The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-06
Achievements for Wasers.
From Chambers's Journal. I


Some Of the achievements depending OF
the incentive OF wagers were in past time
very odd: and journalists always looked out
for such narratives IN the times when society
had not begun TO move on, literally and fgu
ratively, at railroad speed In the early part
Of the reign Of George III. two gentlemen
made an eccentric wager at a cotfee-house
near Temple Bar. One Of them at empted t.
ijump into water seven feet deep, with all hi
usua! clethng on. and Undress himself com
! pletely. He did it. and if We picture TO our
,elvs. the twisting and wriggling involved II
such all OPERATION flo ting the whole OF the
! time. We must admit il t. be as difficult an
affair a, i va. ridiculous. A butcher. on a
CALI. .n1nmer, evening. undertook. for a
wager. 70 cross tie Thames i'll his wooden
tray. In this exploit, using his hands as pad
f, dies, he .-ade the passage safely from Sum.
.A.rse: >tairs to the surry side. providing
'lnl'.. with cork Jacket III case OF accident.
| lhe chronicle took care TO record that '>even-
| I: boat load, ~ spectator. Were present and
bct- % IL. aggregate amount " more THAI.
| 1000 gum q, derc,laen: .n the event.
Ecuara Jenkins, q merchant OF York
| wa9ereI large sum that he would pave 100
square yards With stones III nine hours. He
accom- pIioLed it, but We are ie.. III the dark
t" What kind of PAWN. il was. an! in what
w.t' the work was performed. A gentleman
undertook for {. wager that he .yoEld stand for
4 vol. day on London Bridge, with tray
tull =. good sterling Soytreigns and tail L.
find customers Tor them 1T a penny Il piece.
III. report is that he won the wager, all
passers-by believing that lie wa, merely trying
to cLt at them with brass imitation During
visit paid by one Of the royal dukes to victo
nouS ship-ctwtr at Splthead, sailor got upon
the very top Of the nl;sln-lnast (the truck, and
stood there upon his head. waving his la,
round and round on one foot. 1t is to be
hoped that this display Of antipodian loyalty
was duly appreciated. Iieidegger, mas er Of
the reyels Of George H. was considered to
he the ugliest man in Enyland A wager was
laid that competitor for this doubtful honor
could be found. An Old woman from st
Gilee's was brought forward, and the umpire,
with Reldeggers own approval, was about to
award tie pain to her; but Heidegger, in
response to suggestion, put on the old
woman ; bonnet, to render the conditions
more eq1.al; the additional ugliness was So
Undesirable that the victory was awarded to
him
Long before the DAYS of steamboats,, gen
tlenan wa.ered thousand S'lineas that he
would make Il boat move twenty-five miles an
hour H accomplished it in very singular
way and At a considerable outlay Of none and
ingenuity He caused circular canal to be
dug one hundred feet in diameter and nine
feet wide, and filed with water: a horizontal
pole equal III length to the radius OF circle,
WAS piyoted at one end to a strong post in tue
middle. and fastened at the other end to
boat: :, morse trotted III smaller circle, at a
pom. nearer to the post than to the boat, drag
gin. til. pole around. an the leverage thu.
slngu.irly obtained .uftic.d to give velocity
.: twenty FIVE miles an hour to the outer end
Of the pole. and consequently to the boat. 4
blroi.e: and :. clergyman laid wager as.to the
tim. vixen tie frs, Emperor Napoleon would
die: IN: court Of law set aside this bet as il.
legal "a tie ground that it gave one Of the
piltie. IA interest III the speedy death CT
man much exposed t" hazard We have only
space III. :" notice finally The eager concerns.
ing Sir John INrocklnorioNS suit OF clothes,
on :ylicl !. thousand .uincaS depended. At
:, O'Clock. Oh Jun. morning. in 1911. two
Soutl-doN.4 .ilo.p wee .horn: the Voc! WI.
Washed. cart'ed. .lubbed. reyed spun .na
woven: IL. cloth VA. secured. :ulled tented,
raised. sl4eareti. dyed and dre>Ssd: and at $50
III. came evening. tn. w.cl which lad clad the
,il.en IN he morning was worn as = dies. .'!lt
- :. JOIN. II Iii. oWn dinner table.