The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-30
 HE HED0Ep.
[Bin Nye, in New York Mereury.l !

[BiIl Nye. in New York Mercuy.l
 Betting Is certainly a bad practice. and whether disastrous directly or indirectly, it is sure to play smash with the better and bestee before the wind-un
 Years ago, when the railroads had not reached the northwest and all travel and commerce came up the Mississippi from St Louis to St. Paul and other north western cities, the opening of navigation in the spring was great day. When a large city stood almost idle all winter, living on the profits of the previous sum mer, the date when she would resume business in the spring was of great inl- portance to her,
 Therefore with much anxiety every one looked forward to the time when the ice would go out of Lake Pepin and re- vive the dormant business. Along in January and February everybody got to betting On the day when the first boat would get up to S. Paul or some other northern point
 Al Hudson, of course, it was the same, though we had to take some chances on the opening O Like St. Croix, on whose banks Hudson stands.
 OuC WAAtCAt SQQh Ahd AAttC kO& W UCt- ting on various things to kill time, and finally wound up with bet on the ar r.vA, of the first boat at Hu ison. They we,e partners in large grain elevator on the lake, and Platte wanted to bet a pair oi Si4 boots that the first boat wouldn't arrive before the 2oh of April. Coon took the bet and time passed on.
 On the Io of April no boat had ar- rived and Platte began to feel sure of his boots. Tnere were no telegraphs then, and so there was no way to get a, the river news till late, everything in the way of news coming slowly up through the Big Woods by stage.
 On the afternoon of the Io.h, Platte l went up in the cupola of the warehouse with a spyglass, ostensibly to look over some fite wheat, but really to see what he could see down the lake. About sunset he saw little steamer slowly round the point at Catfish bar, four or five miles below, and, sticking the spyglass into a dark corner, he went down and hunted up Coon, who was on the street up town. He then, by easy stages. drew him into conversation on the subject of the open ing of spring navigation.
 Tell you what I'll do. Coon, you've got about four or five hours left yet, and if no boat comes in before the times up, the SI4 boots are mine.n
 Looks that way. of course, said Coon, but there's still chance left."
 "Yes, there's chance, but an infer nally sim chance. What will you take for your bet, Coon 2''
 "Oh, don't know. Probably I've got one chance in three. lll take $ for my bet"
 Enough said. Here's yours There's boat down at Catfi, ,h Bar that Il be here in less than an hour"
 There was aS crowd standing around, and of course everybody yelled and two thirds of the town put on its hat and rushed down to the levee to see the first by and the crowd swelled to a large mass meeting, all anxious to sec the first boat of the season. After a white her lights could be dimly seen around the point, moving very slowly against an icy cur rent. The crowd watched her as she struggled bravely up, and toen backed of again, dodged big cake of ice and headed toward the channel again. It was a trying time fer those who stood there and watched, most every one hay ing large or small bet ca the result. All kinds of ,kes and jeers were swapped as the crowd stood there in the chilly April night till nearly eleven o'clock. Just be- fore that hour the steamer staggered back and steadily lost ground. till finally she slowly reversed her engines then when she could get room, she silently turned about and went back dswn the lake to Prescott, and did not get up to Hudson for three days
 So Platte lost his SI4 pair of boots and $ in cash. to say nothing of the large sum that it cost him to keep the town quiet enough so that be could live in it hope that all young men who read this, and who may, at times, be tempted to bet their money upon anything, will call to mind this sad incident and firmly refuse 10 do so.
 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow { Who hath redness of eyes? Who wcareth his old last winter clot ,es all summer He ;hs; looketh rpcn the s.raigh, flush when t moveth itself arigbt. He tha, goeth 10 seek the jack pot. He tha, goeth to seek a sucker that he may pick him up and skin him. Behold, he him. self also shall be skun.