Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-16
CURIOUS WAGgRS.
WE ONLY FOLLOW THE AGES
PAST.
A Full Hand from Old Records of
Trials by Chance, Strength
and Wit.

lion of some of the most curious may prove
not unirteresting.
During the last century, when, particu-
larIy in club life, the least difference of
opinion frequently ended in bet, many
remarkable and eccentric wagers were
made From Mrs. Crackenthorpe, the
Female Tattler of 1909, we learn that the
fashionable young men of her day were
quite as much at a loss how to kill time as
are their modern compeers. Ridiculous
wagers, generally governed by within and
extreme folly, were frequent. She tells
us: -Four worthy Senators lately threw
their hats into river, laid a crown whose
hat should swim first to the mill, and ran
hallooing after them; and he that won
the prize was in greater rapture than if he
had carried the most dangerous point in
Parliament"
One Sunday in June, 1895, wager of
1000 guineas was decided between two no.
blemen, one of whom had constructed
machine which was to propel boat at the
rate of twenty-five miles an hour. A
canal was prepared near the banks of the
Thames for that purpose, but, by some ia
tally, the tackle breaking, the wager was
lost.
Men OF note, however, not content with
representatives, have been known to wager
upon their own individual proves in the
water. 1t is recorded of Sir John Paking-
ton, called aTrusty Pakington n" Queen
Elizabeth called him " her Temperance
that he entered into articles to swim
against three noble courtiers for e3, 900,
from the bridge at Westminster to the
bridge at Greenwich {; but the Queen, by
her special command, prevented the put
ting it into execution
In 1923, poulterer of Leadenhaii Mar
ket betted ESQ he would walk 202 times
round the area of Upper Moorields in
twenty-seven hours: and accordingly pro-
ceeded at the rate of FIVE miles an hour on
the amusing pursuit, g to the Infinite i'm
proyement of his business, and great edit
cation of hundreds of spectators"
To characterize the follies of the day, it
will be necessary to add to the account of
the walking man, another of hopping
man who engaged, in December, 1871, to
hop 500 yards in fifty hops in st. James
Park. He performed the feat in forty-six.
In February, 1770, bet was laid by a
noble Earl that he should find man who
would ride TO Edinburgh and back,,again to
London in less time than another noble
Earl should make. 100000 dots in the
most expeditions manner that ne could
contrive.
In September, 1879, Colonel Ross set
out from London for York, on wager
with Mr.. Pigot of 500 guineas, that he
reached his destination in forty-eight
the Journey three hours within the time.
On the 18th of May, 1877, respectable
farmer of Kirton-Lindsey, for wager of
a few pounds, undertook to ride pony up
two pair of stairs into chamber of the
George Inn and down again, which feat he
actually performed before numerous
company, whose establishment was height
ened by the rider being upwards of eleven
stone weight and his horse less than thirty
stones. They were weighed after the
feat to decide another wager.
Southey makes mention in his "Com-
monplace Book" of Norfolk gentleman
farmer who rode his own boar, for wager,
from his own house to the next town. four
and quarter miles distant, twenty guineas
the wager, the time allowed being an
hour. ''Poreo" performed it in fifty min
utes
In the Aisaatd Register for 1888 we find
the following; "a young Irish gentleman,
for very considerable wager, set out on
Monday, September 22d, to walk to Con-
stantinople and back again in one wear. 1t
is said that the gentleman has 10000 de-
pending on the performance of the ex-
ploitp
Ii was during the same year chat ,Ier-
usalem" Whalley made the journey which
earned him his name. Being asked on one
occasion where he was going, he answered
in Jest, to Jerusalem. The company pres
ent offered to wager any sum that he did
not go there and he took bets to the
amount of between e15,000 and 10000.
The journey was to be performed on foot,
except so far as it was necessary to cross
the sea and the exploit was to be finished
by playing ball against the walls Of that
celebrated city. In the Anit9al Register
Tor 1889 it is stated that " Mr. Whalley
arrived about June, in Dublin, from his
Journey to the Holy Land, considerably
within the limited time of twelve monthsp
The above wagers, however whimsical,
were not without precedent. Some years
before BGronet of some fortune in the
north of England (Sir G. Liddel) laid
considerable wager that he would 90 10
Lapland, bring home two females of that
country and two reindeer in a given time
He performed the journey and effected
his purpose in every respect. The lap
land women remained in this country for
about twelve months; but having a wish
TO 90 back to their own country, the Bar
onet furnished them with means and
money.
One of the Corbets of Sundorne Castle,
near Shrewsbury, made bet that his leg
was the handsomest in the county or king
dom, and stalled on his part his magnifi-
cent estates. He won. There is picture
in Sundorne Castle representing the
measuring of sundry legs.
Popular tradition has long associated the
assumption of the Ulster badge--the
bloody hand-by the Hottie family, of
Ashton, with barbarous murder CON-
mitted by Sir Thomas Hottie upon his cook,
whom he killed with cleaver. This was
about the commencement of the seven
tenth century. 1t need not be said that
the assumption of the badge has no con-
neetion whatever with this circumstance,
whatever, which may or may not have oc-
Cured. sThe most probable tradition"
says Mr.. Davidson, the historian of the
family, "of the cause of the commission of
the crime is that Sir Thomas when riding
from hunting, in the course of conversation
laid wager to some amount as to the
punctuality of his cook, who, most un-
fortunately, for once was behind time. En-
ragged at the iests of his companions, he
hastened into the kitchen, and, seizing the
tirst article at hand, avenged himself on
the domestic"
In l77l strange trial took place before
Lord Mansfield, in the Court of Kings
Bench, with the object Of recovering the
sum of 500 guineas, laid by the Duke of
Queensberry then Lord March, with
Mr.. Pigot, whether Sir William Codring-
ton or old Mr. Pigot should die frst. 1t
had singularly happened that Mr.. Pigot
had died suddenly the same morning Of
the CONT in his head, but before either Of
the parties could by any possibility have
been made acqusinted with the fact. By
the counsel for the defendant it was urged
that las in case OF horse dying before the
day on which il was to rum the wager was
invalid aud annulled. Lord Mansfield.
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