The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-10-24
Queer Election BETS.

In no country, in spite of the fact
that disfranchisemen Is generally i'm
posed as penalty upon election bets,
has wagering upon the outcome of po-
litical contests been more common than
in America The tailors do rushing
business after every Presidential and
municipal contest, while the hat deal
ers' trade is at least quadrupled.
But some betters, not content with
the ordinary chances of fortune, rack
their brains to discover some strange
and unusual methods of wagering, and
the consequence is that at the close OF
every election number of more or less
ludicrous bets have to be settled, the
payment of which occasions not only
much pleasure to the winner, but also
great hilarity among the public at
large.
The "wheelbarrow bet is one of the
time-honored election wagers, and has
been made probably in every city in
the country. By its terms the loser
agrees to trundle the winner in a wheel
barrow for a certain distance over O
specified route.
A New Haven, Conn, soap manufac-
turer was once compelled to march
through the streets carrying large
sign inscribed with high praises of the
goods of rival house, while his part
ner followed In the rear In the guise of
sandwich advertisement, the boards
between which he was confined setting
forth in fiorid language the inferiority
of the products of his own factory.
In, 10 III &
liquor often was the article wagered a
favorite bet among the inhabitants of
the smaller villages being that the
loser should treat the town" For
this purpose large room was OBJ
tanned, in which number of chairs
were placed and key of the best
bourbon, at which all Corners were well
coined to quench their thirst on the
evening of election day, the adherent
of the unsuccessful candidate settling
the bill md acting as master of cere-
monies, which were of the most free
and-casy dl script. on.
Another set of queer bets are those
relating to hair The instances are nu-
merous of those who have agreed not
to cut their hair until the election of a
certain candidate. and who are obliged
TO carry about with them a wreath of
locks more conspicuous than comfort
able. During the last Presidential
campaign a fashion arose among the
denizens of Baden of betting one hirsute
adornment against another. A Demo
crat would bet his mustache against
the rich whiskers of Republican, or
his hair against his beard. The conse-
quence was that after the election
number of young Republicans were al
most unacceptable by the removal of
much of the hair that decorated their
faces, and the BARRIERS reaped a rich
harvest. One gentleman, the possessor
of a fine head of curly hair, came home
on the day after the election exhibiting
10 his Mortified wife poll as bare as
clippers could cut it, while friend of
Democratic proclivities appeared in a
few days wearing handsome watch
chain of plated hair. A still more un-
fortunate individual electrified the in
habitants of that suburb by walking
down the street deprived of one of his
de-whiskers, while the other flour
ished in full luxuriance. He was COM
PEELED by the terms of the wager to re-
main in this condition for month,
shaving the side of his face which had
been bereft of its decoration every Sat-
urday.-St. Louis POSt-DjSpdtch.