The Osceola times., 1885-12-05
ELECTION BETS.
Uncle Josiah Relates His Own and Deacon
Bulhed's Experience.

ITO bet on political results with con-
fidence, an. at the same time, accuracy,
like" said Uncle Josiah Windlass, "a
feller S got to hev head entirely free
from fanaticism. an one not easy rat.
tied ginerally. |, of course, as becomes
a ginewine, enterprisin' citizen o this
large kentry, hev had some experience
in wagerin' on the results of our nu-
merous an highly interestin' political
contests.
''My experience hes usht me thet
occupation, it S not altogether free from
financial risk. Thet is, probably, one
reason that more people don't 90 in
heavy on bettin' Take away the ac-
companyin' risk, an I'm satisfied it
would become a mother over-crowded
profession.
This reminds me of little incident
thet happened when was young fell
ler-jist beginnin' to realize thet the
party to which | naturally belonged, by
reason o. bein' son o. my daddy. was
jst bout as apt TO make ass o 'tself
as any other. Bout the same time also
noticed thet the aforesaid party was
about as apt to git left as t'other one.
Therefore. drew my own conclusions,
an determined thet would depend on
a cool. strictly matter o. fact viewin' o
the political horizon, afore wagered
cent on any lection. Well, at the time
| refer to, Jim Humspun tuck it inter his
bG, sandy-complexioned head to run fer
Representative in our county. Jim hadn't
nothn' ct all to recommend him to the
voters at large, except bein' as fur as
found out, en- honest man with large
dependent family thet seemed TO take
after i'm. His clothes was nothin', ye
might say; bein' mostly concocted by
his wife 'thout any consideration o either
late style, fit er harmony, sorter, o. col
or. Now, Jim's opponent was lawyer
named Treeforg, an his clothes-er the
ones he held by right o possession-was
o the latest cut by telegraph, ginewine
in texture an charmin color; an he
could talk fer hours at stritch an never
git tired hisself.
ITO my experienced twcnty-one-year.
ole eyes the lawyer he'd a walk-over
'Hevin' good chance, l one day bet
largely, 'cordnly. On several other
days | did likewise. One day ! met
Deacon Hezekiah Bulhed, an he
kinder reproached me fer my conduct;
said twas ganblin', soul debiitatin' an
so on an so forth at some length. j
answered thct winter was comm on an
| must look ont fer myself, an make
hay like, while twas sun-shiny; which l
considered it was, very, the way | was
investin. Finally, said he:
"'fIow are ye bettin'?'
II tUle i'm.
"What! said he, kin We git thet
kind o bets? Josiah, although am in
veterately. conscientiously an uncondi-
tionally opposed to bettin', as vile,
wicked an highly demoralizin' thing.
still eff could hev a chance to make
some o. them fellers see the evil O their
ways by bettin' as you hev, would do
it. Yere s leven dollars. take it, Jo-
siah, and put it all up on Lawyer Tree
forg, an git as good odds as ye kin
"Well, thet lection come an it went
an likewise every DANCED cent thet was
up on the lawyer. Fer Jim run like
wild boss, an his majority was so big
thet eff it ID a-hed to a-been done over,
all t a-been necessary d be fer the mo-
tion to be put, fer it to be made unani-
nous. From thet day to the end of his
life, Deacon Bulhed was more vigorous
AN ever in his denunciation o bettin' (;
specially bettin on 'lections. Sam.