St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-04
VERY CURIOUS WAGERS.
How Some Reckless People Have Lost
Very Big Fortunes.
EITHER CHANCE OR LUCK.
Three Enormous Beis---The Yankee
Won the Hat---Betting in India---A
Misery Mendicani's Mania.

Chicago Mail
Lord Hastings, in his palmy days,
made some wild wagers, but the largest
wagers made in years were those of the
late Lord Dudley, who only made three
bets in his life-one of 100000, another
of EGO, 900, and third of e25,000.
THE PONY Baked.
Capt. Candy, once a bosom friend of
James Gordon Bennett, was with a
| party of friends dining at North Lodge.
| Melton, Eng. The conversation fell
on the subject of clever horses, and
"Bill' Candy wagered that he had a
pony that would go UP stairs and down.
The pony was sent for and very readily
walked up stairs. Down, however. he
declined to come, and he would prOba-
bly, have been there now if they had not
pulled out window, and by means of
pulley and tackle lowered the pony to
| the ground. Capt. Candy paid his
wager.
FOR ONCE THE SIGN FAILED.
A French banker named Buillott,
being firm believer in the saying that
if st. Swithim's day is wet it will con-
after, offered to back his opinion to any
amount. So many persons were ready
to take up his challenge that the terms
were reduced to writing, as follows:
''lf, dating from the 18th of July, it
rains more or little during forty days
successfully Buillott will be considered
to have gained"
SO confident was he that every cent he
had in the world was wagered, and he
mortgaged every piece of property and
article of value he possessed. For TWEEN
ty-one days rain fell, but on the twenty
first the weather played him false, and
not drop of rain fell. So utterly was
he ruined that his creditors sued, and
he ended his days in a debtors prison.
HE WON TIE HAT.
A wager of a silk hat once cost many
lives. 1t was in 1911, when Capt. De-
catur. of the United States navy, COM
handing the frgate United States, met
Capt. Garden, of the British navy, COM
handing the Macedonia. 1t was just
prior to the war of 1912, and while talk
ing about the chances Garden said to
Decatur:
"If you and | ever meet after hostili-
ties are declared, I'll bet you silk hat
that the Macedonia will capture the
United States"
''l'll bet you a silk hst you DON'T" was
the reply.
The two frigates met on Oct. 25, 1912,
and after bloody fight the English flag
was lowered.
Decatur fastened on board the prize,
and Garden rendered his sword.
Oh your sword, Garden" said De-
catur. II bet you silk hat, and as
we're long way from halter, I'll take
A RICH BEGGAR'S STRANGE TOUR. 8
One of the apparently most crazy
wagers was that made by an English
man some years ago. He wagered that
he would visit every town in England
and Scotland that had more than a GER
tain number of inhabitants, and SubSSt
during his tour on what he would make.
He was man of means, and the wager
was for 100000. He bought fine mule
and had special cart built. On this
he placed a handsome hand-organ, and
the mule being handsomely harnesseG
the musician started on his way. He
speedily became known, and his tour
was a triumphal progress from town to
town. Every one contributed, and
common sight was to see the mendicant
play tune of two and, while his groom,
who was dressed in livery, held the
mule, make the rounds of the spectators
soliciting pence His tour was SossuG~s
cessful and such interest was taken id
him that at the end of his journey he
had not only paid all expenses out of
his collection, but had substantial bal
ance over of several thousand pounds.
This he donated to charity and con-
tented himself with the money earned
by the wager.
LORD CHARLES WATER CART.
Men are frequently accused of not
having pluck enough to back their Opin-
ions, and to show pluck, as we'll as to
support these opinions, will make wag-
ers that seemingly have a very moder-
ate chance of success. Others again are
actuated by spirit of deviltry and
make wagers that apparently are inn
possibilities and attempt to win them
either by dash or readiness. Others
again have had the scheme fully made
up in their minds before the wager was
made. Some Wagers stand out from the
general run very distinctly.
Lord Charles BeresfOrd, of Condor
fame, was once dining with some friends
in London, and the conversation turned
on ROtton row. Now Rotten row is con-
fined to equeStriaHS only, and such
thing as driving down the row never oc-
cured to any one until the reckless
Irishman offered to wager e10O he
would drive dcwn the row at II O'Clock
the following day, and at the hour pune
tually would speak to his friends from
the box seat and claim the wager. AT
the given place and hour the friends
were all assembled. Hundreds of riders
passed by, but not a sign of Lord
Charles. AT few minutes before mid
day the watering cart which was en-
around, and as / passed the group of
friends the driver turned the water on
with such force that it splashed all of
them. A volley OF ObjurgatiOns were
fired at him, and lie merely responded:
''Fll take hundred 'SovS' pleaSe.''
Lord Charles had given the water man
''fiyer" to change places and clothes,
thus won the bet.
FUNNY BETS IN INDIA.
A certain captain in the English army,
by name Kay. was noted for his extra
ordinary wagerS, and from the fact that
the more improbable the wager the
more certain he was OF winning it.
When in India, a brother officer watched
him counting a row OF posts outside the
mess bungalow, and thinking some
wager was intended sailed out and dug
up one of the posts. That night at mess
Kay got the conversation on these posts
and wagered that they were Seyenteen.h
The wager was made and an adjournE
ment showed that sixteen was the nums
Der. Kay yearned to retrieve his loss
and get even with his opponents. He
wagered the officer who had beaten him
on posts that he could not run to a CERT
tain spot in the mountains, distant two
miles. and back in an hour. The only
way to reach this spot was by narrow,
precipitous path, only wide enough
for one person. The wager was made,
and at the given time the man startedss
OF goats being driven up it, and, after
great trouble, having succeeded, he's
came upon flock of sheep. Seeing!
that he could not win his bet he re-
turned and paid. Not satisfied. has
made wager with Capt. Kay to carry
him 100 yards in fifteen seconds at a