The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-31
A 100000 Wager.

A curious wager was decided in this
city last Wednesday afternoon, which
was so singular in its results that we re-
late it for the benefit of our readers. A
well-known millionaire, member of the
Pacific Club, having occasion, some six
weeks ago, to use district messenger
boy to carry q note, the subject of abnOr-
nal and marvellous slowness of said
concerns messengers came up for dis
cussion by the members of the club.
In the course of argument another
wealthy citizen gravely offered to wager
800, 900 that he could 60 to New York
and return, via Panama, before one of
the district messenger boys could exc
cute any errand of reasonable distance.
To the surprise of the listeners this
bet was gravely accepted by the first
mentioned plutocrat, and, after some
hesitation on the part of the other, the
agreement was duly drawn up and
signed, the two checks placed in the
hands of stakeholder, umpires selected
and preliminaries arranged in manner
on the whole suggestive. of Verne's
Around the World in Eighty Days "
romance. The next day messenger
boy was rung for at six q. m, and acs
cordingly one answered the call some
niue hours subsequently, as is the es-
taklished custom Of the fraternity. At
precisely $50 p. m, the boy was handed
a note addressed to house in the ex-
treme suburb of the western addition,
while at the same moment the proposer
of the wager, accompanied by an um-
pire, jumped into a carriage and caught
the overland boat at the wharf. On the
road to New York, the gentleman,
whom we shall call O'Feelin, was de-
layed four days by snow blockades, and
so missed the steamer, for berths in
which he had autographed ahead. His
party caught the next boat a week later,
made fairly quick passage down the
Atlantic side of the continent, crossed
the isthmus and took the City of Pana-
ma for this port, much encouraged. as
a eablegram received as he embarked
advised him that the boy, who had been
secretly followed by those interested, to
see that he met with no intentional de-
tention, was engaged at his twenty-sec-
ond game of baseball at the cornex oi
Sixteenth and Divisadero.
Coming up the California coast the
Panama broke a crank and was obliged
to put into Santa Barbara for repairs
This consumed five more precious days,
in which the only solace for the passen.
gers anxiety was the news that the
messenger had made a detour of few
blocks for the purpose of selecting a dog
at the pound. Finally the machinery
was righted and the vessel got under
way. As the Golden Gate was ap.
preached Mr.. O'Feelin was again in de
spair, as heavy fog threatened to cause
the steamers detention outside a day oil
two At this critical rnomant h0veva,
a steam tug, chartered by the travellers
anxious friends, appeared, and, ignor
ing all risks, the bar was crossed anC
the wharf reached. A fleet saddle
horse was in readiness, and, throwing
himself upon it, the excited man tort
like whirlwind up Market and dowr
Montgomery streets, and dashed up
stairs into the club rooms, where the
tempestuous cheers of the members TOLD
him he had won.
The fortunate winner had hardly
dropped breathless into q chair, anc
was receiving the congratulations of hi
friends, when the door again opened
and youth in uniform, with red hail
and a chronically indamed nose, ap-
peared. 1t was the district messenger
swell, did you deliver the note p
asked the exasperated loser, with crush
ing sarcasm.
Yes, sir"
"Where's the answerf" --.F
"Down stairs, sir"
"What the dickens do you mean by
down stairsi" roared the millionaire.
"Well, you see, SIR" said the boy,
beginning to snivel, ssI dropped the an
swer while l was playing game o