The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-23
Betting on a Certainty.

II the British army, India, betting among
the officers often runs to an extreme
of vice that is sometimes fearful to con.
template. Perhaps it is no worse than
in club life in London, where the most
amusing as well as tragical stories are
told of the curious bets that are made.
Betting on certainty is held to be un-
fair, unless the avowal is distinctly
made, so that no undue advantage is ia
ken.
An officer in the army had imported
for his private apartments a new and
beautiful mahogany table. A day or
two after it had arrived and had been
duly installed in his quarters, brother
officer, great swell and very unpopu-
lar, dropped in familiarly, and greatly
admired the beautiful table The own
err was shaving himself at the glass
with his back toward his visitor-Colo-
mel Brown-but continued the CONVEX
sation until the colonel withdrew, tie
latter remarking that he soon hoped TO
have his legs under that elegant ma
hogany.
The owner of the table, whom we
must call Major Jones, made up little
dinner party in the course of few
days, and Colonel Brown was one of
the number. 1t was natural that the
new table should be the subject of re
mark, and Brown, who affected to be a
connoisseur in all matters, said the ia
BILE was perfect, with one exception.
Jones. land pray what is that. colo
mel :"
Brown. at is just little too high" "
Jones, "Do you think so? How
high would you suppose it to be p
Brown. Il presume it is the usual
height, just thirty six-inches, and it
ought TO be less than that by at least
half an inch"
Jones. "That is the exact height,
thirty-tive and half inches, not thirty
six as you suppose.
Brown. Pardon me- am certain
it is three feet high will make you
bet on it.
Jones, "You will lose you do, for
give you notice that know its exact
height to be half an inch, and if l bet
shall bet to dead certainty"
Brown, II am just as sure as you are;
am betting on dead certainty also
my eye never deceives me. will lay
you n hundred or thousand pounds
that this table is thirty-six inches high
no more, no less"
The ma jor sought to dissuade his
guest from his purpose 10 make bet
assuring him that he Knee the height
of the table, and did not want to bet on
a cersain,y, but when the excitement
grew furious, the wager was finally
laid at an enormous sum- have heard
1t stated as high as S50,000-fl0,0O0
That seems preposterous, when such q
tritie was the subject, but the gambling
spirit does not stick at trifes When
the betting was finally arranged, Colo
mel Brown exclaimed, exultingly. | told
you | kAe,o the table was Just thirty,
six inches high | did kHolc it, because
when called, just after it had arrived
| took its measure on my cane rs sat
| hl u, anu aiNcI went OUT measured,
and found it TO be, as | have said, pre-
cisely thirty six inches high.
"les, said Major Jones, IL was cit
ting with my back toward you, but
was shaving before the looking glass,
and ! saw you take the measure OF thC
table with your cane, Suspecting that
You We're preparing for bet as to it,
height, after you left had half al
inch taken off, and it is now precisel,
thirty five and half inches high
The applause that followed this re
suit was tremendous, and completed
( the discontinue of the unpopular colo
mel. 1t was evident that he had beer
laying q plan to cheat, and would hav,
pocketed the money il he had won. III,
was sent 10 Coventry, He sold hi
commission and returned to England
being unable to stand up against tn,
contempt of the officers, who thorough
ly despised his character, Harper,
Magazine for AprH,