Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-18
WAGERS.
CurtOsities OF Betting-sOme stories
OF the Olden Tlme-An Anecdote Of
Lord RrOugham.

Curt0sities Of Betting-sOme stories
or the Olden Tlme-An AnecdOte Of
Lord BrOugham.
Wagers have been called FOOLS argu-
ments, but they are the resort of English
speaking people everywhere for the settle
ment of all forcible questions. In old
times, in England, "betting" was the rule
OF life, as the literature of the last century
and the century before show. Sir Robert
Walpole bet with Mr.. Pulteney a guinea
that he had not misquoted "Horacer ia
Parliament. The Clerk Of the House de-
clared Pulteney right, upon which Sir Rob-
ert threw the guinea across the House to
be picked up by his opponent, with the
remark that it Was the first public
money he had touched for long
time. The headquarters Of
betters were at Whites. Walpole writes:
zone Of the youths at Whites has cons-
mitted q murder, and intends TO repeat It.
He betted 800 guineas that man could
live twelve hours under water; hired des-
perate fellow, sunk him In a ship by way
Of experiment, and both ship and man have
not appeared since. Another man and q
ship are to be tried for their lives" Many
bets we're made on health and longevity.
A writer referring to this says that those
who would be gamers by the death of q
person on whom q wager is laid, "watch
all the stages of bis illness, and
are as impatient for bis death as the
undertaken who expects to have the care of
funeral; while the other side are very So
icitous about bis recovery, send every hour
to know how be does, and takes as much
IF inn ME Txzsfo &c
her husband, who has no other fortune
than bis living. l remember a man with
the constitution of porter, upon whose
life very great odds were laid; out, when
the person he was piIted against was ex-
pected 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 20 guineas a side upon the lives of
two noted men, the former backing Beau
Nash to out live Colley Cibber. The COM
edian died in 1857, at the age Of eighty-six,
and Beau In 1861, at the age Of eighty
seven; but before the first event came about
both the wagers had committed suicide.
At the house of Sir Mark Sykes, the con-
,versation turned upon the dangers to which
Bonsparte was exposed, and the host offered
to take hundred guineas from any one of
the company, and pay back a guinea
day as long as Bonaparte lived. The
Rev. B. Gilbert accepted the offer, aud paid
down his hundred guineas. For three
years he received his guinea day regular
ly enough, then the Baronet grew tired of
bis bad bargain, and refused TO continue
his payments. The clergyman brought an
action to compel Sir Mark TO fulfil the agree
ment. The court decided that as the wager
created an undue interest in the preserva-
ton of the life of a public enemy, and, on
the other hand, held out an inducement to
plot his assassination, it tended to produce
public mischief, and was therefore 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, extol-
ed his cooks punetuality in such extrava-
CANT fashion that he was badgered into risk
inga considerable sum upon it. Unluckily,
for the first time, the cook was behind time
with the dinner. Enraged with the jeers
of his visitors, the irate Sir Thomas made
for the kitchen, took up cleaver lying too
readily, and with one blow killed bis un-
happy servant.
In September, 1888, says the annual Reg
iSter, "a young Irish gentleman, for a very
considerable wager, set out on Monday, the
22d inst, to walk to Constantinople and
back In one year." and in June of the fol.
lowing year, Mr.. Whalley arrived about this
time in Dublin from his journey to the
Holy Land, considerably within the lin
tied time Of twelve months. The
LII
that expedition was 100000. Buck Whalley
was Dublin mscaroni, whose appearance
in a swallow-tailed blue GOAT, gay waist
coat, buckskin brooches, and tOp-boots,
created no little establishment at Jerusalem.
He was taken for mailman; and, thanks
to that belief and stout shilelah, went on
bis way unmolested, and was enabled TO
return home to claim his winnings, and he
was henceforth dubbed Jerusalem Whalley.
Some years ago a London waterman
wagered that he and his dog would jump
from the center arch of the Westminster
Bridge and land at Lambeth together. He
leaped from the bridge, and the dog followed
suit, but taking it into his head that his
master was in danger or drowning, the
faithful fellow dragged him willy-nilly to
shore, and by his well-intentioned blundeT
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. Unfortl-
nately for his speculation, he caught a
Tartar the very first attempt, and got three
weeks hard labor for his pains.
Brougham contrived to make holiday
e. IA - L. H.
shreWdness. 1t 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. Ac-
cording to then custom, everybody dined
at a table dhOte, and after dinner betting
set in. Brougham offered to bet the Whele
company that none Of them would write
down the manner In which he meant
to 60 70 the races next day.
Those who accepted his challenge
wrote their conjectures, and Brougham
wrote down bis intention of travelling in a
sedan-chair, 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
IS to the manner Of his return to Dumfries,
the accep:ers taxing their wits to imagine
the most improbable mode Of travelling
Brougham had calculated upon this, and
won the double event by returning in a
post-chaise and pair.
These English stories might be supple
mented with the multitude of queer cleo
ton bets made in this country, at the head
of which the wheelbarrow business stand:
prominent.