The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-12-06

tongne."
The sacred writer crowns the whole:
Who keeps his tongue doth keep his SOUL
Philip u. Strong, In ~ r MAI and Frpress.
CURIOUS WAGERS.
Rash Bets Made by Some Persons
In Days Gone By.
wild and Absurd Chances Assumed by .
Physician-Neat Way In Which .
Prince Won . wager-Bettng
ON tho Weather, Ugliest
Person, Etc, Etc.
So far as We can go back in the
worlds history, we find the rage for
making wagers prevalent. The Romans
had a great taste for wagers and bets;
and they had conventional form Of
ratifying these contracts. which consist
ed in taking from the finger the ring
which the higher classes invariably
wore. and giving 1t into the keeping OF
some third party umpire. One OF the
widest bets ever made was by physi-
clan of the ancient world named
Asclepiades. He wagered against fort
une that he would never be ill dur.
ing his life, under penalty OF losing
the reputation he had acquired of be-
ing the most famous physician of his
time. Absurd and impious as was this
presumption he won his wager. al
though he could not enjoy it, for, at
o very advanced period of life, he died
from the effects OF fall.
The Romans were fobidden to bet
upon the success Of an unlawful game,
or indeed Of any games whatever, un-
less they We're trials Of courage,
bodily strength. or skill.
The Parliament of Dole, in France,
was called upon to decide very
curious wager in the year 1884. 1t
was between two citizens Of Pasmes,
one of whom had agreed, on considera-
tion Of his being paid the sum of
twenty-f0ur francs, to furnish the
other with quantity Of grains of
millet, in proportion to the number Of
children that should be born within q
certain extent of country during one
year. He was to hand over one grain
for the first child, two for the second,
four for the third, and SO on, always
doubling the number of grains for each
successive birth. The number of chill
dren born within the specified time
was sixty-six; and such an enormous
quantity Of grains Of millet had to be
supplied to meet the conditions Of the
agreement, that the contracting party
demanded the canceling OF the bet, on
the ground that it was founded upon
an impossible condition. The court
agreed at once that it was impossible
for the contract to be carried out; and
decided that the person who had re-
eeived the twenty-four francs should
repay them to his opponent, and
should give him On additional sum of
twenty-four francs. Surely this was
any thing but just Judgment. for
it was impossible that the gamer
could have lost. He made his calcu-
lations, and was betting upon the ig-
norance of the loser. 1t was therefore
wager based upon bad faith, and
should have been annulled altogether.
A wager was made early in the last
century by banker named Bulliot.
He was firm believer in the supersti.
ton that If rain falls on st. Swithin's :
day duly 15), it will also fall. more
or less, for forty days after. st.
Swithin's day in the year 1925 was
very wet: and SO Bulliot offeret to bet
any one eho chose to put down his
money that the next forty days would
be rainy. So many persons showed d
desire to take up this wager, that its
terms were reduced TO writing as fol
lows: IF. dating from st. Swithin's
| day, it rains more or little during
forty days successfully, Bulliot will be
considered to have gained; but if il
ceases to rain for only one day during
that time, Bulliot has lost" On these
terms, Bulliot bet against all who pre-
sented themselves. He was 50 conf
dent Of success tina, he placed none,
against articles OF value o
every description. People brough1
gold-headed canes, snuff-bONes. jew
els, even clothes, and Bulliot
wagered as much money against then
, as he considered they We're worth
When his stock OF cash came to al
end he issued notes and bills TO sucl
an extent that it was said he had pape
money out to the amount OF u hundred
thousand crowns. All this naturall,
excited q great deal of public curiosity
| and the rash man found himself quit,
fashionable for the time being. Verse
were made in his honor, a play wa
produced which had him for it's hero
in q word, he attracted as much atten
tion as il he had been a monarch or
| famous statesman. But, unfortunate
" for Bulliot, st. Swithin was not tru
to his character For the first twenty
| one DAYS of the stipulated time NOR
or less rain fell. The twenty-secOn,
day, however, was bright and cloud
less. and night came on without ther
being the slightest sign of rain. Bul
| liot was ruined, and ruined so com
pletely that he was unable to meet tn
notes and bills that bore his name
The holders of these tried to en-
force payment; but the ancient law di
not recognize debts of this kind, an
more than does the law of more mod
ern days. They were accordingl
non-suited, and their debts declared il
recoverable.
In the early part of the present cen1
ury sporting men We're fond of bettin
ON the duration OF the lives of celet
rites. Napoleon |. was especially tn
subject OF these wagers. 1t is relate
that at dinner party in 1909, 81
Mark Sykes offered to pay any on
who would give him hundred guinea
down, a guinea day SO long as Napt
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