhere outside of California tho
terms of the wager woald have been
parrioa out, attracting big crowd
and creating much talk for q few
days, but there il would have ended.
Here, however, the people took the
Joke to heart and called on all the
candidates, elected and defeated, to
walk side by side in the procession,
and assist in tho collection of the
funds, and to their credit be 1t said,
most of them-Gorham did noL
come up to the mark, however-ac-
ccpted the challenge and turned out.
A t 10 A. NJ. yesterday, l rode
through Montgomery street, and
found it packed from end to end,
with men, women and children,
while every window was full and
every roof and balcony was black
with heads. At II A. NJ. the cortege
tanned into Montgomery street, and
fifty policemen, on horseback and
on foot commenced struggling with
the heaving mass ofhumanity TO clear
the way for the passage southwards.
First came full brass band playing,
when Johnny Comes Marching
Home" BATTLE Cry Of Freedom"
Marching Through Georgia." ETC.,
etc Then two collectors with hugo
buckskin bags to receive Tho silver
and gold which was raincd down
from roof balcony and window, in
showers, as the procession advanced.
Then came Michael Hayes, the win
ner Of the wager, carrying largo
tin box, capable of holding thous-
ands of dollars, which he expressed
determination to fill before night.
Next followed William II. Higgins,
who was fanked on either side by
two friends, one carrying monkey
and the other a splendid floral or
nament Next appeared the two
treasgrers for the occasion, Messrs.
Myles D. Sweeney and J. B. Badger,
seated In a COACH, from which each
held suspended canvass bag as
large as flour sack, labelled ''Ro-
member the Orphans" After them
followed several of the elected and
defeated candidates, and host of
people. The first halt was made as
soon as the organ grinder had cross
ed Jackson street, when tho crowd
were camorous tojudge of Higgins'
music grinding power, and he play:
ed but amid tho babel of shoUta;
hurrahs and laughter, not note
could be heard twenty feet from
him. For three mortal hours the
police struggled to clear the way,
and Sought with the good humored
crowd for a passage for the proccs-.
sion, before it reached iss iiestsaa=
tion, less than half mile from tho
starting point. A thousand dollars
were gathered on the first block,
and the start was hardly made. A
long row Of teams to carry provis-
ions and clothing, anything for the
benefit of the orphans, followed THO
performers and no less than Ten
wagon loads, worth some thousands
of dollars were gathered in this
manner. Flour, bread, confcction-
cry, clothing, fruit, even huge pack
ages of tobacco and boxes of cigars.
intended to be sold for the orphans
bcneft-were tumbled IN t o tho
wagons as they passed along. Tho
scene fairly beggared description:
/ doubt if its equal could be found
anywhere out o f California. 1t
was a perfect carnival of reckless,
extravagant, prodigal aims giving.
As the procession struggled along,
carriages wcro OVERTURNED, women
upset, and men throWn down and
uramplcd on, but the utmost good
will and hilarity everywhere pre-
vailed,