, 1889-08-08
EXAMPLES OF "FooLS' ARGUMENTS
OUT OF THE MUSTY PAST.

Win Bets-Laying Large Sums on the
II suit of TrffinG Afairs-A Race Be-
tween Drops of Water.
It has been remarked that "a collec-
ton of foolish wagers would make
voluminous work" and SO odd are some OF
these fools arguments" as Butler pith-
ily terms them in his "Hudibras," that
selection of some of the most curious
may prove not uninteresting.
During the last century, when, par
ticularly in club life, the least difference
of opinion frequently ended in bet,
many remarkable and eccentric wagers
were made.
In 1929 q poulterer Of Leadenhall
market betted ESQ he would walk 2O2
times round the area of Upper Moor
fields in twenty-sevcn hours; and accord
ingIy proceeded at the rate of five miles
an hour on the amusing pursuit, 'to the
infinite improvement of his business and
great edification of hundreds Of specta-
tors"
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.
TRIALS OF SPEED.
In February, ITO, bet was laid by q
noble earl that he should find q man who
would ride to Edinburgh and back again
to London in less time than another
noble earl should make million dots in
the most expeditions manner he could
contrive.
In September, 1880, Col. Ross set out
| from London for York, on n wager with
a Mr.. Pigot of 800 guineas that he
| reached his destination in forty-eighi
| hours ON the same horse. He performed
the journey three hours within the time.
On the 18th of May, 1917, a respect
| able farmer of Kirton-Lindsey, for a
wager of few pounds, undertook to
| ride a pony up two pair of stairs into q
| chamber of the George inn and down
again, which feat he actually performed
| before numerous company, whose as
| tonishment was heightened by the rider
being upward of eleven stone weight and
| his horse less than thirty stone. They
| were weighed after the feat, to decide
| another wager.
In The Annual Register for 1888 we
| find the following: ga young Irish gen.
| tleman, for very considerable wager,
set out on Monday, Sept. %, to walk to
Constantinople and back again in one
year. 1t is said that tho young gentle
man has 100000 depending on the per-
formance of the exploit"
The Earl of March, on laying a bet
that he would cause 4 message to be dis
| patched certain distance quicker than
nny horse could convey it, won his wager
| by inclosing the message in a cricket
| ball, which was thrown from hand to
hand by relays of professional cricket
ers. AS Duke of Queensberry, he betted
| 1000 guineas that he would produce o
man who would eat moro at meal than
any one whom Sir John Lade could find.
The duke was informed of his success
not being present at the achievement
| by the following bulletin from the field
of battle: "AIy lord, have not time to
state particulars, but merely to acquaint
your grace that your man beat his antag-
onist by an apple pie"
| BETTING ON DEATH.
At Whites coffee house, where, dur
ing the last century, gaming was carried
on to heavy amounts, book was always
laid upon the table for entering wagers,
and in these betting books, some Of
which still exist, may be found bets on
all conceivable subjects: on marriages,
births, deaths; on the duration of a min
istTy, on the chance of an election, on a
rascals risk of the halter or the shock of
an earthquake.
Walpole, writing to Sir Horace Mann.
Sept. 1, 1850, says: "They have put into
the papers a good story made at Whites.
4 man dropped down dead at the door
and was carried in. The club irnmedi-
ately made bets whether he was dead or
not; and when they were going to bleed
him, the wagerers for his death inter-
posed, and said it would affect the fair.
ness of the bet"
Certain it is that during this period no
subject appears to have been too serious
for bet; and that nothing was consid.
cred too trivial medium, the following
lines, founded on fact, bear witness.
The Bucks had dined, and deep in council at:
Their wine was brilliant but their wit grew Dat.
Up starts his iordship-to the window flies,
| Apd loi "a racel a racer In rapture cries
"Wnere!" quoth Sir John-''Why, sec two drops
of rain
Start from the summit of the crystal pane;
| thousand pounds which drop, with rimblest
force,
Performs its current down the slipp'ry course.n
The bets weze made; In dire suspense they walt
For victory, pendant on tho nod Of Fate.
| Now down the sash, unconscious of the pr:ze
The bubbles roll, like pearls from, ChIoeis eyss.
But, ahl the giittri joys of life are short;
How oft two iostiing steeds have spoiled the
| sportI
SO, thus attraction, by coerciye laws
| tn approaching drops into one bubble draws
Each cursed his fate that thus their project
| crossed;
How hard their lot, who neither won nor iostf
Chambers Journal.