The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-06-27
"nLAcK FRIDAY" FOR aNnpInY.

60t00S1aStle MlS90011S0 1k001 Up
Corner on Grant Stock and Takes al
the Exchange,
| About one thousand merchants d1ily
asssmblscn Change in this city, and.
Utter ofcourse, every foreground
Atopfc 6DIncs generally under discussion
therc. just now, ilthe dull ting of
the W, matsy Of Il eMercllAnts el(]iy-
In thu hour over poll 0pics, and
betting upon favofite candidates takes
place. Hats, suits of clothes, money,
diamond pins, steamboats,, and even
real estate are often staked.
! Yesterday we happened to be stand
i ing near an honest Lody Of disputants
TWhQ were bantering one another over
the probability ofGrant carrying Mis-
souri. Tho. company seemed pretty
/ evenly divided in opinion.
| eI'll bet hundred dollars" said one
earnest Greeley Democrat, ssthat Mis-
souri, goes for Greeley by as large d
majority as Illinois does for Grant,
Make it $500, = put in a Grant man,
! "and I'll cover the bet.s siS5i
| fDoiie Pa Money planked up In
\ stanter by both parties. issAi
! = - anu w Iu6hC q otitil UCt,t bttlu u
Grant man, "that Grant carries the
State Of Missouri f,ss s.ssyl,
How, much do you want to bet?'
was Immediately inquired.
Name the sum yourself.
FIFTY dollars" ,si
"Oh, fifty dollars is NO object. You
see, my friend, Pm from the country.
I've come to st. Louis expressly to bet
on Missouri for Grant, and fifty dol
lars won'tpay my expenses, Now, be-
fore any bets are made iii be fair
enough to show my figuring, and then
if any gent wants to cover my pile I'll
plank up anywhere from $500 to 5000.
4 Amt mite pertickler.n (
| SWELL, show yer fgnresl' sang out
half a Dozen,
| The countryman produced d rather
dingy memorandum book, and read his
| figures IS follows:
Vote n Missouri Tor Seymour ID isss Il. sssss
Majority for Grant. Y, s2a
snow, gentlemen, you see. you had
69,786 votes in 1868. Since then you
have gained by enfranchisement Of
rebels 1900 votes. We will allow
that 10, 600 of the Grant German vote
Of the State goes for Greeley --and
and that's big allowance and gives
you 81, 768 votes for Greeley. Since
1868 this State has gained Is, 600 voters
by Immigration. Twenty-fye thOus-
and of Tins new vote will 60 for Gree
ley, which brings the Greeley vote mp
to 49, 600 and let me tell me tell YOU,
gentlemen, that's every dog-goncd one
you'll get. Now for the Republican
showing. First. We get the Grant
vote of1S6S, less 10000, which makes
It 1851. According to the census, of
1870, we. have I2O, 600 coloreI people in
/. Missouri. AT least 5000 of these are
voters, and they will vote for Grant,
TO this ! add our proportion Of the
new Immigration. say $4,000 which
gives Grant over 10000 votes in the
State. Now, gentlemen, If you want
to bet agin them tiggers. put up your
There was a pause al this fora few
minutes, and then u Greeley man faint
4 ly inquired whether the .countryman
would bet ON GsAat CARRYING the State
| by AZ, 600 liaajOlitS Nfs. ss.,-9
mo sifee, Bob Iaiift SO tfiirm
green as that bccause IL IS 10 way sar-
tin about fhll vote, nor about the sex-
act emigrant vote. II may be less than
i kalkilate but Ill make a straight
bet that Grant carries the State Of Mis-
souri, in 1872 si;3s co &
won't you name any majority at
all 2"
"Well, if it'll help you out any, I'll
say $500 majority" S.
There was consultation among the
Greeley men for a few minutes, and
then one of them ventured to suggest
that the countrymcn could ''plant' $500
on that proposition. @
"Come and see me, boys and ont
came the old rcd pocket book and five
500 bills were counted out in twink
ling. tas,
The sum was covered by an equal
amount and responsible stakeholder
found and the bet closed.
The Grant men seemed to gambia
bone at this and 8 half dozen small
bets were Immediately made that Mis-
souri, would 60 for Grant. There was
q fascination In the countryman's tig-
nring and an assurance in his pluck
(which was as reviving as camp meet
ing and every Republican who heard
the bets made went of Change re-
assured in Grant and the Interchangeable
radicalism Of Missourf.--Mo. Demo