Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-11-21
WAGERS.
CMrlosatics Of Betting-S0mc Stories Of
Inc Ontcn TkMe-An Anec(l0te of Lord
BrOuxhum "a ~

--9"Ot sAl1oA "AlOu hJll AeOoCIU V1lAC"
the guinea across the House to be pick
ell up by his opponent, with the re-
mark that it was the first public money
he had touched for a long time. The
headquarters of bettcrs were at Whites.
Walpole writes: "Ono of the youths
at Whites has committed a murder,
and intends to repeat it. He betted
fifteen hundred guineas that man
could live IL hours under water: hired a
desperate fellow, sunk him in q ship
by way of experiment, and both ship
and man have not appeared since. An
other man and ship ore to be tried for
their lives" Many bets were made on
health and longevity. A writer, refer,
ring to this, says that those who would
be gamers by the death of person on
whom a wager is laid, watch all the
stages of his illness, and are as impa-
tient for his death as the undertaken
who expects to have the care of fu-
neral; while the other side are very so.
licitous about his recovery, send every
hour to know how he does, and take as
much care of him as clergyman's wife
does of her husband, who has no other
fortune than his living. remember a
man with the constitution of porter,
upon whose life very great odds were
laid but when the person he was pit
ted against was expected to die every
week, this man shot himself through
the head, and the knowing ones were
taken in"
Lord Mountfore and Sir John Bland
staked twenty guineas side upon the
lives Of two noted men, the former
backing Beau Nash to outlive Colley
Cibber. The comedian died in 1757.
at the age of eighty-six and the beau
in 1861, at the age of eighty seven {;
but, before the first event came about
both the wagers had COMMITTEES suicide.
At the house of Sir Mark Sykes, the
conversation turned upon the dangers
to which Bonaparte was exposed, and
the host offered to take 100 guineas
from any one OF the company, and pay
back guinea d. I as long as Bona
parte lived. The Reverend B. Gil.
bert accepted the offer, and paid down
his hundred guineas. For three wears
he received his guinea day regularly
enough, then the baronet grew tired of
his bad bargain, and refused to con-
tinue his payments. The clergymen
brought an action to compel Sir Mark
to fulfill this agreement. The Court
decided that as the wager created an
undue interest in the preservation of the
life OF public enemy, and, on the
other hand, held out an ind ucement to
plot his assassination, it tended to pro-
duce public mischief, and was there.
fore illegal.
Wagers have sometimes proved fatal
to the unconscious subjects of them.
Sir Thomas Hoste, of Aston. riding
home from the hunting field with some
friends, extolled his cooks punctuality
in such extravagant fashion that he
was badgered into risking considera-
bio sum upon it. Unluckily, for the
first time, the cook was behind time
with the dinner. Enraged at the ieers
of his visitors, the irate Sir Thomas
made for the kitchen, took up cleaver
lying too readily, and with one blow
killed his unhappy servant.
In September, 1888 says the Annual
Register. "a young Irish gentleman.
for very considerable wager, set out
on Monday, the 22d inst, to walk to
Constantinople, and back again in one
year" and in June of the following
year, Mr.. Whalley arrived about this
time in Dublin from his journey to the
Holy Land, considerably within the
limited time of twelve months. The
wager laid on the performance of that
expedition was 100000. Buck Whal-
ley was a Dublin macaroni, whose ap-
pearance in a swallow-tailed blue coat.
gay waistcoat, buckskin breaches, and
top-boots, created no little astonish
ment at Jerusalem. He was taken for
q mailman; and thanks to that belief
and stout shilelagh, went on his wav
unmolested, and was enabled to return
home to claim his winnings. and he
was henceforth dubbed Jerusalem
Whalley.
Some years ago London waterman
wagered that he and his dog would
jump from the centre arch of Westmin-
ster bridge and land at Lambeth to.
gether. He leaped from the bridge
and the dog followed suit, but taking
it into his head that his master was in
danger of drowning, the faithful fellow
dragged him willy.nilly to shore, and
by his well. intentioned blunder lost the
waterman his wager.
An impudent rascal had such faith in
the good lasses of Worcester. that he
bet he would kiss fifty girls in going
down the High street of the faithful
city. Unfortunately for his specula-
ton, he caught Tartar the very first
attempt, and got three weeks hard
labor for his pains.
Brougham contrived to make holi-
day pay for itself by the exercise of a
little shrewdness. It was in his college
days, that, by way Of seeing little life.
he went one Autumn to Dumfries; in
order to make one: at the Caledonian
Hunt meeting. According to the then
custom, everybody dined at table
d'hote, and after dinner betting set in.
Brougham offered to bet the whole
company that none of them would
write down the manner in which he
meant to go to the races next
day: Those who accepted his
challenge wrote down their con-
lectures, and Brougham wrote down
his intention of travelling in a sedan
chair, a mode of conveyance no one had
hit upon. To the races he went. an
immense crowd seeing him safely
chaired to the course. The bet was
then renewed as to the manner of his
return to Dumfries, the acceptors tax.
ing their wits to imagine the most i'm
probable method of travelling. Broug-
ham had calculated upon this, and
won the double event by returning in a
postchaise and pair.
These English stories might be sup
plemented by the multitude of queer
election bets made in this country, at
the head of which the wheelbarrow
business stands prominent.